See here for everything you (n)ever wanted to know about corn-based ethanol but were afraid to ask. In sum, according to New York Times columnist and Princeton economics Professor, Paul Krugman:*"...it's only a slight exaggeration to say that the whole [corn-based ethanol] thing was conjured up by A.D.M., price-fixer to the world."
*"Switch-grass may be coming...but for now and for a while we're still talking about corn." Krugman adds, "We don't have enough information about cellulosic ethanol to know how it stacks up. But again, for now it's all about corn."
*"...ethanol-burning would be good for global warming - IF we weren't burning coal and oil to run the farms and make the fertilizer that grows the corn that get turns into ethanol. Unfortunately, we are."
*The answer is conservation, including "really broad incentives" for consumers to "save gas."
*Growing corn to produce ethanol leads not only to higher prices for beef but also for soybeans, "which leads to another set of problems."
*Krugman says he didn't know that "It requires between 3-5 gallons of water per gallon of ethanol produced." Another really bad aspect to corn-based ethanol.
*We need higher fuel economy standards for motor vehicles ("CAFE standards").
So there you have it. Corn-based ethanol is a crock. Did I mention that I think Paul Krugman is god?
One ask's the question why? Maybe it is because,every one in power are backing the oil industry and will nurse this profiteering to the ground or a backrupt America. Then there will be a national crisis for more profiteering.
I still believe the grass roots people like Al Weed, who really care, then an economist I am not sure of who is paying him or backing him in what he writes.
No I can not deny that some people will be hurt in this tranistion to Ethanol, such as the Tortillas. But even that 75,000 march proves it is the Government of Mexico's actions which caused that problem. Sure the Ethanol had some price to pay, but it was more Government action then Ethanol production.
If Torillas is the price paid for America saving 500 Billion in trade deficits, guarding the foreign oil fields, being held hostage by Terrorist Governments, etc. etc. etc.,
Then the hell with the rest of the world and let America become energy independant.
As far as corn-based ethanol, just about every serious analyst, not bought and paid for by the Big Corn lobby (ADM in particular) believes that this is a crock. Actually, worse than a crock because, as I have argued many times already:
*Corn-based ethanol takes large amounts of energy to produce, with some scientists estimating that you actually have to put MORE energy into the system than you get OUT of it!
*Corn-based ethanol will NOT get us off of our oil addiction, both for the reason cited above and also because even if we used all our corn-growing cropland for ethanol, we would barely make a dent in our 21-million-barrel-per-day oil addiction.
*Corn-based ethanol uses huge volumes of water, which is in scarce supply in the farmbelt.
*Corn-based ethanol requires large subsidies to make it at all economical.
*Corn-based ethanol takes corn that could be used to feed people and livestock, and instead uses it to fuel SUV's. Is that smart public policy? Is it ethical in a hungry world? I don't think so.
*Corn-based ethanol is causing corn prices to spike. Guess who's going to pay for that: that's right, all of us when we go to the supermarket. Sure, ADM's making out like bandits, but the consumer - e.g,. the rest of us - are getting screwed.
I'm sure I missed something here, but I think that's enough for one day. :)