Ethanol intoxication?

[David Redszus]

Following is a bulletin from the CEO of Mercury Marine.


October 4, 2010

Dusty's Forum:
Urge President Obama to Say ‘No’ to More Ethanol in Gasoline

Recently, I urged you to take the time to become more involved in our country’s political process, to register to vote and to educate yourselves on several important issues facing our country and the recreation and leisure industries.

A comment from an employee to that earlier communication was that we should be forthcoming concerning our position on certain issues. So, here is an issue on which we have a strong position.

Although I believe many of our Mercury Marine employees, and the engine maker’s vendors, are quite familiar with this issue, I would encourage all Brunswick employees to take a few moments and learn more about the effort under way in Washington to raise the amount of ethanol in the nation’s gasoline by 50 percent.

In the next few weeks, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) may approve a request from a pro-corn lobbying group (as ethanol is partly made from corn byproducts) to increase the maximum amount of ethanol in gasoline from the current 10 percent (E10) to 15 percent (E15). Without adequate testing, which has not been done, the EPA cannot determine whether this major alteration to our gasoline supply is an appropriate action.

There has been little done to study the real-world effects of increasing our gasoline’s ethanol content. For example, ethanol in gasoline causes engines to “burn” hotter. Ethanol corrodes metals and can damage plastics and rubber, potentially affecting engine performance and reliability.

Even if E15 is approved for only certain models of cars, we know from past experience at Mercury Marine that once a new fuel mix enters the gasoline supply system, it will confuse consumers and inevitably end up in the wrong engines. We fear that E15 could cause the engines on the boats of millions of boaters to improperly function. Further, as you can imagine, such a development will mean that Mercury Marine will need to invest time and money to adapt our technologies, a costly and possibly needless expenditure.

Throughout the leisure and other industries, there is in an urgent nationwide appeal to urge President Obama to stop the EPA from dramatically raising the amount of ethanol allowed in gasoline. Such a move by the EPA would threaten recreational boat engines, your wallet and our environment.

Brunswick Corporation is one of many, including the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA), that needs your help to spread the word and stop the federal government from taking this premature and potentially harmful action.

Please go to http://www.FollowTheScience.org and follow the simple instructions to send an e-mail message to President Obama: “Say NO to Untested E15.” Also, for an overview of the matter, click here.

Please visit our newly redesigned Brunswick Government Affairs website at http://bcone.brunswick.com/pls/portal/PORTAL.home, or by visiting http://www.bipac.net/brunswick, to learn more about how you can become involved in public affairs. This website is designed to encourage our employees, regardless of political affiliations, to exercise their civic duties, to learn about political issues and to vote their conscience on Election Day.

Through that website and other media, we will continue to communicate with you about issues and candidates, and will be providing general information that will help you to prepare for the upcoming elections. We also hope it will motivate you to raise your voice in the political dialogue, to make your opinions known. This is one of those times we hope you will act, and act promptly.

Please continue to submit your questions and concerns to dustysforum@brunswick.com.

Sincerely,

Dusty McCoy
Chairman and CEO

[crazyman]

Come on... I bet the president has a still in the whitehouse basement. I would if I were the president...

The small engine (lawn) repair business will get better if the E15 passes.

[alfonso]

colder plugs