What is the deal with corn-based ethanol? Politicians always seem to talk about it, especially when they are in corn growing states. The news media will give us a quick segment, usually resulting in more questions. This year I have heard several negative reports on ethanol. I have seen no reports which dispute these claims. Low energy returns, habitat destruction, and the increased costs to our food supply leave me wondering about the benefits of ethanol. Last week there was an interview on National Public Radio, which was very informative. It requires realplayer which can be downloaded for free. I highly recommend listening to this interview and encourage you to draw your own conclusion.

I am becoming greatly concerned about the impact on our food prices. Corn impacts a lot of the food we eat, from the corn syrup used in many products to the feed for the animals that give us meat. In an economy where many people are struggling we can't afford this kind of impact. If it were lowering costs in another area these increased food prices might be acceptable, but we are already being hit with higher energy costs. I don't recall hearing any reports about all the negatives of ethanol when it was first introduced. It seems there should have been more research before this big push for ethanol began. As usual the politicians and big business will be the primary beneficiaries of ethanol. A few small farms may benefit, but for the most part the rest of us will come up short.