As ethanol movement grows, critics get louder
The energy correspondent for United Press International has rounded up an interesting cross section of opinions on the subect of ethanol. Gov. Brian Schweitzer of Montana wants to eliminate the middleman in a system where the U.S. sends food to a Third World country and buys oil from the same country. He says make the fuel from that food stock. Biofuel proponents like the economic benefits and potential of reduced dependency on foreign oil. Critics wonder about the inefficiency of biofuel and question whether if it's worth protecting against global market forces. No doubt there are economic gains to be realized with increased biofuel manufacturing, but experts warn biofuel production must match demand or it will be another form of corporate welfare. Schweitzer's proposal has been called extreme and protectionist by some analysts. Stopping food exports and lowering oil imports will affect food and energy prices around the world. One analyst says the transition away from foreign oil should be slow to avoid shocking the system.
[Source: Michael Stothard/UPI]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Howard kerr 9:24AM (10/25/2006)
As I understand it, most, if not all U.S. ethanol is manufactured from corn. Unfortunately, this is the LEAST energy efficient crop from which to produce ethanol. Brazil, a leader in ethanol production, uses mostly sugar cane. Ironically, in this country, sugar has too high a price to be used to make fuel thanks to price supports the federal government put into place to keep out cheap foreign sugar. Now that the sugar industry has a well entrenched lobby, the possibility of lowering that price support to grow sugar for making ethanol at a REASONABLE price, is next to impossible.
While I think alternative fuels are a good idea and should be explored, I can't help wondering why the U.S. government isn't trying to get it's citizens used to the idea that energy is no longer cheap, and should not be wasted. That is, focusing on making vehicles, and homes, and industries even more fuel efficient.
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MikeW 11:00AM (10/25/2006)
How much snow does Brazil get?
If anything, the 'ethanol lobby' should try to push at most E55, 45% gasoline versus the 90% used in RFG.
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loikll 12:47PM (10/25/2006)
Howard Kerr, if energy is no longer "cheap", then people can figure for themselves that they should be spending money to offset energy use. Actually though, energy is still pretty cheap and the alternatives are not.
But good point about the sugar, that's the problem with idiotic market-distorting price supports. Were it not for the fact that the entire nation is shackled to protecting the special interests of the Louisiana sugar lobby, there might be enough of a sugar-Ethanol market to actually support an honest sugar market. By the same token, demand from corn ethanol sounds like a good oportunity to do away with the idiotic agricultural welfare that we can't seem to get rid of.
Maybe we could do away with all farming price supports and tariffs and Ethanol subsidies, yet natural demand would keep the guys in business and everyone would be better off. I have a dream.
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