We will have the capabilities to basically triple a bushel of corn by 2025. for every bushel of corn we are producing now, we will be able to triple our production of that one bushel. for every one bushel we produce now --we will be able to produce three to that one in 20 years. There really is no such thing as a small farmer. You either farm and know what you are doing, or you go bankrupt...no matter how many acres you have at your disposal. The "small farmer" has never existed. only smart farmers, and dumb farmers. Its the riskiest business to be in...its all a crap shoot. Every farmer has to be a wise gambler. Prices have risen, prices have dropped for many many years...if you know what you are doing, any farmer can roll with the punches if he knows what he is doing. you can not compare farming to wal mart and the mom and pop store. because there are too many variables on success. land prices are going to rise, because of population increases--period. Has nothing to do with production of ethanol. Prices have been rising for years, without the production of ethanol. farmers are going to be planting more than just one kind of plant in their fields....i do not know one business man that puts all his apples in one basket. if production of soybeans does go down...prices will rise on soybeans. there is an equalibrium there. when production increases, prices decrease...when production decreases prices increase. I do not believe there is one farmer that will fill his fields of only corn. You can not do that...your land will wither away. you will have no topsoil. you have to rotate crops. so the case of the mass production of one crop (corn), is not a reality. this article just dumbfounds me...no the system of using corn based fuel is not yet perfectd...but it can get pretty close. Things are going to go up and down for a few years, but will balance out in the long run. This can be an efficient way to fuel our society.

Ethanol can be produced from any high fructose vegetable/fruit(apples, melons, berries, peaches, potatoes). The best feedstock for ethanol currently produced in the United States is the surgar beet not corn. The second crop that requires no pesicides, little fertilizer and can withstand harsh weather conditions is sorghum. Any idiot pushing the idea of corn as a primary feedstack for ethanol production is either an idiot, in denial, or out to rip off the People.

Whoever is saying we producers can multiply three time the volume by 2025 is a horse pucky believer in an unproven false theory that all good goes forward at the same pace forever. As an agronomist in the corn belt this claim just does not make sense for yields or oil used to produce corn. Soil stress is one factor,feeding more fert will lead to more run off to the Gulf additionally due tom rains at untimely rains. Do we need more dead zone off of the New Orleans shores? If you are going to make ivory tower predictions ask a real producer what can and should be done. We have to over come many factors to achieve just 1/2 again increase in yield if we want to dream that may be realistic.

