Your Opinions: Must support alternative energy
Day after day we hear about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan which are, in part, to maintain our so-called energy security. Additionally, we have been reading about an out-of-control oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico which threatens our futures.
When we see the price at the pump, we must know that this is an illusion; we should keep in mind the true costs that we will pay for, possibly, decades – the price of wars and cleanups related to oil. What is the real cost of gasoline? Ten dollars, $20 or even $30 per gallon? These are just economic costs; what about the human and ecological costs?
We need to go out on a limb and support alternative energies. One such energy is E85, a blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline.
I used to use E85 in a truck I drove for three years. The fuel worked very well with the exception that MPG was reduced by 20 percent, but at the same time was less expensive per gallon.
Additionally, I have experimented with using E85 in my lawn tractor. The conversion was simple and inexpensive. I drilled out the carburetor with a $2 micro-drill and replaced the fuel line with aircraft-grade fuel line. That’s it. E85 has worked very well; the engine has more power, runs smoother and keeps the oil cleaner.
One argument against using E85 is that it has little lubrication, is highly corrosive and will damage engines. I have found none of this to be true in the six years I have been using E85 in my lawn tractor.
Lastly, widespread public information claims E85 is carbon neutral; that is the plants used to make E85 absorb as much CO2 as is emitted from engines using E85. What would carbon tax proponents have to say about that?
Americans need to realize the true costs of using oil and support alternative energy.
Carl Beasley
Marshall
