Lester Brown of the Earth Policy Institute is no fan of ethanol, and he stiffened up his stance in an interview with Foreign Policy magazine. Brown noted the huge jump in new ethanol plants and tied the increased ethanol production to conflicts in the food market.
"What's actually happening in the world now is that the price of grain is moving up towards its oil equivalent value. That means that the price of grain is now being set by the price of oil," said Brown.
Brown also is not impressed with the recent deal with Brazil and thinks more of cellulosic ethanol. However, new ethanol plants are being built close to the corn supplies, not switchgrass or other cellulosic sources. Finally, Brown likes plug-in hybrids and wind-generated power.
I personally like Brown's stances on many of the green issues. He comes across as someone who is well-versed on the facts and has a grip on political and economic implications. He usually offers a balanced strategy for improved energy use and production.
Related:
"What's actually happening in the world now is that the price of grain is moving up towards its oil equivalent value. That means that the price of grain is now being set by the price of oil," said Brown.
Brown also is not impressed with the recent deal with Brazil and thinks more of cellulosic ethanol. However, new ethanol plants are being built close to the corn supplies, not switchgrass or other cellulosic sources. Finally, Brown likes plug-in hybrids and wind-generated power.
I personally like Brown's stances on many of the green issues. He comes across as someone who is well-versed on the facts and has a grip on political and economic implications. He usually offers a balanced strategy for improved energy use and production.
Related:
- Earth Policy Institute suggests moratorium on launching new ethanol plants
- Poor could lose out in world ethanol market
Sign in to post
Please sign in to leave a comment.
Continue