I can only assume that this change has been in the works for years because it has to be one of the most asinine things I've heard in that amount of time.
Ethanol is not green. It takes 70% more energy to MAKE ethanol than it actually provides! Much of ethanol is made with coal, so yes, it saves gasoline, but it still uses natural resources and pollutes the environment in the process. That's the funny thing about "green" cars running on ethanol or on electricity - both are made with coal! Natural gas is also a big energy source for electricity.
And how much new technology will be needed to convert race cars to properly burn ethanol-blended gas?
On top of it, ethanol producers (corn producers) are highly subsidized by our Federal Government. Because ethanol has no real market value, it's being mixed into our gasoline, requiring Americans to purchase less efficient gas. This raises the actual cost of energy to run a car on top of the subsidies our tax dollars are funding.
Starting soon, ethanol-free gas will be illegal! Because of poor choices made by the government and the EPA, Americans will no longer have the choice to purchase pure gasoline. Not only is the ethanol gas less efficient, it can cause damage to motors and leave a residue. Now our vehicles will have a shorter life-cycle... how green is that?
Even Al Gore came out a couple weeks ago and said that the ethanol subsidies he put into place were a mistake. If an industry can't stand on it's own, should it be propped up by the government (or, in reality, by the tax payers who pay double for it?).
So, NASCAR, please back off this green joke. Just let the sport be what it is... and if you want to go green, think about tires or tracks that last longer.
Ethanol is not green.
