Corn Ethanol--The Good and the Bad
Have you ever wondered what exactly corn ethanol is? Well the simple answer is that it is ethanol produced from corn. Okay let's be more precise it is a fuel derived from the sugars in corn and it is considered to be the most common type of ethanol in the United States however its production remains highly controversial.
The Good. According to the National Corn Growers Association "Ethanol is a significant market for U.S. corn, consuming more than 2.3 billion bushels in 2007 to produce 6.5 billion gallons of renewable fuel." They continue to say that "Ethanol's value goes far beyond its role as a major use of corn. Ethanol plants have helped rejuvenate rural communities across the country by creating high-paying jobs, boosting local tax revenues and creating partnership opportunities for local businesses." The NCGA tackles a number of 'myths' that are associated with corn ethanol such as; ethanol raising the cost of gasoline, environmental impact, and the benefit or lack there of to farmers. Follow this link to read NCGA's information on these myths.
The Bad. Here is one of the downsides according to CNN Money.com "Ethanol is energy intensive to produce, and the recent boom has pushed corn prices to more than $5 a bushel (from $2 in 2006). That is increasing the cost of everything from beef to soft drinks. The biofuels craze is helping drive up grain prices worldwide as farmers devote more acres to corn and less to other crops. Over 450 pounds of corn are needed to fill a 25-gallon tank with ethanol_ enough calories to feed a person for a year." Follow this link to read the entire article.
The debate is still swirling around this topic and only one this is for sure corn ethanol is not soon going away so further education and research on the 'good and the bad' is still needed.
Sources:
http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2008/fortune/0804/gallery.green_biofuels.fortune/
http://www.ncga.com/ethanol/main/killing_myths.asp
The Good. According to the National Corn Growers Association "Ethanol is a significant market for U.S. corn, consuming more than 2.3 billion bushels in 2007 to produce 6.5 billion gallons of renewable fuel." They continue to say that "Ethanol's value goes far beyond its role as a major use of corn. Ethanol plants have helped rejuvenate rural communities across the country by creating high-paying jobs, boosting local tax revenues and creating partnership opportunities for local businesses." The NCGA tackles a number of 'myths' that are associated with corn ethanol such as; ethanol raising the cost of gasoline, environmental impact, and the benefit or lack there of to farmers. Follow this link to read NCGA's information on these myths.
The Bad. Here is one of the downsides according to CNN Money.com "Ethanol is energy intensive to produce, and the recent boom has pushed corn prices to more than $5 a bushel (from $2 in 2006). That is increasing the cost of everything from beef to soft drinks. The biofuels craze is helping drive up grain prices worldwide as farmers devote more acres to corn and less to other crops. Over 450 pounds of corn are needed to fill a 25-gallon tank with ethanol_ enough calories to feed a person for a year." Follow this link to read the entire article.
The debate is still swirling around this topic and only one this is for sure corn ethanol is not soon going away so further education and research on the 'good and the bad' is still needed.
Sources:
http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2008/fortune/0804/gallery.green_biofuels.fortune/
http://www.ncga.com/ethanol/main/killing_myths.asp
posted by Rob Pfister at
12:26 PM
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