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Ethanol's food-fuel dilemma

FORTUNE -- After 30 years of government largesse that would have made even Nancy Pelosi blush, Congress in December let expire the roughly $6 billion annual subsidy for corn ethanol. That's bad news for the big refiners that were paid 45¢ for each gallon of corn ethanol they blended into gasoline supplies. But it's good news for those worried about the "food-fuel dilemma" when the demand for corn to make ethanol has been raising the price of some foods...

...The irony is that a study done at Princeton suggests that corn ethanol does little to reduce greenhouse gas compared with gasoline. It has helped the U.S. reduce its dependence on foreign oil, but with new sources of domestic oil coming online, the role of corn ethanol in achieving national energy security will become less significant.

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Submitted Feb 03, 2012 By: johntxx

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Vette1967 Champion Author Albany Posts:4,152 Points:915,380 Joined:Jun 2009	Message Posted: Feb 5, 2012 1:57:08 AM Ignore Vette1967 Report Abuse And now you know the rest of the story.
52MPG Champion Author Dayton Posts:5,425 Points:1,379,330 Joined:Apr 2006	Message Posted: Feb 5, 2012 1:27:26 AM Ignore 52MPG Report Abuse "6 billion annual subsidy for corn ethanol" An insane amount of subsidy. May it stay expired.
MontanaMac Champion Author Washington Posts:1,068 Points:275,225 Joined:May 2011	Message Posted: Feb 4, 2012 2:16:59 PM Ignore MontanaMac Report Abuse Way past time to kill food-product ethanol production.
Edpap Champion Author Pennsylvania Posts:1,520 Points:148,910 Joined:Oct 2011	Message Posted: Feb 4, 2012 2:12:29 PM Ignore Edpap Report Abuse It's a crime if the taxpayers paid 45 cents for each gallon of ethanol...where do we find these idiots? how did we get so far out of control?...if the government is involved it seems like it is almost always a fiasco, except for our military. Redistribution of federal tax dollars to other states and special interests of both parties must be stopped!
reb4 Champion Author Chicago Posts:14,834 Points:1,457,690 Joined:Sep 2004	Message Posted: Feb 4, 2012 9:34:48 AM Ignore reb4 Report Abuse here is the point of the article: "Those aren't the only reasons Grantham, 73, gets upset. How can we even consider using a food crop like corn, he argues, for fuel? He has calculated that ethanol demand increases the global price of a bushel of corn by 20%. "It inflicts unnecessary pain on anyone who eats," Grantham laments. "And one day people will starve because of it." Not surprisingly, the agriculture lobby disagrees with Grantham's assessment, contending that the price increase is minimal."
el_fr Champion Author Massachusetts Posts:1,499 Points:380,300 Joined:Apr 2011	Message Posted: Feb 4, 2012 1:15:51 AM Ignore el_fr Report Abuse Corn is for eating
txkrb All-Star Author Texas Posts:853 Points:311,765 Joined:May 2011	Message Posted: Feb 3, 2012 11:41:49 PM Ignore txkrb Report Abuse The only ethanol product which should be made from corn is sipping whiskey
07skydriver Champion Author Ohio Posts:1,441 Points:627,280 Joined:Feb 2009	Message Posted: Feb 3, 2012 7:17:29 PM Ignore 07skydriver Report Abuse I'll give you a hint. It was 2005.
07skydriver Champion Author Ohio Posts:1,441 Points:627,280 Joined:Feb 2009	Message Posted: Feb 3, 2012 7:15:23 PM Ignore 07skydriver Report Abuse The mandate Is the villian here. Who slipped that one through?
335d1 All-Star Author Virginia Posts:537 Points:403,200 Joined:Feb 2011	Message Posted: Feb 3, 2012 7:05:45 PM Ignore 335d1 Report Abuse Don't use corn or other foods, there are weeds out there that can be used.
BobBG Veteran Author Albany Posts:447 Points:578,850 Joined:Nov 2005	Message Posted: Feb 3, 2012 5:37:07 PM Ignore BobBG Report Abuse Using food crops to make fuel is a bad idea.
GT3186 Champion Author Salem Posts:1,244 Points:265,805 Joined:Aug 2011	Message Posted: Feb 3, 2012 5:28:17 PM Ignore GT3186 Report Abuse What a dilemma... Do we choose to have a grain shortage or an ethanol shortage; do we choose to pay more for grain or more for ethanol... What a dilemma...
The_DR Champion Author New Jersey Posts:1,044 Points:229,395 Joined:Aug 2011	Message Posted: Feb 3, 2012 4:39:30 PM Ignore The_DR Report Abuse Good
