Ethanol Juggernaut Moves Through D.C. - AP

[Eugene]

Source: Associated Press

Ethanol Juggernaut Moves Through D.C.

By H. JOSEF HEBERT
The Associated Press
Tuesday, May 1, 2007; 7:13 PM

WASHINGTON -- Nebraska hog producer Joy Philippi says livestock
farmers "are having jitters" over ethanol, worried there won't be
enough corn left for the pigs.

She might as well be talking to a wall.

There is an ethanol juggernaut moving through Congress that will
call for a sevenfold increase in biofuels production _ almost all of
it ethanol _ over the next 15 years. Presidential primaries, anger
over gasoline prices and global warming make ethanol a potent
political issue for both parties.

-snip-

A confluence of issues is behind the rush for ethanol: $3 a gallon
gasoline, demand for greater energy security, concern over relying
on oil imports from politically volatile regions, and growing worries
about carbon dioxide from fossil fuels _ the principal "greenhouse"
gas linked to global warming.

There is hardly a lawmaker _ or presidential aspirant _ who hasn't
signed onto some sort of ethanol promotion.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/01/AR2007050101396.html

[youngdem]

1. Ethanol is a scam (with current technology) and is a political ploy

to control the rural Midwest and South vote by both parties. Ethanol has a negative delta for almost every fuel source (except for switchgrass when ideal conditions are met, no transport is considered, and even then, just barely).

This is a waste of money and public good will on something that is not going to benefit the environment appreciably, is going to drive fuel prices up, is barely going to dent our dependence on foreign fuel sources, and will drive food prices up dramatically.

I wish we were smart enough to stop this crazy idea of making fuel from food when so many people live on the edge (or below), especially when it does us NO good at all to begin with.

[GliderGuider]

2. No politician will kill the goose that's laying the golden turds

No legislative or policy barriers will be tolerated between the politicians and their money tree. Ethanol will be developed just as far and as fast as humanly possible, and the devil take the rest of us.

Pull up a chair and watch as the four horsemen fuel their steeds with ethanol.

[razzleberry]

3. lots better than petroleum .n/t

[pscot]

4. For Cargill

n/t