Critical Thinking Paper

Olivia Hardwick

Blue Group

3/31/17
 In 2005 Congress established the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). This law created a

standard for the minimum amount of biofuels to be used in the national transportation supply.

This law also required that a minimum of four billion gallons of renewable fuel of the national

gasoline supply be used by 2006 instead of petroleum-based fuel (Schnepf and Yacobucci). The

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) created a plan to expand the RFS under the law passed

by Congress in 2007. The percentage of biofuels used in the fuel mixture has been increased and

the 2006 implementation date was pushed to 2022. This plan allowed the sale of gasoline

containing 15 percent ethanol for all vehicles (Allen). Biofuel, by definition, is a fuel derived

directly from living matter. Biofuel can consist of ethanol, which is made from corn or

sugarcane, green diesel, which comes from algae, and biogas, which is derived from methane

(Investopedia). Renewable biofuels may produce fewer carbon emissions; however, the damage

they cause the economy is not worth implementing them for normal use. Congress must repeal

the RFS because adding biofuels to the fuel mix could cause damage to vehicles, cost taxpayer

and corporations billions of dollars, and take jobs away from American workers.

The RFS must be repealed to prevent damage to vehicles and other machinery that is

caused when biofuels are added to the fuel mix. The most commonly used form of biofuel in

vehicles and machinery is ethanol. Biofuels produce carbon emissions and are commonly

referred to as a clean source of energy. While this form of fuel is a clean form of energy,

adding ethanol to the fuel mix has been shown to cause damage to vehicles and other machinery.

Ethanol is alcohol and alcohol attracts water (Yamaha). Due to this, water collects in the fuel.

With a heightened level of ethanol in fuel systems, moisture is more likely to infiltrate these

systems. Once the ethanol has entered the system it can corrode plastic, rubber, and metal parts

in cars which are not built to handle a higher dosage of ethanol (Pentland). This is not a problem
for newer cars but older cars are more vulnerable to damage. Gas may breakdown causing slimy

deposits in fuel lines. The ethanol cleans out the slimy buildup on the inside of the fuel line. As it

leaves the fuel line this buildup can clog the fuel filter in the car (Yamaha). This can cause the

vehicle to fail at startup that can lead to abundant expenses as drivers need to replace corroded

parts in their cars. To prevent damage to vehicles and other machinery that is caused when

biofuels are added to the fuel mix, the RFS must be repealed.

The implementation of the RFS will cost taxpayers and corporations roughly $90 billion

(Foley). The RFS results in the decreased production of pure petroleum because biofuels are

added to the petroleum mixture used to power vehicles. Therefore, existing petroleum drilling

and cleaning sites will not be used at the same capacity as before the RFS became law, while

ethanol production sites will have to be increased. Billions of dollars have been spent to build

petroleum production sites, and these sites are often large. The BP oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico

was 400 feet by 250 feet, the size of two football fields; many of todays oil platforms are

essentially floating cities that employ and house hundreds of people (Oil rigs: Cities at sea). It is

costly not to use existing petroleum sites while also building new ethanol production sites. The

federal government provides an estimated $21 billion in subsidies for the production of fossil

fuels each year. This includes building, drilling, and cleaning sites (Fossil Fuel Subsidies:

Overview). Additional money would be required to build ethanol production facilities if the RFS

Program is not repealed and money will be required to maintain and modernize both petroleum

and ethanol production facilities over time. Another cost is that facilities take up space that

cannot be used for another purpose. There are 600+ oil and gas rigs in the United States (U.S.

Rig Count).
 Space to grow corn must also be taken into account. In 2013 95+ million acres of corn

were planted (Jenner). Gas stations can also be damaged as a result of ethanol leading to more

expenses. Ethanol not only deteriorates car parts but also causes gas pumps to deteriorate

(Jackson). When the pumps break down they need to be replaced. The cost to replace a pump is

between $267 and $458 (Fuel Pump Replacement Cost). Fuel will also cost more for consumers.

