Is Propane The Energy Source For Everyone?
 |
Big Oil's Newest Diversionary and Anti-Ethanol Scam is Propane
 Marc Rauch |
Author of THE ETHANOL PAPERS
Exec. Vice President/Co-Publisher
THE AUTO CHANNEL
At the beginning of the summer, the petroleum oil industry rolled out its latest solution (scam) to take people's mind off petroleum-created pollution, the terrible health issues associated with petroleum oil fuels, and the absurdly high energy prices. This solution is propane gas. The roll out of this "new" solution can be seen in their national TV commercial and website. Here's their commercial:
You'll find their website by CLICKING HERE.
The first thing that will come to mind is that there's nothing whatsoever new about the use of propane as an engine fuel. It's always been around, and it's always been cleaner than gasoline. So why now, you should ask, is the oil industry trying to force propane down out throats and into our lungs and brains (where it will cause more disease)?
The answer is because they need another gimmick, another diversion to pretend that they care about you, your family, your friends, your co-workers, and America. But they have never cared. The oil industry has been poisoning America and the world for more than 100 years. They have been the cause of horrendous wars, in fact every major war since 1914. They have killed hundreds of millions of humans and wildlife, and permanently sickened and disabled hundreds and hundreds of millions more.
Why didn't they suggest propane as an alternative to gasoline and diesel 80 years ago? Because they were too busy poisoning us with leaded gasoline. When leaded gasoline was finally banned in the 1980s for all the same reasons that were evident in the 1920s, why didn't the oil industry suggest propane at that time? Because they wanted to use their latest poison on us, MTBE.
So why now?
Part of the answer is that ethanol may be finally ready to take the gloves off and give gasoline the fight that gasoline cannot win. One way or the other, ethanol-gasoline blends in excess of E10 is coming, and the thing about E15 is that it's the stepping stone to unleashing E20, E25, E30 and higher blends. And these blends have proven (again and again and again) to be just as safe as E10, but even cleaner and less expensive. They are far superior to E0 and E10.
Now to be honest about this, Bob Gordon and I have been a fan of propane as an engine fuel. We've also been a fan of CNG (compressed natural gas). Both propane and CNG are cleaner than gasoline, and generally, they are cheaper than gasoline. We spent a lot of time covering CNG and propane; reporting on their industry events, conducting interviews with the pertinent bigwigs, etc., etc.
But about a decade and a half ago, after conducting lots and lots of research, we zeroed in on ethanol as the solution to energy dependence, runaway pollution, diseases, constant price manipulation of petroleum-based fuels, and foreign wars.
Specifically, here's why we switched our advocacy to ethanol:
1. Although CNG and propane are cleaner than gasoline, ethanol is cleaner.
2. For CNG and propane to be used in existing automobiles the automobiles would have to undergo a significant conversion process. This process was very costly (about $10,000) per conversion.
3. In some states, such as California, gasoline-powered vehicles could not legally be converted to CNG or propane. And if the vehicles were converted out-of-state, where it was legal to convert an existing engine, California would not register the vehicle if it was brought into the golden-green state (ha ha ha ha).
4. For new engines to be built to run on CNG, there was an enormous annual federal fee that had to be paid for each engine type, for each model it was used in, and for every year that the engine and model were made - even if the engine was exactly the same as it was in previous years.
5. CNG and propane are both products of the petroleum oil industry, an industry that has continuously and systematically shown its disdain for the public for more than 100 years. Among other things, this meant that CNG and propane would eventually be used like a supply and demand yoyo, to price gouge - just like gasoline and diesel fuel).
6. Ethanol could be produced exclusively in America by anyone from a wide variety of abundant raw materials.
7. Ethanol could be used in every existing gasoline-powered internal combustion engine with very little or NO adjustment to the engine; and any adjustment was not subject to hefty government fees or exaggerated conversion processes.
There is one thing that the Propane TV commercial got right: the switch to electric vehicles will not be as quick, and the production of electric cars and batteries is a dirty business, literally and figuratively. Among the worst aspects of electric vehicles is the slave labor-like conditions that adults and children have to endure.
 |
We say thumb your nose at propane with one hand, and use your other hand to give a middle-fingered salute to electric cars.
Ethanol is today's fuel that immediately meets the needs of tomorrow!
 |
