You might not like how vegetables taste, but they can save you money. Ethanol gas, commonly called E85, is made of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline. Besides the environmental benefits, many people are looking toward the alternative fuel source to end our nation's dependency on foreign oil.
In partnership with General Motors Corp., Meijer Inc. and CleanFUEL USA, Gov. Jennifer Granholm is planning to bring E85 to 20 more gas stations in southeast Michigan during the next few years.
The benefits of promoting and using E85 are limitless. With an appeal ranging from environmentally concerned liberals to fiscally secure conservatives, E85 is a popular choice.
More important than appealing to a large range of the population, opening a market for E85 — which is commonly made of corn and grass — would increase the job market in Michigan.
While car manufacturing factories are continue to be closed and outsourced, a new market related to the automobile industry is more than welcome.
And as gas prices continue to increase, E85 becomes even more appealing. With researchers and politicians aiming to price E85 at $1 per gallon in five years, the alternative biofuel has come at a crucial time.
It's no secret that the economy has been suffering — especially in Michigan. The federal government is currently trying to fight inflation while jobs are being lost across the state. Despite Granholm's measures to bring jobs back to the state, there are still many people out of work.
With unexpected and late-season frost ruining many fruit crops this year, farmers have felt the economic strain more than in previous years. Opening a market for E85 would give farmers another opportunity to use their resources and break even. Because biofuels like bioethanol and biodiesel are made from organic material, farmers can depend on the crop more so than on foodstuffs.
No matter how hard you look, it seems as if E85 has no negative drawbacks. The fuel burns cleaner than gasoline and contributes less to air pollution. Opening a market for the fuel in America, specifically in Michigan, would eventually lead the automobile market away from foreign oil, making us less dependent on unpredictable and fragile markets. Anytime a new concept or product is successfully introduced, it opens the door to more jobs.
Before Michigan was the motor capital of the world, it was known for its strong background in agriculture and technology. If this state isn't the perfect market for E85, then no other is.
