Month: February 2007

The Ethanol Producer is Reaping the Harvest of Current Legislation

There is some significant energy legislation being enacted in the United States that should result in the tripling of ethanol use by the year 2012. There is great need for ethanol fuels in certain parts of the United States where there is too much of carbon monoxide as well as ozone pollution and in any case, there is need to use ethanol which can considerably reduce greenhouse gas emissions and provide cleaner air.

Ethanol became increasingly popular after Congress passed an energy bill that required the U.S to use 7.5 billion gallons of renewable fuels come the year 2012 and ethanol producers have cashed in on this boom even though they only have the capacity to produce approximately 4.3 billion gallons. Thanks to MTBE as well more demand for ethanol, ethanol producers can look forward to greater private investment in ethanol plants which should then be able to produce two billion gallons every year.

Skeptics Feel It Is a Deal between Ethanol Producers and Corn Lobbies

There are skeptics who may feel that ethanol producers and the corn lobby are pushing legislation through in spite of the many drawbacks of ethanol in terms of economics as well as environmental factors and mandating additional fuel-ethanol subsidies, they feel is unwarranted and they cannot see grounds that justify including such provisions in the national energy policy.

According to them, ethanol producers do not keep the environment safe because though oxygenates like ethanol can reduce carbon monoxide they are also helping increase in levels of nitrogen oxides that is a smog polluter and ethanol blended gasoline may also give off acetaldehyde, which is a toxic polluter. With new regulations related to energy needs coming into force as well as rising gas prices, ethanol producers can expect a bonanza because ethanol will be strong as gasoline prices stay strong and corn prices remain low.

Ethanol Companies Strike it Rich

A case in point with regard to an ethanol producer striking it rich could be The Andersons Inc., which until recently was relatively unknown but had sales of one billion dollars thanks to its ethanol production which was a natural step for it to take, given its network of grain elevators coupled with a large rail fleet.

Shares of Archer Daniels Midland Co., which is the country s biggest ethanol producer, have risen spectacularly and those of Pacific Ethanol, another major ethanol producer have almost doubled showing the general good health of ethanol producers. Even, The Andersons Inc. has seen its stocks rise and are now valued manifold times greater than their original value. The general outlook for ethanol producers thus looks good at the moment.

Home Appliance Warranty: Protection For You, The Consumer

When you buy a new home appliance, you want to be protected in case anything happens. For instance, what happens if you have your coffee maker for only a few days and then it suddenly breaks down for no reason. You may not think it can happen to you but it can. Freak things happen all the time and you want to know that your investment is protected. You don t want to keep buying different appliances just because they keep breaking down. For this reason, most home appliance retailers will offer a home appliance warranty. A home appliance warranty protects you in the case that your appliance breaks down for whatever reason.

Different Warranty Terms

When you first buy your home appliance and you are offered a home appliance warranty, pay attention. Sometimes, the retailer or manufacturer will allow you to purchase more time on your home appliance warranty. It works like this. If you, say, buy a refrigerator and it has a two year warranty. That means that if your fridge breaks down, for whatever reason, you may have it repaired or replaced at no extra charge. However, sometimes, you can extend your warranty for more money. You could get a four or even six year warranty, depending on the offers available.

The Denial Trap

The most important thing to remember is that when you are faced with a warranty, always take it. Do not fall into the denial trap where you think that your appliance will never break down. It s very easy to disregard the possibility that your home appliance will break down and that causes many people to disregard the home appliance warranty at the time of their purchase. After all, they think, I ve just shelled out all this money for this home appliance, who wants to spend more on a stupid warranty?

That s what happens to too many people. These same people get their appliance home and then become enraged when their home appliance breaks down or malfunctions. Then, they re stuck. They think back and tell themselves that they should have bought the extra home appliance warranty. Hindsight is always 20/20, however. It s better to be safe than sorry. Get that extra home appliance warranty and sleep easy that you have an appliance you can rely on, or at least one you know you can have fixed or replaced at any time should anything go wrong.