Abstract
In order to examine the pros and cons of biofuel policies—and how they might be improved upon—this chapter considers the case of corn ethanol in the United States. Politicians, particularly those in farm states, love corn ethanol. The idea that the U.S. could begin to replace oil with domestic fuel by having farmers do what they do best contains many elements of a compelling story.
By increasing the use of renewable fuels such as ethanol and biodiesel, and providing the Department of Energy with a budget to create more energy efficiency options, agriculture can be the backbone of our energy supply as well. John Salazar, former U.S. Congressman
Today, about 40 percent of all U.S. corn—that’s 15 percent of global corn production or 5 percent of all global grain—is diverted into the corn ethanol scam in order to produce the energy equivalent of about 0.6 percent of global oil needs. Robert Bryce, author
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References
Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), “Historic U.S. Fuel Ethanol Production,” www.ethanolrfa.org/pages/statistics#A.
Nebraska.gov, Official Nebraska Government Website, “Ethanol and Unleaded Gasoline Average Rack Prices,” accessed December 17, 2011, www.neo.ne.gov/statshtml/66.html.
Energy Information Administration, “Ethanol Blend Wall: Are We There Yet?,” This Week in Petroleum, November 23, 2011, www.eia.gov/oog/info/twip/twiparch/111123/twipprint.html.
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© 2012 Robert Rapier
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Rapier, R. (2012). Corn Ethanol. In: Power Plays. Apress. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4302-4087-7_13
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4302-4087-7_13
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