Corn ethanol subsidies getting the pro/con debate in Kansas

The debate over corn ethanol, and the federal government's strong support for the biofuel, is being debated across the U.S. Everything from the potential cost for damaged fuel systems to the possible Federal push for E15 is in the news. The discussion has even hit deep into corn country, where the Kansas City Star published a point-counterpoint opinion column yesterday on whether the Feds should continue to subsidize growing corn for ethanol. On the negative side, the corn ethanol mandate "has led to land being taken out of conservation reserves to plant more corn, cultivation practices with dreadful environmental consequences, and increasing demands on fragile groundwater resources." On the pro-corn side, ethanol reduces foreign oil use and "for every billion gallons of ethanol produced, 10,000 to 20,000 people are hired right here in America to do the work." Perhaps the DOE's funding for third-generation biofuels will put the debate to rest, in like fifteen years.

[Source: Kansas City Star]
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