Boom in ethanol raises 'fuel vs.
food' concerns
Lobbyists worried over future 'fuel
vs. food' fight, policy
Drop a pebble in the ag policy pond and the
resulting ripples seem to rush over many
farmers' self-interest. Drop a rock in the
deepest ag policy lake - Washington, D.C. - and
the non-farming wonks there begin searching for
solutions to problems that don't exist.
The latest illustration of this curious
phenomenon is ethanol, the biggest rock to drop
in the U.S. farm pond since the Soviet Union's
1970s grain-buying spree. So big and so loud is
the ethanol boom that farmers and their Capitol
Hill lobbyists now are beginning to worry over
what they see as a future fuel vs. food fight.
The tussle goes like this: If ethanol demand
continues to grow at today's pace, American
consumers soon will be forced to choose between
corn-based fuel and corn-on-the-cob or corn-fed
beef. As such, American farm policy must be
redirected now to ensure the nation grows enough
corn for fuel, food and feed.
Iowa Regulators Worried About Water Supply with Booming Biofuel Industry
DesMoinesRegister.com reports that Iowa’s state regulators are afraid that there isn’t enough water to support the accelerated biofuels industry. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources estimated that a 100MMgy ethanol plant uses the same amount of water as a town of 10,000 people. Some plants are researching ways to recycle wastewater, but chloride and salt in the discarded water makes the recycling process more complicated.
Chevron and Texas A&M Join to Research Biofuels from Cellulose
HPJ.com reports that Chevron Corp. and Texas A&M Agriculture and Engineering BioEnergy Alliance are conducting research together to create biofuels from cellulose, or non-food crops. Chevron started a biofuels business unit in 2006 to pursue new technologies and opportunities for producing ethanol and biodiesel in the US. Texas A&M BioEnergy Alliance has developed cellulosic energy crops that produce more biomass per acre than most food alternatives.