It all started back in the '80s.
If you’re of a certain vintage, you may remember. In winter,
they began to “oxygenate” — that is, adulterate —
gasoline with additives such as MTBE and ethanol, corn alcohol, in
order (so they said) to lower tailpipe exhaust emissions. That
excuse went away because older cars without computers could not
adjust their air-fuel mixtures and so ran lean (and allegedly
produced lower emissions when burning Not Quite Gas). So there
arose a new excuse: “renewable energy.” Suddenly it was
patriotic to burn corn instead of eating it — even if it
took more energy to convert corn into alcohol and even if your car
didn’t go as far on a tank anymore — because alcohol-laced fuel is
less energy-dense than straight 100 proof gasoline.
The corn lobby (that is, the agro-business lobby) is quite
powerful, firmly grasping Uncle Sam by the pockets, always applying
just enough pressure to make sure he does what is required. The
corn lobby wants for every American driver — hell, everyone who
buys “gas” (in quotes in the interests of accuracy, since what we
are putting in our tanks is no longer, properly speaking,
gasoline) — to pay tribute each time he fills up. The
total sum is incomprehensibly large but the average person sees the
tab every time he’s at the pump.
And every time he drives.
The “gas” we put into our tanks now usually contains 10
percent corn alcohol — ethanol. As a result, our gas mileage goes
down by a sizable amount. People usually don’t notice anymore
because unlike Back in the Day, we no longer only get Not Quite Gas
during the winter months, we get it all year
‘round. Like air travel before Gate Rape, real gas is
something only people over 30 have any real memory of.
But, there is an out.
Because of problems that could not be hidden with Not
Quite Gas — especially physical problems in older (pre-computer)
cars, outdoor power equipment (two-stroke equipment such as
chainsaws, especially) and marine engines as well as problems
arising from water build-up in tanks and lines (ethanol absorbs
water from atmospheric humidity, etc.) and a much shorter shelf
life, which is an obvious concern for owners of antique vehicles,
as well as boats and power equipment that may sit for weeks/months
at a time — it is once again legal to sell real
gas.
Here is a helpful website where you can find out about the
availability of real gas in your area: http://pure-gas.org/
Turns out, there are almost 4,500 ethanol-free filling
stations around the U.S. and Canada. If you live in Alaska (and
Alberta, Canada) you’re really in luck because all
stations dispense real gas instead of Not Quite Gas. I checked the
site’s state-by-state listings and — happy day! — my own state of
Virginia currently has 156 stations where you can buy real gas,
including premium real gas. The site even includes a
map to show where to find real fuel in your
area.
So, any downsides?
Just the one: price. Real gas seems to run about 10 cents
more per gallon for regular leaded. Premium, as you’d expect, costs
more. But, the math may work out. If you factor in the better gas
mileage you will get by using real gas, the higher at-the-pump cost
may turn out to be negligible, or at least nominal. Plus, your
machinery will last longer and run better.
And what could be better than dodging the Corn
Con?
