Biofuels...Down with Corn!

I have to say that with all the politicos in an uproar over corn-based ethanol, it seems to me that some of the realities of the situation get grossly overlooked. Since I'm not running for political office, I don't need to worry about saying the politically correct thing to keep the Iowa farmers happy. I have major issues with producing ethanol from corn for several reasons: environmental impact of the corn monoculture production systems, economic impact of diverting corn from the foodsystem (whether from direct processing or as animal feed), the inefficiency of the corn ethanol production process, and the poor comparison of corn ethanol compared to other types of ethanol.

If you want to see a really nifty, interactive comparison of the cost, energy efficiency, etc. of various types of ethanol, check out this National Geographic Biofuels Comparison.

You can also read the full cover page story from NationalGeographic, Green Dreams.