The same Stanford prof, Mark Jacobsen, conducted research around 2009-2010 showing that ethanol fuel blends put out exhausts that were as dangerous as the exhausts from gasoline, although the types of gases were somewhat different. I his work while at the Iowa Environmental Council, but the Council couldn't its work compromise its work with ethanol production at the time. I digress. The bigger picture is that ethanol is not better for human health, it is not better for the climate, it is not better for taxpayers who fund alternative energy, it is not better for the economy, and it is not an improvement in miles per gallon for vehicles. Now that the carbon pipelines have been proposed, the whole ethanol thing looks like a giant boondoggle that should have been better vetted by research from the get-go.
Except for a somewhat less centralized energy and transmission system, Texas 'R' Us, here in Iowa. Our politics is equally stunted.
If reference to Iowa’s wind energy production, how much is used instate and how much is sold out of state? I do realize that selling helps cover the costs of building and maintaining the wind farms but my electric rates keep going up. What is the answer to that?
Every place that deploys more clean energy has cheaper electricity on average and a more stable/dependable energy grid. Electrons are electrons. They go where the big utilities send them. If we want cheaper, cleaner energy, getting rid of big shareholder electric utilities is the place to start.
I’d like to see more coalition building in Iowa if we’re going to see the govt shrink its support for clean energy and building for climate resiliency. The govt is only one stakeholder (yes it’s important), but I think we should not put so much emphasis on politicians when we all have the ability to make changes and get smarter.
There are interested parties already in clean energy or climate, so I think it’s a matter of building that group and focusing on the biggest factors we face here.
Thankfully (not) the Big Buffoonery Bill will in time make Iowa more like Texas by penalizing wind and solar. The smugness with which they are destroying life is beyond belief.
The same Stanford prof, Mark Jacobsen, conducted research around 2009-2010 showing that ethanol fuel blends put out exhausts that were as dangerous as the exhausts from gasoline, although the types of gases were somewhat different. I his work while at the Iowa Environmental Council, but the Council couldn't its work compromise its work with ethanol production at the time. I digress. The bigger picture is that ethanol is not better for human health, it is not better for the climate, it is not better for taxpayers who fund alternative energy, it is not better for the economy, and it is not an improvement in miles per gallon for vehicles. Now that the carbon pipelines have been proposed, the whole ethanol thing looks like a giant boondoggle that should have been better vetted by research from the get-go.
Except for a somewhat less centralized energy and transmission system, Texas 'R' Us, here in Iowa. Our politics is equally stunted.
I agree completely Leland
I see I should have edited before replying. Ah, well.
No worries mate. We’re on the same wavelength
I live in flash flood alley about 100 miles from Kerrville. I am doing a deep dive on my substack on this topic and emergency management generally.
https://open.substack.com/pub/sharonlawrence/p/climate-environment-and-emergency-b30?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=a5esd
This was a preventable tragedy!
You are correct. When you deny science and create policy around this belief, infrastructure gets destroyed and people die.
I too try to be optimistic but my seven decades of optimism is slowly eroding.
Haha Denise. I hear you and my 6 ½ decades of optimism are tested every day! Hang in there
If reference to Iowa’s wind energy production, how much is used instate and how much is sold out of state? I do realize that selling helps cover the costs of building and maintaining the wind farms but my electric rates keep going up. What is the answer to that?
Every place that deploys more clean energy has cheaper electricity on average and a more stable/dependable energy grid. Electrons are electrons. They go where the big utilities send them. If we want cheaper, cleaner energy, getting rid of big shareholder electric utilities is the place to start.
I’d like to see more coalition building in Iowa if we’re going to see the govt shrink its support for clean energy and building for climate resiliency. The govt is only one stakeholder (yes it’s important), but I think we should not put so much emphasis on politicians when we all have the ability to make changes and get smarter.
There are interested parties already in clean energy or climate, so I think it’s a matter of building that group and focusing on the biggest factors we face here.
Thankfully (not) the Big Buffoonery Bill will in time make Iowa more like Texas by penalizing wind and solar. The smugness with which they are destroying life is beyond belief.
Smugness of destroying life is so not #ProLife
So true.
Very proud of Iowa! Go Hawks!!