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Here's we go again. Yet another story about how another source has been found to make ethanol. From the NY Times: Rejected watermelons -- those with misshapen, scarred or discolored rinds -- may soon be the newest ethanol feedstock, according to new research released this week...

Pictured is a known good use for corn. Food. Corn does not make a good fuel for our vehicles...

Look up "boondoggle" in the dictionary and you'll find an assortment of definitions. Useless or profitless activity; using or expending or consuming thoughtlessly or carelessly; an effort that brings no compensating gain, a waste; mindless dissipation of natural resources. U.S...

I'm no fan of ethanol after having seen the real world mileage hit of 7-10% I take when I'm forced to put it in the tank of my cars. I'll leave it to others to argue about the economics of production and delivery of the stuff, like Ted Nugent did today on the opinion page of wacotrib.com Ted Nugent: Put a hoax in your tank with ethanol 'Feel-good' fuel is left's favorite snake oil By Ted Nugent, Texas Wildman Sunday, August 17, 2008 Greenies, what in God's name were you thinking? Oh, that's right...

As if I needed any more evidence, allow me to present my mileage figures on my return trip from vacation where I was forced to fill up with a 10% ethanol blend. On the trip down from State College, PA to Williamsburg, VA my mileage was 32.7 mpg using "unblended" fuel. That was a little lower than I normally get on the highway no doubt due to the full load of 4 adult sized passengers plus luggage, but still not too bad...

It's not only gas-hungry Americans that are noticing some of the shine has come off of ethanol's "promise". Our friends in the Great White North are coming to similar conclusions. Ethanol policy was, to quote the Harper government, a "win-win." Actually, it was a lose-lose policy for all but corn producers, who, naturally enough, have rallied furiously to protect their good fortune...

My personal experience with ethanol has been that the blend of  "up to" 10% ethanol reduces the mileage of my vehicles from 8 to 10%. Anyone I've run into that has been forced to put ethanol-laced  gasoline in their car has noticed a similar hit in mileage performance. Apparently a lot of other people are as well according to a NY Times story...

It seems like any interesting ideas aren't thoroughly thought through anymore. Take ethanol. A possible alternative to oil for fuel, but before you could snap your fingers we were rushing headlong into thinking all we had to do was turn all our food into fuel and issuing government mandates on how much had to be produced by a certain date, all seemingly without regard to the obvious effects and problems of efficiency...

The Green Car Advisor is reporting on the results of a J.D. Power survey. While most automakers have shifted production to focus on smaller vehicles, nearly 70 percent of consumers want the companies to invest more in existing and emerging powertrain technologies, according to the J.D...

Dear Dub, Don't you think we should just stop importing oil now that we have ethanol? Isn't it great that we found something to replace oil that's good for the environment? Joe Green Time to put down the KoolAid Joe...