but politics wise, no one wants america to be beholden to another new OPEC, this time composed of tropical countries that grow sugarcane

Also, ethanol plants are starting to convert to cellulose-based production. While it took nasty, corn-based ethanol to build up a base market, I believe that in the long run, ethanol-based fuel will be advantageous. There is a lot of plant material that just goes to waste when it could be converted to ethanol.

Corn is a terrible crop for this. Look at what Brazil has done with sugar cane. They actually get a lot more energy out than they put it, not so us with the corn.

There will always be excess when growing crops, damaged ears,  not fully matured ones, not to mention the stalk and husks.  As a farmer if you could take that left over waste and convert it to fuel for your vehicles why wouldn’t you?  And in reality you do, which means you are wasting less and have a renewable source of energy.  The problem exists when you are not just using that say 5% waste to create fuel for yourself, but when you are using the useable/edible 95% of the crop to make fuel for everyone else.

Imagine being able to mow your yard and then turn those grass clippings into fuel, that is exactly what is going on here.  If you were able to get enough fuel to power each mow great, but if you wanted to also fuel your car you’d need more land to grow more grass….  Land that could be used for something more important than make fuel.

Why would you be creating this much “waste” product to begin with?

“Obviously once you start using your actual crop to create fuel there is a problem”

Yesssss?

I found I much prefer it to the bland sweet corn we get here, which tastes of sweet and not much else.

The only benefit the companies are interested in is a profit. When it becomes unprofitable, they will stop doing it.

You can read about the just published, damning studies done by Harvard School of Public Health on Science Daily website at: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120405224653.htm

Insects generally have much tougher, more resistant bodies than do we mammals. We can only guess what the effect this neurotoxin has on us.

Aris: I believe that the percentage of corn used for ethanol is over 30% but that doesn’t change the meaning in your post.

What confuses me is that despite all the corn used for ethanol and all the corn used for livestock, we are still running a surplus.  I think the last prediction I saw was around 0.9 Billion bushels of surplus corn predicted for the beginning of next summer.  It is a low surplus but still a surplus.  It is the lowest surplus in 16 years.  What happened 16 years ago to make it so low then when there were no ethanol plants using it?

Well, maybe there is an upside…companies selling fuel additives like Stabil to help the seperation have escalated.

The problem is that we do consume and produce far too much livestock that is raised on corn. Beef creates even more energy waste because they get fed an energy and water intensive crop.  If you want to make an effect and free up food for others around the world, convince your friends not to eat meat at every meal.I believe that when people try to talk about the “dangers” of corn ethanol, they are doing MUCH more harm than good.  This is because the public will then perceive that all ethanol in the US is corn based, when that is far from true.  Researchers have been working on things considered 2nd generation biofuels, which is bioethanol produced from cellulosic feedstocks or algae and other such feedstocks.  Also, nearly every year, we are breaking corn production records in the US. The same goes for soybean, every year’s crop is nearly a record crop.  Farmers may complain about the biotech companies and purchasing their seeds, but those seeds have increased productivity.  And although you have repurchase those seeds, it is the same in the software industry. You have to purchase a license every year.  Tough luck if you don’t want to buy it every year, get out of the business.  No one forces anyone to stay in one business.  And farmers are not struggling, farmers in general do very well for themselves.  But just like in any other industry, their are bad businessmen who can’t do it correctly and struggle.  And although Monsanto is an overly litigious company,  it is doing great things around the world with food production.  Also, if you hate Monsanto, you better hate Apple too.  Apple is just as overly litigious putting small businesses and inventors out of business and work.  They use nearly slave labor in China in order to reap huge profits…We need to wake up and see that WE, the population is the problem.  Not necessarily these industries, because they can’t take advantage of the planet unless we let them.

But I only used (and use) corn squeezings occasionally. For vodka I use a thin wash that is sugar based. For light blended whiskey, I use the almost spent grain from my beer making hobby, and add sugar  to the correct gravity. For whisky or whiskey, I use Islay malt and nothing else.  For rum I use, well, varying amounts of sugar and molasses.  My hobby since I was 14….I turn 41 later this month. Of course, the only hard licker I can drink for the next 8 days is brandy and grape-based vodka…

During the depression-prohibition, my granny’s Polish-Belorussian-Jewish neighbourhood had a communal still passed over fences when needed to avoid detection. Granny said they used potatoes and whatever sugar they could scrounge.  Anyway, corn should not be used for fuel, should not be used for sweetners,  should not be used as a filler for dog/cat kibble or human kibble. And let’s cut the subsidies.  GMO corn? Off with its head!However, I just love  vegetarian cornbread, corn-on-the-cob and other honest corn products.