Fuel Ethanol Cannot Alleviate U.S. Dependence on Petroleum /

"Dwindling foreign oil, rising prices at the gas pump, and hype from politically well-connected U.S. agribusiness have combined to create a frenzied rush to convert food grains into ethanol fuel. The move is badly conceived and ill advised. Corporate spin and pork barrel legislation aside, here, by the numbers, are the scientific reasons why corn won't provide our energy needs:"

Williams argues ethanol is "not only costing us a lot of money, it's also wiping out fish and wildlife habitat, and polluting our air, soil, and water." Williams goes on to address several issues surrounding the ethanol debate, such as the politics surrounding the 1990 amendments to the Clean Air Act.

Brown provides some concrete facts about the convergence of the food and energy markets, and the implications of such a convergence. He demonstrates that E85 is raising the price for grains - the greatest impact of which is felt by the world's poor.  He calls for "less costly alternatives" such as increasing our utilization of wind power.

"The United Nations Climate Conference in Bali, Indonesia, wrapped up on December 14. During the conference, debate intensified over whether to include in any climate change agreement greenhouse gas emission targets for developed countries. While most alternative sources of energy are not economically viable at this point, environmentalists and policymakers are hopeful for technological...

"The federal government has done much to boost the U.S. ethanol industry and is largely responsible for the growing use of this costly fuel additive. Now, Congress should do something for America's drivers by ending tariffs that limit imports of cheaper ethanol that could help lower pump prices. Even by the standards of special-interest-driven Washington, the ethanol industry gets an unusually...

After discussing and dismissing four major myths associated with biofuels, Holt-Gimenez concludes, "A global moratorium on the expansion of biofuels is needed to develop regulatory structures and foster conservation and development alternatives to the transition. We need the time to make a better transition to food and fuel sovereignty."

"Figure 1 illustrates the crucial idea that biofuel production affects many different markets, including markets for inputs (e.g., land and water) as well as markets for agricultural products and biofuel coproducts (e.g., food and animal feed). For this reason, many factors can affect the costs of producing biofuels and the prices at which they can be sold. Similarly, many factors can affect...

"Several factors have limited growth in E85 sales. From 2004-2008 E85 accounted for less than 1% of U.S. gasoline demand. ... Among the more important are the limited number of compatible vehicles and the small number of fueling stations. But perhaps the most significant factor in preventing E85 consumption is its high cost at the pump when compared to E10 gasoline. E85 has been more expensive...

This report concludes that "it is neither moral nor constructive to shift major amounts of the world's food supply to fuel production when significant elements of the world's people remain ill-fed. It is neither moral nor constructive to needlessly destroy broad tracts of wildlands for fuel crops when alternative energy sources, such as nuclear power, are not being used. And it is a dreadful...

This report acknowledges that the growing ethanol market has broad policy failures. It states that "without appropriate information, incentives, and rules, the biofuels industry is likely to expand production in environmentally harmful ways." This report proposes an index to track the environmental effects of biofuels.

"This publication reviews the history of U.S. ethanol policy, explains the economics of ethanol production in today's market environment, and outlines some policy alternatives that could be considered for the future."

"The Federal government provides a range of subsidies, tax incentives, and regulatory mandates to promote the use of ethanol and other renewable fuels into the national gasoline pool. ... Until recently, ethanol use was limited by law to a maximum of 10% of the gasoline pool, or as a specialty fuel at high levels of concentration (a 70-85% blend called E85) for use only in 'flex-fuel' vehicles...

Taylor and Van Doren equate corn ethanol to a religion, arguing that it, "...is more a religion than a reasoned proposition." They go on to explain how production of corn ethanol really only benefits the corn farmers and investors in ethanol plants. They also argue that ethanol will in no way help prevent terrorism or increase our national security.

Podcast: Mark Jacobson: The Truth About Ethanol
Mark Jacobson
PodTech
April 6, 2007

"Mark Jacobson is a leading expert in wind energy and the atmosphere. He hears some of the claims being made on behalf of E85 - that it's supposed to be cleaner, that...

"With shortages of fossil energy and heavy biomass energy use occurring in both developed and developing countries, a major focus has developed worldwide on renewable energy systems. Currently, a heavy focus is on biofuels made from crops, crop residues and wood.Though it may seem beneficial to use renewable plant materials for biofuel, their use raises many concerns about major environmental...

Produced by the National Association of Scholars, this resource provides "key names, terms, and organizations that" relate to the "sustainability movement."