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Nov 19, 2007 - Rush To Judgement

There's a verse from an Eagles' song titled "New Kid in Town" that's appropriate in a lot of situations.

There's talk on the street, it's there to remind you
that it doesn't really matter which side you're on.
You're walking away and they're talking behind you.
They will never forget you till somebody new comes along.

 The lesson is that fame is fleeting.

Three years ago, ethanol from corn was barely on the radar. Congress passed the Energy Act of 2005 and ethanol gained respectibility as a fuel that could reduce pollution and help achieve energy independence.

Everybody jumped on the bandwagon. Commodity prices soared, affecting far more than just the price of corn which went from $1.70 per bushel at the time the bill was signed to over $4 per bushel at the peak of the frenzy.

According to DesMoinesRegister.com, the ethanol industry went from joke to hero to goat in less than three years because of several factors.

Corn-based ethanol is not, and never has been, an efficient fuel. If you pay 20% less for ethanol compared to gasoline, but get 25 to 30% less mileage performance, it's costing you more to operate your vehicle.

There has always been a question of whether the production of ethanol consumes as much, or more, energy than it delivers as a motor fuel.

Then there are the food and water issues.

Seems to me that the rush to "go green" has involved a remarkable lack of foresight by a lot of folks who ought to know better,

Amber waves of grain
It's not the panacea
Just another fad

Read the full story at DesMoinesRegister.com

8:23 am | Categories: corn, ethanol Permalink | Alert Administrator

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