| We've all heard about environment concerns such | | | | produced ethanol on the basis of sugar cane |
| as global warming, our need to reduce our | | | | waste for the past 20 years, the United States |
| dependence on non-renewal fuel sources, | | | | actually uses the corn itself, not the stocks and |
| particularly foreign oil, and the overall need to be | | | | leaves. This has multiple negative effects. |
| "green." Even car manufacturers are getting in on | | | | In the first place, corn production, whether for |
| the act, working on a variety of more | | | | food or biofuels production, requires a great deal |
| energy-efficient and lower polluting cars such as | | | | of energy that releases more greenhouse gases |
| the hybrids you see on the road more and more. | | | | than they actually save. Corn production also |
| There are certainly upsides to biofuel vehicles. For | | | | requires a great deal of water. Plus, the more |
| example, since so many biofuels are derived from | | | | demand for corn, the higher the price of corn. |
| plants, they are close to being carbon neutral | | | | This isn't just for the corn we eat as canned |
| since the next crop raised for biofuels will use the | | | | corn, corn on the cob or corn flakes. Corn is also |
| carbon dioxide released from using the previous | | | | a major grain food used by animals, such as |
| biofuels crop. | | | | chickens, cattle, cows and the like. That's why the |
| They also don't produce anywhere near as many | | | | price of eggs, milks and hamburger has gone up |
| particulates or carbon dioxide. Nor do they give | | | | so much recently. |
| off sulfur emissions, which are responsible for acid | | | | Other current food sources used for biofuels, |
| rain. | | | | such as rapeseed and palm oil, have the same |
| Plus they can be grown locally, so we can't be | | | | downsides since they, too, are used as |
| held hostage to foreign oil producers like we are | | | | foodstuffs, such as vegetable oil. Not only that, |
| now. Nor do we have to compete with other | | | | but many countries are deforesting great areas in |
| countries for limited resources, giving us control | | | | order to provide more land to growl biofuels |
| over our own fuels as well as keeping those | | | | crops. And deforestation wreaks havoc on the |
| dollars in our own economy. | | | | environment. Talk about a downside! |
| But biofuels aren't the magic answer some have | | | | There are many other plant materials that can be |
| been touting and, indeed, there are some real | | | | used for ethanol production, including switch grass |
| downsides to biofuels, as we're sadly discovering | | | | and even algae. Waste products, such as wood |
| nowadays what with skyrocketing food prices | | | | chips, straw and pulp could accomplish the same |
| that can't just be blamed on the price of gas. | | | | thing Brazil has done...use what's left over after |
| Currently US government subsidies are provided | | | | food production, not replace food production with |
| for ethanol, but they are for corn ethanol. | | | | fuel. After all, we can't eat biofuels. |
| However, unlike Brazil who has effectively | | | | |