Enough is Enough with this Ethanol Thing
Why we insist on beating ourselves over the head with this ethanol thing is beyond me. Not only is it screwing up food prices, now it looks like the price of beer might go up as more hops and barley growers switch to corn.
Enough is enough! Save the corn for eating.
posted by Fred Mangels @ 8:18 AM
5 comments
5 Comments:
Surprise surprise. The track record of government interference in markets generally results in the intended beneficiaries (poor, minorities,the chiiildren etc) suffering the most due to unintended consequences. As a result of the increase in the price of grains many of the world's truly poor are threatened with starvation but feel good collectivists are proud of "saving the environment".
Except they're not really saving the environment. Corn is not a soil friendly crop and I understand it takes more energy to make a gallon of ethanol from corn that a gallon gives back.
So long Red tail Ale.... Hello 40oz of Old English 800!
So what you're really saying is, "Enough is Enough with this corn subsidy thing"?
There are much better crops to produce Ethanol with. Take switchgrass for example:
"When you factor in the energy required to make tractors, transport farm equipment, plant and harvest, and so on, the net energy output of switchgrass is about 20 times better than corn's." ... Switchgrass also does a far better job of protecting soil, virtually eliminating erosion. And it removes considerably more CO2 from the air, packing it away in soils and roots.
I'll agree that corn subsidies are lousy, but let's not go and throw the baby out with the bathwater...
Whatever. Switchgrass or sugar beets. Anything would beat corn.
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