This Alternative Fuel Needs an Alternative

I am by no means against alternative fuels--if they can be produced in a way that does not have huge and harmful repercussions. Ethanol, unfortunately does. According to Wikipedia, the United States has 131 ethanol refineries capable of producing 7 billion gallons a year. An extra 72 refineries are going to be built. Incidentally, the stuff increases carbon emissions by a factor of 92 when virgin land is cultivated for ethanol production ("Food Riots Made in USA," The Weekly Standard, April 28, 2008).

That aside, the big problem here is that producing ethanol sucks up an enormous amount of corn production, which seems to be directly contributing the food shortage crisis. In a CNN article title "Aid group to cut food rations to millions," posted yesterday, the articles says that a woman affiliated with World Vision attributed part of the crisis to "the diversion of corn to the production of ethanol rather than food." Another problem is "spiraling fuel prices," but ethanol, which doesn't come cheap itself, is not going to fix that problem and thereby neutralize its negative effects. An article by William Tucker in The Weekly Standard called "Food Riots Made in the USA" puts it bluntly: "In order to understand the steep rise in world food prices...you need to travel to Iowa. Right now, we're trying to run our cars on corn ethanol instead of gasoline. As a result, we suddenly find ourselves taking food out of the mouths of children in developing nations. That may sound harsh, but it also happens to be true." This same article states that "One-third of the American corn crop will be converted to ethanol this year."

One-third is a mighty big fraction when you consider that the U.S. produces 280 million metric tons of the stuff, almost half the world's production. Too big, by my lights, for a fledging alternative fuel that is sapping the world food market and setting up many developing countries for some rocky times ahead. Tucker's article cites two agricultural experts at the University of Minnesota who "predict that by 2025 biofuels will be responsible for 600 million more chronically hungry people." The fuel issue is real. I don't love depending on a product that is difficult to renew and is inherently something of an environmental liability (and is generally under the control of countries not too thrilled with us). Maybe some day we'll have a fuel so harmless that you can drink it in a milkshake. But right now, the priority is on the 1.5 million people World Vision had to stop feeding who are facing the prospect of starvation or malnourishment.

Back off on ethanol, work toward stabilizing the food situation, and then reassess. Don't blindly keep producing ethanol and hope things will iron out.