Night Owl Champion Author Toronto Posts:5,770 Points:1,432,625 Joined:Jul 2004	Message Posted: Feb 3, 2012 4:08:21 PM Ignore Night Owl Report Abuse Exactly. Corn ethanol has just resulted in US corn prices at almost record levels now. The corn industry has been laughing all the way to the bank.
sjf238 All-Star Author Philadelphia Posts:715 Points:349,335 Joined:Mar 2011	Message Posted: Feb 3, 2012 3:28:22 PM Ignore sjf238 Report Abuse Interesting.
RochBear Champion Author Minnesota Posts:9,106 Points:1,515,755 Joined:May 2006	Message Posted: Feb 3, 2012 3:16:27 PM Ignore RochBear Report Abuse The USA STILL EXPORTS nearly 20% of our corn crop. Even with Ethanol, we produce way more corn than we can use. Also ethanol plants do not use up all the corn, anywhere from 30-50% of the corn that goes in, comes back out as Feed for cattle. So you really can't count all the corn that goes in as being used for Ethanol. Since the feed which comes out, needs to be counted too. And this is a VERY GOOD cattle feed.
Teamy Rookie Author Miami Posts:90 Points:242,530 Joined:Mar 2011	Message Posted: Feb 3, 2012 1:22:33 PM Ignore Teamy Report Abuse I am surprised by the number of service stations that post ethanol in their gas. Why are we still doing this if the Princeton study is correct? Anyone know how much more independence we achieved by using ethanol?
vrossi46 Champion Author San Jose Posts:1,420 Points:549,420 Joined:Oct 2008	Message Posted: Feb 3, 2012 12:35:40 PM Ignore vrossi46 Report Abuse it's really sad to be using 40% of the US corn crop for fuel. corn is for eating.
TripleHs Champion Author Austin Posts:1,822 Points:593,980 Joined:Oct 2009	Message Posted: Feb 3, 2012 11:11:47 AM Ignore TripleHs Report Abuse much more downside than upside
shawnpv Rookie Author Texas Posts:8 Points:84,510 Joined:Dec 2011	Message Posted: Feb 3, 2012 10:53:06 AM Ignore shawnpv Report Abuse Besides the food-fuel dilemma, there is the high cost from the damage that ethanol is doing to smaller motors such as boat motors, lawn mowers, etc. And then don't get me started on the lower gas mileage due to adding ethanol.
Buckeyee Champion Author Maine Posts:2,407 Points:554,630 Joined:May 2010	Message Posted: Feb 3, 2012 10:41:03 AM Ignore Buckeyee Report Abuse Politicians listen to the money first, then the people last.
Chem60 Champion Author Tallahassee Posts:1,882 Points:449,500 Joined:Oct 2010	Message Posted: Feb 3, 2012 10:20:51 AM Ignore Chem60 Report Abuse No more using food for fuel! It is awful as fuel, to boot!
BIGOILEATURCRUD Champion Author North Carolina Posts:3,638 Points:1,016,285 Joined:Nov 2008	Message Posted: Feb 3, 2012 10:14:43 AM Ignore BIGOILEATURCRUD Report Abuse Advertise were you can! MASCOMA
kx250 Champion Author Michigan Posts:1,401 Points:766,950 Joined:Oct 2008	Message Posted: Feb 3, 2012 9:59:24 AM Ignore kx250 Report Abuse No dilemma, just quit making it into wasteful fuel instead of food.
crestliner95 Veteran Author Illinois Posts:293 Points:111,905 Joined:May 2011	Message Posted: Feb 3, 2012 9:39:20 AM Ignore crestliner95 Report Abuse The production needs to switch to something other than corn.
dorisntx Champion Author Fort Worth Posts:1,252 Points:332,950 Joined:Apr 2011	Message Posted: Feb 3, 2012 9:35:22 AM Ignore dorisntx Report Abuse ok
GingoutMD Champion Author Maryland Posts:2,659 Points:544,405 Joined:Jan 2010	Message Posted: Feb 3, 2012 9:02:54 AM Ignore GingoutMD Report Abuse The next step is to get that crap out of my tank!!!!
gs7101 Champion Author San Antonio Posts:3,718 Points:275,630 Joined:Jun 2009	Message Posted: Feb 3, 2012 9:00:18 AM Ignore gs7101 Report Abuse Just get rid of ethanol -- end of story.
HellkatPA Champion Author Pittsburgh Posts:2,596 Points:379,015 Joined:Feb 2011	Message Posted: Feb 3, 2012 8:57:39 AM Ignore HellkatPA Report Abuse Another government subsidy that should have been stopped 10 years ago.
Goatroper Champion Author Dallas Posts:5,168 Points:1,008,555 Joined:Apr 2004	Message Posted: Feb 3, 2012 8:51:21 AM Ignore Goatroper Report Abuse Dilemma? Not to us...I doubt there's anyone on GasBuddy that supports ethanol.
gasrat6083 Champion Author New York Posts:1,673 Points:834,960 Joined:Sep 2005	Message Posted: Feb 3, 2012 8:48:52 AM Ignore gasrat6083 Report Abuse It's not a dilemma. Shame on those mandating that food be used for fuel.
billk44077 Champion Author Cleveland Posts:1,328 Points:268,430 Joined:Aug 2011	Message Posted: Feb 3, 2012 8:47:34 AM Ignore billk44077 Report Abuse No more ethanol, bad for cars and bad for food prices