There is a column titled “Briefing” in each issue of The Week magazine. The column looks at a topic and tries to explain the main points of the issue by asking and answering simple questions.
In the October 5, 2007 issue, the topic title is “The ethanol craze.” The following are quotes from the article on page 14.
“Congress wants the U.S. to produce 36 billion gallons of ethanol by 2022. Is the plant-based fuel really the answer to our energy problems?
Is ethanol something new? Not at all.
But is corn the best ethanol source? Not by a long shot.
Why is corn-based ethanol dominant? In a word, politics.
Is ethanol environmentally friendly? Not especially.
Does ethanol have other downsides? Yes-it raises food prices here and abroad.
But what about replacing foreign oil? Even that is something of an illusion.”
There you have it, just the facts. Why ethanol and why corn? Politics. Wake up America. Vote the politicians out in November and vote for new people that are actually concerned about America, not just their wallets.
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