Here comes Ethanol

[Chris Ryan]

An excerpt from a press release from Minister for Tourism, Regional Development and Industry The Honourable Desley Boyle.

“The Bligh Government is committed to introducing a five percent ethanol mandate in Queensland by 2010 and if this can be delivered earlier the Government will do so - but not to the disadvantage of Queenslanders.


Now most of us know ethanol and boats are a bad idea but this is pushing a massive issue on us. Outboard & inboard fuel hoses may not be ready for ethanol NOR are a lot of the fuel tanks in boats. In the USA, fibreglass tanks and some plastic tanks are leaking and causing boats to explode. There is a civil lawsuit underway in California against the Government due to the mandated ethanol in the fuel by the boating lobby and those affected by this.

The shelf life for ethanol blends is shorter and a lot of boats not used every week will experience bigger mechanics bills due to the gumming up caused by the fuel blend. Let's not forget the greater proportion of water that is associated with these blends making their way into your fuel lines and motors.

So guys & gals, I would be looking to add this to your agenda along with marine parks and boat rego fees when speaking with your local MP.

Chris

[FNQCairns]

Sugar!! for the want of a better word!!. Whats known about this stuff is bad enough, now how in the hell do I make up the 7% increase in L per km travelled..the inmates are running the mental institution like never before.

cheers fnq

[bushbeachboy]

Maybe we can start calling it the 'Blight' Government.

[CHAPPY]

Does this mean we will have to install one of those glass bowl filters to get the water out? There is enough perils out there to get boaties into strife let alone the knee-jerk quick-fix solutions of Captain Bligh. The only time this government want to talk to us is when our regos are due.

Her ancestor was made walk the plank.
She is as thick as one.

Regards Chappy

[Outsider1]

Sugar!! for the want of a better word!!. Whats known about this stuff is bad enough, now how in the hell do I make up the 7% increase in L per km travelled..the inmates are running the mental institution like never before.

cheers fnq

I suspect Sugar is the right word, i.e. that is Sugar is one of the main industries driving this move!. And it is an easy way for Bligh to claim that she is reducing the price of fuel.

The trouble is ethanol does not stack up on environmental, economic or ethical grounds. It does not reduce net greenhouse emissions. Ethanol it not actually cheaper as Scott points out because your fuel consumption goes up more than the price comes down! And it is unethical because it is made out of crops that would otherwise be used to provide food in a world already short of food.!

Politicans will be the death of us yet!

Cheers

Dave

[TimiBoy]

No point bagging out Bligh for it though. The other side are all for doing it more and faster, aren't they? They're all bloody politicians, all tarred with the same damn brush.

I'm sure life was easier in the jungle...

Will an ethanol mandate extend to 95 and 98 fuel? Sure as hell hope not...

Tim

[Outsider1]

No point bagging out Bligh for it though. The other side are all for doing it more and faster, aren't they? They're all bloody politicians, all tarred with the same damn brush.

I'm sure life was easier in the jungle...

Will an ethanol mandate extend to 95 and 98 fuel? Sure as hell hope not...

Tim

Yep, they are all as bad as each other on this one.

Don't believe so on the 95 and 98, no political mileage there, lets hope not anyway!

Cheers

Dave

[Chris Ryan]

Here is the info on the USA Lawsuit.

In June a California law firm a class action lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, alleging oil companies failed to inform boat owners that ethanol causes damage to fibreglass fuel tanks.

The suit seeks to represent a class comprising all owners of boats with fibreglass fuel tanks who filled their tanks with ethanol-blended gasoline from a California retailer. The suit also seeks to represent all persons in California who own boats with fibreglass fuel tanks that had to be replaced because of damage caused by ethanol-blended gasoline bought from a California retailer.

The lawsuit, filed by Kabateck Brown Kellner, LLP, names major oil companies, including Chevron and Exxon Mobil Corp., as defendants.



BoatUSA

[Lucky_Phill]

Yep, this will be on the table/ agenda for my next meet.
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[birko]

I suspect Sugar is the right word, i.e. that is Sugar is one of the main industries driving this move!. And it is an easy way for Bligh to claim that she is reducing the price of fuel.

The trouble is ethanol does not stack up on environmental, economic or ethical grounds. It does not reduce net greenhouse emissions. Ethanol it not actually cheaper as Scott points out because your fuel consumption goes up more than the price comes down! And it is unethical because it is made out of crops that would otherwise be used to provide food in a world already short of food.!

Politicans will be the death of us yet!

Cheers

Dave

Last Time I looked sugar world supply was in surplus, hence not taking away from world food stocks

Last time I looked world oil was running out and at record highs. So it is not going to get cheaper. Might be time to consider alternatives you think?

Last time I looked you cannot renew oil supplies each season. But you can grow a new crop each year.

So tell me where is the problem with renewable fuel supplies such as using sugar?

Yeah you can keep whinging that you may have to spend a few bucks to replace a few fuel lines or you can just live with rising oil cost and do nothing but whinge.

Do the research. Lots of countries have been using eathonal for decades. The sky has not fallen.

By the way.Yes I am a cane farmer.

Birko

[Gary Fooks]

Guys

The bottom line is that it wont be compulsory - but we need to be careful that a garage doesnt slip some nto the wrong tank. By law it must be labelled - unlike some states in the USA.

Definitely dont use it unless
1 You have an outboard less than 2 yrs old, a plastic or stainless tank, quality hoses and you use the boat regularly - weekly that is.
2. you are happy to pay more for the sake of the environment

There will be a full and detailed story in a Fishing magazine coming out next month.
Gary

[Gary Fooks]

Birko

Biofuels are pushing up prices - in the USA and even in NSW with grain prices (feedlots are whinging) but yes sugar is perhaps in surplus.

Only about 60% of cars can use it - and not even all new cars - Subaru, Alfa Romeo and even some Toyotas

There are some definite additional problems for boats

1 Solvent properties (dissolves fibreglass tanks and corrodes aluminium)
2 phase separation - the ethanol and fuel "un-mix" when condensation gets into the tank
3 shelf life - it goes off much quicker than normal petrol - so if you don’t use the boat for a few weeks there are problems

Birko - some people might call me Mr Greenie as far as outboard emissions are concerned but on ethanol - I like the idea but it doesn’t work for boats.

Hope this is of interest
Gary

Phil - please call me before your next meet - my info may assist

[PinHead]

Last Time I looked sugar world supply was in surplus, hence not taking away from world food stocks

Last time I looked world oil was running out and at record highs. So it is not going to get cheaper. Might be time to consider alternatives you think?

Last time I looked you cannot renew oil supplies each season. But you can grow a new crop each year.

So tell me where is the problem with renewable fuel supplies such as using sugar?

Yeah you can keep whinging that you may have to spend a few bucks to replace a few fuel lines or you can just live with rising oil cost and do nothing but whinge.

Do the research. Lots of countries have been using eathonal for decades. The sky has not fallen.

By the way.Yes I am a cane farmer.

Birko

I would look again if I were you.

[birko]

Pin Head
You think it is more a hold back of supply than shortage?
Cheers
Birko

[birko]

Gary

Appreciate the reply.
I can see the point of not using grain as it is low in supply and cuts into food supply and drives up other costs.But this is not the case with sugar as sugar is in surplus and cost a lot less than grain at the moment.
I agree that a mandated percentage wont happen overnight and should be phased in to allow people to adjust in the way of tanks, lines etc. Pretty much the same way that the old leaded fuel was phased out.

Will look out for the article.

Cheers
Birko