Flex-fuel partnership: A model for the future
One of the reasons I like RIT is how it tries hard to help out the community. Well, they’ve done it again:
Monroe County is teaming up with Rochester Institute of Technology’s Center for Integrated Manufacturing to assess the performance of the county’s E85 flex-fuel vehicles, which are powered by a mix of ethanol and gasoline.
[snip]
Nabil Nasr, CIMS director, said CIMS will assist the county in reducing its reliance on fossil fuels, improving fuel efficiency and reducing costs to taxpayers.
“It’s a great example of how university-based research can support regional needs and economic growth,†Nasr said. “We also hope to use the data collected here to promote alternative energy implementation in additional public vehicle fleets throughout the country.â€
This is great. Rochester is well-positioned to lead automotive technology and other environmentally-friendly practices. Not only does the County cut costs without cutting services, we save the environment and synergize with a local institution of higher learning. Win Win.
Really, this could be a new model for Rochester to follow: becoming a center for production and research of high-technology, especially environmentally friendly tech.
Then again, corn-powered ethanol is not environmentally friendly. Ethanol from sugarcane is, but the federal government wants nothing to do with it (something to do with a high tax on imported sugar. That’s why everyone is made from high-fructose corn syrup these days).
Still, a good thing, all in all, right?
I was going to correct “everyone is made with high-fructose corn syrup”, but then I realized, that’s probably accurate.
I’m really steamed about this. Our sugar tariff is killing us. Literally.