No Ethics in Ethanol

The path to hell is paved with good intentions

Consider that 20 percent of the U.S. corn crop was converted to 5 billion gallons of ethanol last year. This replaced only 1 percent of U.S. petroleum. If the entire U.S. corn crop were used, it would replace a mere 7 percent.

The energy expended to produce a gallon of corn ethanol is 40 percent greater than what is in ethanol itself.

Corn-based ethanol production receives $6 billion in subsidies.

Each gallon of ethanol requires 1700 gallons of waters and releases 12 gallons of noxious sewage effluent into the environment (farmers use ~150 lb. of nitrogen fertizlizer to raise 8700 lb. of corn/acre).

Biofuels is an interesting idea that has become a nightmare in practice. It was fun when a few farmers were powering their trucks on the waste of french fry oil. But the idea has surpassed its feasible limits.

Nice try, but time to drop it.