E85 Boondoggle of the Day: Canada Spends $3m on Pump Promotion
GM Canada is applauding a new Canadian government program to distribute $3m over two years for a pilot program to "demonstrate E85 fueling infrastructure and promote its commercialization." The measure is part of a $250m Automotive Innovation Fund aimed at supporting the Canadian auto industry's transition to greater mandated fuel efficiency. The PR flacks at GM Canada crow [via Marketwire], that The General's head start in ethanol-capable technology "offers another very practical and affordable way for Canadian drivers to literally cut their net vehicle CO2 emissions in half"– as long as they ignore the environmental and crop price impacts associated with ethanol production. Oh, and Canada has set aside another $10m for two years worth of biofuels emissions research.
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Environment Minister for the Province of Nova Scotia is Mark Parent. Environment Minister John Baird is the Federal represenative.
Regular unleaded and diesel are roughly the same price in Ontario. Provincial law mandates E10 gasoline containing 10-percent ethanol on average. E85, available at only two outlets in the province, is nearly 10-percent more expensive than regular. Tests confirm it increases fuel consumption 20-percent. It’s difficult to imagine E85 achieving success on a voluntary basis. Unfortunately our rulers are as caught up in the ethanol boondoggle as U.S. governments. Ethanol is being propped up with tens of millions of tax dollars, compulsory use legislation and rebates on so-called flex-fuel vehicles - which reports say don't run well. With numbers like these diesel will be the probable winner in the local fuel economy sweepstakes.
I've got a buddy who owns a bagel shop - he's getting KILLED on flour prices due to the fact that nobody wants to grow wheat anymore. He says people now are hoarding flour.