NDP accuses government of cronyism in ethanol plant approva

[styky]

Well if they stacked the board with Conservatives it would be easier I guess than stacking them with NDPers with business experience


NDP accuses government of cronyism in ethanol plant approval

RENATA D’ALIESIO

The Globe and Mail
Published Thursday, Aug. 09 2012, 11:18 PM EDT
Last updated Thursday, Aug. 09 2012, 11:28 PM EDT

The federal government’s newest port authority has approved a controversial ethanol plant slated for Oshawa’s port lands, raising the ire of municipal politicians and accusations of cronyism from the NDP.

The Oshawa Port Authority, created earlier this year, voted in a private meeting on Thursday to approve FarmTech Energy Corporation’s bid to build a $200-million facility that will turn corn into ethanol, an alcohol added to gasoline to reduce carbon monoxide emissions.................http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/tor ... cmpid=rss1

[Edward Kennedy]

What insanity, wasting money on ethanol production on a process that costs more energy than the product contributes...

The stuff is garbage as well, lowering power and mileage, thus being a detriment to the environment.

People starve while good corn is used to make non efficient fuel.

[RedDog]

The manufacturer of both my car and my motorcycle strongly encourage not using fuel containing ethanol. Both require premium grade (min 91 octane) so it's not as hard as it sounds. Shell V-Power does not contain ethanol and now I see even Superstore's 91 premium is marked as ethanol free. If you ask at the till at just any joint off a freeway exit the clerk usually doesn't know what you're talking about.

Aside from these particular vehicles, we're floating on oil and gas but using crops (food) to dilute motor fuel when the mid west bread basket is drying up and blowing away. We have truly lost our minds.

[styky]

Ethanol burning question for cattle farmers

DROUGHT: The scramble begins to find enough feed for livestock while almost half the U.S. corn crop goes into fuel production

By JOHN MINER, The London Free Press

Last Updated: August 9, 2012 7:04pm
The drought gripping the U.S. Midwest has sent livestock farmers on a desperate search for feed and prompted questions about why so much corn is going for ethanol fuel instead of feed.

"It should be an election issue," said Don Coxe, a strategy adviser with BMO Financial Group.

Part of a three-member BMO panel discussing the drought and its implications Wednesday, Coxe said 45 to 50% of the U.S. corn crop will go for ethanol fuel.

Given the drought situation, Coxe said he'd hoped the government would take action to limit ethanol from consuming more than 40% of the U.S. crop.

In Ontario, where livestock producers are also scrambling to secure feed for their animals, about 30% of the crop goes for ethanol fuel.

Coxe said most American are simply unaware that about half the corn crop will go for fuel because of policies developed at a time when there was a surplus of grain and governments were trying to reduce dependence on OPEC oil.

"Those policies are coming back to hit us," he said.................http://www.lfpress.com/news/london/2012 ... 86676.html