Corn ethanol is bad news. When you figure out the amount of energy that
goes into getting the ethanol, the deal doesn't make much sense.
"Bill Velek" <billvelek@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message
news:20c49$4767ef8f$6214fb50$6536@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> "As Ethanol Takes Its First Steps, Congress Proposes a Giant Leap"
> http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/18/wa****ngton/18ethanol.html?th&emc=th
> = http://tinyurl.com/3dbq9f
(TinyUrl in case first link breaks).
>
> Some excerpts from the article:
> "Producing about seven billion gallons of ethanol a year from corn has
> reshaped agricultural markets and sent corn prices soaring. Congress
wants
> to double that level of production, to 15 billion gallons."
> ...
> "The new legislation would OBLIGE farmers to grow NEW crops in new ways,
> ...". (CAPS are my emphasis)
>
> I haven't read the bill, but that last sentence sounds like farmers who
> grow barley, for instance, could be OBLIGED to grow corn as a NEW crop.
> Sounds completely un-American to me and I don't see how the government
can
> do such a thing, but then maybe they're referring to a little arm
> twisting -- e.g., 'if you want your farm subsidy over here ... or your
tax
> credit over there ... then you will grow corn for ethanol'.
>
> And then this second article ...
> "Food and Fuel Compete for Land"
>
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/18/business/18food.html?pagewanted=1&th&emc=th
> = http://tinyurl.com/yvnc37
(TinyUrl in case first link breaks).
>
> Excerpts:
> "In Oregon, Jack Joyce, the owner of Rogue Ales, said the cost of barley
> malt has soared 88 percent this year."
> ...
> "Last week, the Senate voted 86 to 8 for a new energy bill containing
> expanded ethanol mandates, and the House is expected to follow suit this
> week."
>
> So, it looks to me like our higher barley prices are probably here to
> stay. I don't know whether ethanol production is a good idea or not,
but
> I also worry about the impact on our land and water resources. I was
> watching a TV show just last week that was speaking about our water
> crisis, our dimini****ng aquafers, the possibility of a long-term
drought,
> and that corn needs heavy irrigation compared to other grains like wheat
> (didn't menton barley). I'm no farmer, so I don't know how they
compare.
> I'd just hate to wake up ten years from now in the midst of another dust
> bowl where we can't irrigate and produce even enough food to eat, let
> alone to make ethanol.
>
> My son insists that if we would grow hemp (NOT the kind with THC), that
we
> could produce FAR more energy than with corn, but the U.S. bans the
growth
> of hemp, unlike Canada (supposedly) and other nations. It just seems
that
> our legislators in Wa****ngton always have their heads up their *****.
>
> Cheers ... but not much to be cheerful about with that news.
>
> Bill Velek - PERSONAL sites = www.velek.com & www.2plus2is4.com
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