I think among all the proposed energy solutions, ethanol is the one that polarizes people the most.
On one end of the spectrum you have books like "Shuck the Sheiks", which claims that ethanol will solve all of our energy problems. It will replace petroleum, create jobs, develop a sustainable fuel and will end our military presence in the middle east.
On the other end are people who believe that the rise of ethanol fuel will be a disaster, for a number of reasons. Environmentalists will tell you that we are already working our planet beyond its agricultural capacity, and planting that much corn will deplete topsoil, aquifers, etc. Economists point to the fact that building up th ethanol industry disrupts global food markets, especially in North America. Some say it's a plot to get more government funding for corn farmers.
As is usually the case, I think the truth is somewhere in the middle. I don't believe that ethanol will solve all of our problems. But we can't dismiss it entirely without trying to see if the predicted problems can be avoided.
One issue that frequently bothers me is the fact that those who oppose ethanol generally base their arguments on the assumption that the ethanol in question will be produced from corn. Granted, that's where most of it comes from now. But I think that there is solid scientific promise for a next generation of cellulosic ethanol that can be made from things like switchgrass and other easily grown weeds. So why are we getting hung up on corn all the time?
I think the more legitimate question regards the net energy balance of cellulosic ethanol. This seems like a hotly debated issue. Some say it costs more energy to make it than it produces. What's that based on? Is it possible that the fuel is worth that cost? Is that net energy balance an unavoidable thermodynamic law, or is it something that can be reversed with improved catalysts and other technology?
So many questions...
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Wattbuzz is a place for you to learn about energy. It is a place for you to teach about energy as well. It's a place where you can ask questions about how we use energy today and how we'll use it tomorrow. It's a place where you can express opinions about our current energy infrastructure or about proposed solutions. It's a place where you can debate about these things as well.
It's important to point out that while the issues I'd like to discuss on Wattbuzz are global, I am primarily reaching out to my local community - the University of Pennsylvania and other nearby academic institutions (Drexel, Temple, etc.). Therefore, I will give priority to discussing energy news from these campuses. But if you have news to share from outside this local community, please - do not hold back. No one should feel left out of a discourse that concerns everyone.
It's our future, so let's start talking about it.
1 comment:
The reason this country has gotten so fixated on corn is obvious. The U.S. government current pays huge subsidies to growers of certain crops - first and foremost among them being corn. Despite high market prices, farmers still receive many of these payments. Despite the myth perpetuated by the agriculture industry, the average American farmer is not desperately poor and in need of these government handouts. In fact, as of 2006, the median farm family income was 10% higher than the national median family income. Additionally, average farm family income generally tops the national average - by nearly $10,000 in 2004, according to the USDA. The agriculture industry has done everything in its power to protect the corporate welfare it has been receiving from the government since the depression.
So when you look at the current situation, the choice for farmers to stick with corn is an easy one. The demand for corn right now is sky-high, and corn for human consumption as well as for animal feed is only one part of the equation. The way our government protects and subsidies the sugar cane and sugar beet industry in this country artificially raises the price of sugar in the U.S. This has led more and more candy makers, food processors, and beverage companies to change their recipes to use corn syrup instead of sugar, thereby further increasing demand. All of this comes at a time when we are looking to decrease our dependence on foreign oil and create more environmentally-friendly fuels. To facilitate this goal, the government has committed to making it easier for farmers to create biofuel plants and initiate other biofuel oriented programs through government grants and loans. So, with high market prices, increasing demand, government hand outs specifically for corn and other select crops, and government support being offered to farmers to increase their profits through biofuel production, it’s abundantly clear that corn is king.
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