Ethanol and other biofuels do not have high levels of energy in comparison to traditional forms

of fuel such as petroleum (Gas-caused (E10) Engine Damage and Performance Issues). This

means that cars will get less energy efficiency per gallon, resulting in more gallons bought,

resulting in more money coming from consumers pockets. If the RFS is not repealed by

Congress, taxpayers and corporations will have to pay billions of dollars to compensate for the

production and the result of biofuels that are added to the fuel mixture.

American farmers are losing profits and going out of business because of the RFS. The

demand for corn-based ethanol is great hence farmers produce an abundance of corn to keep up

with demand. The growth of corn causes the soil to lose its nitrogen. To fix the nitrogen deficit in

their soil, farmers will take an off-season to plant a crop that will put more nitrogen back into the

ground and balance the soil (Pros and Cons of Corn Ethanol). If the crop that the farmer chooses

to fix the nitrogen brings little or no profit, the farmer will lose money. Farmers are worried that

the food supply will become jeopardized because the majority of corn farmers are harvesting

corn for fuel (Turrentine). Not enough corn is being harvested for livestock or human

consumption . In 2012 the RFS required that 13.2 billion gallons of corn ethanol be mixed with

gasoline or the equivalent of 4.7 billion bushels of corn which was 40 percent of that years crop

(Carter and Miller). Corn prices have risen dramatically since the implement of the RFS. This is

because of supply and demand. More and more corn is needed for ethanol production so the
prices have risen. Livestock farmers who do not grow corn are finding it hard to feed their cattle

(Jenner). In 2006 corn could be sold for $2 per bushel. The price in 2016 has nearly doubled with

corn costing $3.65 per bushel (Quote Corn). The price of corn has been $5 per bushel in recent

years and in 2008 the price of corn hit $8 (Jenner). If the RFS is not repealed farmers may

continue to lose profit and go out of business.

Many organizations take the position that Congress should completely repeal the RFS.

Lawsuits have been filed against the EPA as well. The issues stated in the lawsuits question the

credibility and authority of the EPA. A group of organizations, including the Americans for Clean

Energy, American Coalition for Ethanol, filed a lawsuit opposing the authority of the EPA to

implement a plan under the constitutional plan of 2007. The American Fuel & Petrochemical

Manufacturers (AFPM) sued the EPA because the EPA did not allow the parties involved with

the 2007 plan any lead time. The AFPM also sued the EPA claiming that the EPA used flawed

methodologies, such as not allowing adequate time to complete their collection of data, to create

their 2007 plan (Prentice).

The RFS must be repealed because adding biofuels to the fuel mix could cause damage to

vehicles, cost taxpayers and corporations billions of dollars, and take jobs away from American

workers. If the RFS was repealed, auto manufacturers would not need to build cars that are

immune to ethanol damage, government and taxpayer dollars could be saved, and American

workers would have more equal opportunity to work and earn a living.
 Annotated Bibliography

Allen, Mike. "Can E15 Gasoline Really Damage Your Engine?" Popular Mechanics, 23

Dec. 2010, www.popularmechanics.com. Accessed 12 Feb. 2017. This article explains how

ethanol works mixed with petroleum. This helps my argument because I can explain how ethanol

can corrode parts of a car.

"Baker Hughes U.S. Rig Count." The American Oil & Gas Reporter, American Oil & Gas

Reporter by National Publishers Group, www.aogr.com. Accessed 2 Apr. 2017. This page

provided data on how many oil rig sites there are in the United States. This helps my argument

because it provides me with data to aid my claim.

"Biofuel." Investopedia, www.investopedia.com. Accessed 2 Apr. 2017. This post

explains what a biofuel is. This is helpful to my argument because it explains what biofuels are

and what they are made of which helped me segment to the topic of ethanol.

Carter, Colin A., and Henry I. Miller. "Corn for Food, Not Fuel." New York Times, 31 July

2012, www.nytimes.com. Accessed 2 Apr. 2017. This article explains how much corn is used in

ethanol mixtures each year. This helps my argument because it provides data to assist my claim.

