IN PART ONE, I EXPLAINED WHY YOU COULD SUDDENLY SEE E15 GAS AS AN OPTION THIS SUMMER.
SO WHY’S IT SUCH A BOLD MOVE FOR BIDEN?
WELL, IN CASE YOU FORGOT–BIDEN RAN ON A PLATFORM PRIORITIZING CLEAN ENERGY AND COMBATING CLIMATE CHANGE.
NOW THAT GAS PRICES ARE UP, MANY SAY HE’S SWITCHING HIS STANCE ON ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION BY BACKING E15.
BUT IT’S NOT SO SIMPLE.
WHEN WE’RE TALKING ABOUT AIR POLLUTION, E15 IS BOTH GOOD AND BAD. THE SMOG IS BAD, WHILE THE SUPPOSED DECREASE IN CARBON DIOXIDE EMISSIONS IS GOOD.
CO-2 EMISSIONS ARE WHAT CONTRIBUTE TO CLIMATE CHANGE. SO, FOR YEARS, THE GENERAL UNDERSTANDING AND USDA ASSERTION WAS THAT E-15 IS BETTER FOR THE CLIMATE.
BUT A RECENT STUDY SAYS “NOPE. NOT TRUE.”
THE STUDY–FUNDED BY THE NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION–SAYS ETHANOL-BASED FUEL IS AT LEAST 24 PERCENT MORE CARBON-INTENSIVE THAN REGULAR GAS SIMPLY BECAUSE THE PROCESS TO MAKE IT EMITS CO-2. GROWING AND HARVESTING THAT EXTRA CORN TO MAKE ETHANOL CONTRIBUTES TO OUR CHANGING CLIMATE.
SO, IS BIDEN SELLING OUT ON HIS ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY AND
JUST LOOKING FOR A POLITICAL DUB WITH CHEAPER GAS? LET ME KNOW IN THE COMMENTS BELOW.