In the US, just the switch to EVs will reduce the amount of land used for energy, since ICE engines need ethanol as a lead replacement, which is sourced from corn.
Edit: They don't add it to the fuel because they want to. They do it because they are mandated to. Anti-knock properties are just a tiny silver lining that could be obtained through more efficient means were it not for the subsidized ethanol.
> Due to the phasing out of MTBE as a gasoline additive and mainly due to the mandates established in the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, ethanol blends have increased throughout the United States, and by 2009, the ethanol market share in the U.S. gasoline supply reached almost 8% by volume
and
> In the U.S. MTBE has been used in gasoline at low levels since 1979, replacing tetraethyllead (TEL) as an antiknock (octane rating) additive to prevent engine knocking.[15] Oxygenates also help gasoline burn more completely, reducing tailpipe emissions and dilute or displace gasoline components such as aromatics (e.g., benzene). Before the introduction of other oxygenates and octane enhancers, refiners chose MTBE for its blending characteristics and low cost.
It is a farm subsidy program, but it also has an actual use. Oil companies went with lead in the first place, despite being well aware of the dangers, because ethanol is also a competitor to gasoline, being a fuel itself.
Yes, Archers Daniels Midland collects a monstrous undeserved federal subsidy.
But unleaded gasoline needs something to raise its octane rating. MBTE turned out to be a public health and ecological disaster. What we use now is ethanol. Probably some other alternative would be cheaper and not burn crop acreage, but wasting corn has been good politics: corn farming states have a preponderance of senators.
Probably naive, what does this mean? There are unleaded gases for sale that are ethanol free at some gas stations (typically only the premium / highest octane) which are often preferred for small motors / high end engines. I don't think they mix in lead, is MTBE what is added instead in those cases? I haven't heard of MTBE before.
ETA: I've been able to find a number of sites for WI gas stations saying "we have ethanol free," but none of them mention what is added in its place (if anything).
https://www.classicfuelsolutions.co.uk/products/classic-fuel...
That's a UK supplier but an answer on Quora suggests 'race' fuels are sold in the US with lead too. Not legal to use on the road though.
> Effective January 1, 1996, leaded gasoline was banned by the Clean Air Act for use in new vehicles other than aircraft, racing cars, farm equipment, and marine engines.
The only leaded fuel you can buy in the US is aviation fuel. You can't buy it at a gas station and the only reason it still exists with lead in it is because that is necessary for compliance with government rules that regulate what fuel can be sold for that specific purpose.
You do get alkylate gasoline, maybe that's what is being sold:
> The availability of alkylate petrol is limited. The actual alkylation process to produce Aspen is a much more advanced and expensive process which only a few refineries in the world can produce. Even if new ways of producing alkylate petrol is developed, regular petrol will still be the dominant type of motor fuel in the world.
https://www.buyrealgas.com/states.html
I found this website, that lists places that sell ethanol free gas, and the number of them that appear to be Marinas, combined with the bit above about lead being used for marine purpsose makes me think they're just using lead.
Somebody call Congress! Think of the children!
Pretty much nobody does this because on the high end race fuels as well as various alcohol fuels are more available and better supported by industry and on the low end ethanol free premium is substantially cheaper. If lots of people did it it wouldn't still be legal. Dumping 100LL into your boat or race car just isn't a good value way to solve a problem anyone has.
> I found several posts from people saying that they buy aviation fuel because they don't like ethanol for their lawn equipment, and presumably people informed enough about the issue to intentionally buy leaded avation fuel would know about other options available).
I hope I'm not the only one appreciating the schadenfreude here. It reminds me of when people unscrew the spout from their crappy compliant cans. Regardless, the overwhelming majority of these people just drag their butt to whatever local station has ethanol free premium rather than go to the airport because it's a faster/easier/cheaper way of accomplishing the same goal.
The current status quo is stupid but the rules are written by a bunch of jerks who either a) DGAF about what happens beyond the next election cycle or b) DGAF so long as they're not responsible and can collect their pension so it's no surprise that the things people do to compensate are non-optimal.
Large tanks are generally okay, but if you try to start a small carbouretted engine after 6mo and haven't drained the tank you'll need to clean the jets and replace the spark plug.
And the first primary or caucus state of the election season is Iowa. The state produces the most corn in the Union and by far the most corn per capita. Large corn subsidies will likely continue until this fact changes.
https://www.masterresource.org/political-capitalism/adm-etha...
> Thanks to federal protection of the domestic sugar industry, ethanol subsidies, subsidized grain exports, and various other programs, ADM has cost the American economy billions of dollars since 1980 and has indirectly cost Americans tens of billions of dollars in higher prices and higher taxes over that same period.
> At least 43 percent of ADM’s annual profits are from products heavily subsidized or protected by the American government. Moreover, every $1 of profits earned by ADM’s corn sweetener operation costs consumers $10, and every $1 of profits earned by its ethanol operation costs taxpayers $30….
It seems like a misunderstanding of both ag subsidies as they exist today and of ADM's business model