Foley, Jonathan. "Its Time to Rethink Americas Corn System." Scientific American, 5

Mar. 2013, www.scientificamerican.com. Accessed 2 Apr. 2017. This article explains how much

corn is grown in the United States. This is helpful to my argument because it provides me with

statistics to assist my claim.

"Fossil Fuel Subsidies: Overview." Oil Change International, priceofoil.org. Accessed 12

Feb. 2017. This article explains how much the federal government spends on oil production
annually. This is helpful to my argument because the data in this article helped aid my thesis

statement.

"Fuel Pump Replacement Cost." Repair Pal, RepairPal, repairpal.com. Accessed 2 Apr.

2017. This gave me an estimate of what the cost would be to replace a gas pump.

"Gas-caused (E10) Engine Damage and Performance Issues." FUEL-TESTERS,

www.fuel-testers.com. Accessed 12 Feb. 2017. This page lists the causes of high levels of

ethanol on car engines. This helps my argument because it gives me insight on how the ethanol

negatively impacts the car.

Jackson, Tom. "E-10 Alive: The corrosive damage ethanol gasoline does to your fuel

pump." Equipment World, 23 July 2013, www.equipmentworld.com. Accessed 12 Feb. 2017.

This webpage explains how ethanol affects gas pumps. This helps my argument because it

provides me with another reason as to why ethanol is hurting machinery.

Jenner, Andrew. "Ethanol: The Farmers Frenemy." Modern Farmer, 28 Jan. 2014,

modernfarmer.com. Accessed 12 Feb. 2017. This article explains the struggles of farmers

regarding ethanol production. This is helpful to my argument because it gives insight on how

people are affected by the RFS.

"Oil rigs: Cities at sea." The Week, 14 May 2010, theweek.com. Accessed 12 Feb. 2017.

This article describes oil rigs at sea; length, cost, etc. This is helpful to my argument because it

shows how large an oil rig is.

Pentland, William. "Is Ethanol Eating Your Car's Engine?" Forbes, 1 Feb. 2014,

www.forbes.com. Accessed 12 Feb. 2017. Explains how cars are more likely to break down with

increased ethanol in the fuel.

 Prentice, Chris. "Factbox: U.S. EPA Faces Lawsuits Over Its Biofuels Plan." Reuters, 12

Feb. 2016, www.reuters.com. Accessed 2 Apr. 2017. This articles lists and explains the lawsuits

on the EPA over the RFS. This helps my argument because it gives me past attempts to repeal the

RFS.

"Pros and Cons of Corn Ethanol." Corn-Based Ethanol: Reinventing Renewable Fuel,

corn-ethanol.weebly.com. Accessed 12 Feb. 2017. This page lists pros and cons of corn ethanol.

This is helpful to my argument because it provides disadvantages to corn ethanol.

Quote Corn. Carbon Media Group Agriculture, www.quotecorn.com. Accessed 2 Apr.

2017. This webpage provided me with the cost of corn in 2017. This helps my argument because

it helps aid my claim with data.

"The Renewable Fuel Standard: Issues for 2014 and Beyond." Congressional Budget

Office, 26 June 2014, www.cbo.gov. Accessed 2 Apr. 2017. This article explains the volume of

biofuels needed per year. This helps my argument by giving me data.

Rinkesh. "What Are Biofuels?" Conserve Energy Future, www.conserve-energy-

future.com. Accessed 2 Apr. 2017. This article not only describes what a biofuel is but it also lists

the advantages and disadvantages of biofuels. This helped my argument because I was able to

include the disadvantages in my writing.

Schnepf, Randy, and Brent D. Yacobucci. "Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS): Overview

and Issues." Congressional Service Ressearch, 14 Mar. 2013, pp. 1-35, www.ifdaonline.org.

Accessed 2 Apr. 2017. This journal is a compilation of all of the information regarding the

establishment of the RFS. This helped my argument because it explained the role of the EPA

after 2007.
 Simmons, Daniel. "Why Congress Should Fully Repeal the RFS." American Energy

Alliance, 27 May 2015, americanenergyalliance.org. Accessed 2 Apr. 2017. This article explains

why the RFS should be repealed by congress. This article helped me understand why some

organizations want the RFS repealed.

