No More Alcohol in Gasoline?

Recently, I received an email message from a friend, one who is highly intelligent, and who has a phenomenal diversity of life experiences. The item had a video to a Faux News video segment, which is included in this post, at the conclusion.

My response to the half-truthed item follows.

Here’s hoping you and others find it informative, and helpful.
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While I have neither been the type to proclaim THE SKY IS FALLING! THE SKY IS FALLING! nor believe there is conspiracy against me, nor the paranoid type that imagines “the government” is out to get me (and therefore neither view nor read Fox News), I do think there is some credence to the item. (Of course, a “Snopes check” shows a mix of half-truths. But, if it ain’t all true, it ain’t true – kinda’ like the gas, you know.) More details on that follow.

In a story published published Saturday, February 1st, 2014, the Chattanooga Times-Free Press wrote how some motorists in that area are preferring 100% pure gasoline over the 10% Ethanol blend. (I happened to read that story at the time it was published.)
http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2014/feb/01/some-motorists-want-their-gasoline-corn-free/

While residing there, I also noticed the same, and noticed that the price for 100% pure gasoline is higher than for the 10% ethanol blend. One day, while pumping the 100% gasoline at a Chattanooga gas station, I happened to speak with a gent at the adjacent pump about the difference. He shared an observation with me which I thought quite interesting, and one which certainly seemed reasonable.

He said that in an “accidental” experiment, he purchased some 10% ethanol blended gasoline for use in his lawn mower. He then poured some of the 10% ethanol blended gas into a glass jar, and let it set out at least overnight (or a bit longer). He observed that it had become cloudy from the accumulation of humidity.

While I’ve never tried such an experiment, I do note that many years ago, on occasion, I would run my little carbureted Toyota’s gas tank empty, and would then fill it up with 1 gallon each of Methanol, 100LL, Toluene, Xylene and Methyl Ethyl Ketone. I did so for at least two reasons: 1.) to get any water in the fuel tank & system out, and; 2.) to “clean out” any deposits that may have formed in the fuel system.

Of course, Gasoline and Water are different for several reasons, not the least of which is that

An encouraging story from Alabama! State Troopers start Heli-Rescue unit.

Some say it’s easier to criticize than praise. Where there may be great truth in that simply because of our human nature, it doesn’t mean that we should continually negatively criticize. And so, acknowledging that, I present the following GOOD NEWS story for your perusal.

Would to God, there were more like them.

Which brings me to this point – which I’ve previously shared: Maintenance is the most important and most under-rated job in all the world.

Why?

Everything requires maintenance – our bodies & lives with nutrition, exercise and hygiene, our relationships with communication and forgiveness, our clothing, our residences, our pets… everything requires maintenance. And it’s much easier to get things started than it is to maintain them.

To start something without a plan for future action – and indeed, all planning is for future action – which includes a means and method of provision for ongoing maintenance is not merely short-sighted, it is ignorant.

Let’s hope and work for such positive change.

Alabama State Troopers using new helicopter, training to become force in rescues

Published: Monday, March 12, 2012, 9:15 AM     Updated: Monday, March 12, 2012, 9:26 AM

By Jeremy Gray — The Birmingham News

Hanging from the end of a line attached to a helicopter, Alabama state Trooper Shane Hobbs "rescues" Trooper Mack Ward, in the red helmet, from the woods during a training session. (The Birmingham News/Joe Songer)

After Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Gulf Coast, Alabama State Troopers flew in helicopters over Mississippi and Louisiana, dropping food, water and insulin to families stranded by the storm.

“People were making signs in their yards with sticks and clothes — We need help,” Chief Pilot Lee Hamilton said. “We kept making those drops over and over again, daylight to dark, for about seven days.”

One thing troopers couldn’t do for those stranded survivors was lift them from the wreckage and fly them to safety. “It would have been nice to have been able to pick these people up, especially the ones who were hurt,” Hamilton said.

Four years later, equipped with a more powerful helicopter and following the methods of the U.S. Coast Guard, troopers were finally able to start performing the kind of air rescues Hamilton wished they could have made during Katrina.

In 2005, troopers had an aviation unit, which searches for