Oil or Food

Right now the federal government is reviewing a request from seven Midwestern governors to boost usage of corn-based ethanol — specifically the E15 blend that consists of 15% ethanol.

Just great: At a time of global food shortages, we’re going to turn even more food into fuel.

“If adopted,” Bloomberg reports, “it could be good news for corn farmers throughout the region, including the politically important state of Iowa. But it would also force oil refiners supplying the Midwest to provide a specialized gasoline grade and construct new storage tanks and other infrastructure.

“That has the potential to increase costs, which would likely be passed on to consumers already squeezed by soaring inflation.”

Conservative estimates have the scheme adding 2 cents a gallon to the region’s gas prices. The energy industry’s estimates are much higher.

This scheme is being pushed by the governors of Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wisconsin. So “conservative” heroine Kristi Noem in South Dakota is running this BS right alongside fat-ass billionaire tyrant J.B. Pritzker in Illinois. Bipartisanship, baby!

“The EPA has little discretion to completely deny the governors' request,” says Bloomberg, “though the agency can postpone the change for at least a year — and renew the delay for two more — if it concludes there is insufficient gasoline supply.”