Turrentine, Jeff. "Its Time to Come Clean With Iowans About the Problems With

Ethanol." Pacific Standard, 7 Oct. 2015, psmag.com. Accessed 12 Feb. 2017. Describes Iowan

farmers issues with farming for ethanol production.

United States Environmental Protection Agency. "Renewable Fuel Standard Program."

Edited by United States Environmental Protection Agency. United States Environmental

Protection Agency, 15 June 2016, www.epa.gov. Accessed 2 Apr. 2017. This article explains

what the Renewable Fuel Standard does according to the Environmental Protection Agency. This

helps my argument because it explained what the EPA did in 2007 under the RFS.

"What Is Ethanol and Why Is It so Bad for Marine Engines?" Yamaha, Yamaha Motor

Corporation, U.S.A, maintenance.yamahaoutboards.com. Accessed 2 Apr. 2017. This article

explains what ethanol does inside the motor of a vehicle. This helps my argument by giving me a

direct explanation on how the motor deteriorates from ethanol.

 Work Cited

Allen, Mike. "Can E15 Gasoline Really Damage Your Engine?" Popular Mechanics, 23

Dec. 2010, www.popularmechanics.com. Accessed 12 Feb. 2017.

"Baker Hughes U.S. Rig Count." The American Oil & Gas Reporter, American Oil & Gas

Reporter by National Publishers Group, www.aogr.com. Accessed 2 Apr. 2017.

"Biofuel." Investopedia, www.investopedia.com. Accessed 2 Apr. 2017.

Carter, Colin A., and Henry I. Miller. "Corn for Food, Not Fuel." New York Times, 31 July

2012, www.nytimes.com. Accessed 2 Apr. 2017.

"Fuel Pump Replacement Cost." Repair Pal, RepairPal, repairpal.com. Accessed 2 Apr.

2017.

Foley, Jonathan. "Its Time to Rethink Americas Corn System." Scientific American, 5

Mar. 2013, www.scientificamerican.com. Accessed 2 Apr. 2017.

"Fossil Fuel Subsidies: Overview." Oil Change International, priceofoil.org. Accessed 12

Feb. 2017.

"Gas-caused (E10) Engine Damage and Performance Issues." FUEL-TESTERS,

www.fuel-testers.com. Accessed 12 Feb. 2017.

Jackson, Tom. "E-10 Alive: The corrosive damage ethanol gasoline does to your fuel

pump." Equipment World, 23 July 2013, www.equipmentworld.com. Accessed 12 Feb. 2017.

Jenner, Andrew. "Ethanol: The Farmers Frenemy." Modern Farmer, 28 Jan. 2014,

modernfarmer.com. Accessed 12 Feb. 2017.

"Oil rigs: Cities at sea." The Week, 14 May 2010, theweek.com. Accessed 12 Feb. 2017.
 Pentland, William. "Is Ethanol Eating Your Car's Engine?" Forbes, 1 Feb. 2014,

www.forbes.com. Accessed 12 Feb. 2017.

Prentice, Chris. "Factbox: U.S. EPA Faces Lawsuits Over Its Biofuels Plan." Reuters, 12

Feb. 2016, www.reuters.com. Accessed 2 Apr. 2017.

"Pros and Cons of Corn Ethanol." Corn-Based Ethanol: Reinventing Renewable Fuel,

corn-ethanol.weebly.com. Accessed 12 Feb. 2017.

Quote Corn. Carbon Media Group Agriculture, www.quotecorn.com Accessed 2 Apr.

2017. This webpage provided me with the cost of corn in 2017.

Turrentine, Jeff. "Its Time to Come Clean With Iowans About the Problems With

Ethanol." Pacific Standard, 7 Oct. 2015, psmag.com. Accessed 12 Feb. 2017.

"What Is Ethanol and Why Is It so Bad for Marine Engines?" Yamaha, Yamaha Motor

Corporation, U.S.A, maintenance.yamahaoutboards.com. Accessed 2 Apr. 2017.