"The Nation That Destroys the Soil, Destroys Itself" Ethanolics Anonymous By DENNY HALDEMAN Once again, we find our political leadership united around a very bad idea, ethanol and other biofuels to help gain "energy independence," to "help farmers" and most importantly, to help citizens avoid the harsh reality of peak oil converging with unsustainable lifestyles. It is understandable that the politicians must pander to the corn growing states in anticipation of election cycles. Politicians have always been prostitutes for votes. Even the most enlightened, progressive, and thoughtful of them have fallen prey to this cornographic behavior. While some crops are superior to others and forest eating cellulostic ethanol technology scams are still in development, corn ethanol primacy is devouring the nation's alternative energy focus. Billions of taxpayer dollars are being thrown into this unsustainable technology and we subsidize each gallon of auto alcohol to the tune of 51 cents per gallon. The ethanol fumes are leaving us drunk on delusion, ignoring the consequences and refusing to face the future when the oil dries up. To grow enough corn for ethanol to replace our oil addiction would require approximately 482 million acres of cropland, exceeding the current total of 434 million acres of cropland used for all food and fiber. This does not even account for projected growth of oil consumption in the U.S. There is already the push to put the marginal Conservation Reserve Program lands, vital for wildlife and water quality and quantity, into intense energy crop production. Old school ethical farmers in the corn belt are already lamenting the destruction of soil saving windbreaks, some planted during the CCC years, the plowing under of hayfields to corn, highly erodable hilly lands being put into corn, and water drainages being reduced, hearkening back to the depression era insanity that squandered so much vital topsoil. Cellulostic ethanol scams will fare even worse for the soils as "residues" are scooped up, leaving virtually nothing to feed back to the soil. "The nation that destroys its soil, destroys itself," said President Franklin D. Roosevelt. In the rush to burn our nation's dwindling soil resources, corn is king. Corn devours soil nutrients at 12-20 times the rate of soil renewal, meaning it is already a highly unsustainable crop. Corn is also highly dependent on fossil fuel based fertilizer and pesticide inputs. With the inevitable hybridization and Genetically Modified Organism corn crops, the soil nutrient depletion will accelerate. The Corn Cartel, led by the likes of Archer Daniels Midland and Monsanto, have been working for decades on their plans for corn dominion over the U.S. and are now reaping record profits and subsidies. Meanwhile, back on the farm, in addition to the land ethics meltdown, prime farmland prices have soared, rents have become prohibitive to all but the largest agribusiness operations, and again, the small farmers, the backbone, are being winnowed out like so much chaff. Seed, fuel and fertilizer costs are rising to meet the increased profit per bushel and farmers find themselves back on that familiar treadmill, the promise falling short as it always has. In a land already plagued with poisoned groundwater, the incidence of atrazine and other poisons will only become more pervasive. Aquifers, already drained faster than recharge will only dry up faster in direct proportion to our ethanol consumption. It takes around 8,000 gallons of water to produce a gallon of ethanol from corn and each gallon of it leaves eight gallons of toxic waste sludge. Even in the land of 10,000 Lakes, Minnesota is experiencing water shortages from the ethanol production explosion. With 99% of corn production under intensive fossil fuel nitrogen fertilization regimes, there is a directly proportionate resulting contamination of surface and groundwater and growth of the dead zones where our rivers drain. Depending on if you believe the science of the Corn Growers Association or scientists from Cornell University, corn will produce slightly more energy than is required to turn it into ethanol or substantially less. Having monitored the bioenergy crowd for a decade, repeated inquiries into true sustainability have been met with deafening silence. There is no ethanol plant in operation that can plant, grow, harvest, transport, process, and transport it's product on ethanol alone and still show a profit. It cannot be done given today's economics. Ethanol also contains only 70% of the energy of gasoline. Therefore, it takes much more ethanol to go a hundred miles than it takes gas, undermining the 10 cent price difference at the pump that seems like you are saving money and the earth. Ethanol blends also evaporate far more readily causing a toxic nauseous moment at the pump and increasing ozone pollution. With the EPA poised to adjust ozone pollution standards to actually protect people, and Chattanooga's history of barely tolerable air, it is unconscionable for the ethanol bandwagon committee here to be falling for this scam. Today, communities across the cornucopian landscape are fighting proposed ethanol plants on issues from water consumption, water quality, noxious fumes, noise, traffic safety, and other quality of life issues. Meanwhile, back at the grocery store ... Do we feed cars or ourselves. To fuel the average American consumer's driving habits would require 11 acres of cropland per year, the same cropland that could feed seven people for a year. Already we've seen tortilla riots in Mexico and other places where corn is a food staple and the 60% price increase is prohibitive for the least affluent amongst us. Ethanol primacy is in direct competition for the dairy and animal industry. In the US, the USDA projects that the wholesale price of chicken will be 10% higher this year, the price of eggs up 21%, milk 14%, beef 6% and this is only the beginning. Other food crops like soybeans, wheat, barley are being plowed under to feed cars instead. Already in Germany there is a shortage of barley leading the good Germans to fear for the future of their beer. In Mexico, blue agave tequila plantations are being burned and plowed under for corn, leaving those in Margaritaville far less happy while on vacation. And again, the small farmers of the US and elsewhere will be washed out as agribusiness always wins like the other Casinos do. After we do the inevitable Enron-style bailout of the ethanol scamsters, we will be left with soils so depleted of basic nutrients, that any subsequent food production will be lower in nutrients, adversely affecting human and animal health and well being. Indonesian and Brazilian rainforests are falling for ethanol and bioenergy production, slavery is making a comeback, peasants are being driven further into the forests, paramilitary corn cartels are stealing land in Columbia, endangered species are on the run and unmindful consumers of the over-developed world keep on consuming with nary a thought. The ethanol scam will only accelerate global warming. As forests are cleared, more carbon is released than could ever possibly be avoided by burning ethanol. The mere act of using ethanol as a panacea to keep consumption and the American Weigh alive and unwell, will keep consumers unmindful and uncaring. Politically, that is what this whole snake/corn oil boondoggle is all about. To paraphrase the Jack Nicholson line..."We can't handle the truth..about corn, peak oil, unsustainable lifestyles and how we're ripping off future generations." The switchgrass crowd, biodiesel crowd, and others intent on devouring soil and landscapes, might be somewhat less devastating, but the same problems will exist to the degree that the earth's ability to support us declines and the other degrees continue to rise. Now what ... If we poured trillions of dollars in subsidies to the oil and corn industries and untold resources into truly sustainable technologies, we could actually avert the worst case scenario of the end of oil and ensuing chaos and anarchy. Hard-Pour Cornography has us all cornfused for now, as our politicians and policies pander to the oil and corn cartels. Consumption based taxation on fuels, vastly improved mileage standards with current technology and technology in development, supporting improvements in solar, wind and storage technologies, car pooling, a conscientious and ethical public, combined with our ingenuity and technical prowess, we could develop truly sustainable options without a noticeable impact on our sacred standard of living like we're the only creatures on the planet. There is a reason that Toyota is now the biggest auto dealer in the US...innovation and mileage. The Chevy Volt is promising to get 150 mpg, mostly driven by electricity. Solar technology is on the verge of becoming competitive to the earth raping, subsidized technologies of ripping mountain tops off for coal, mining and leaving nuclear waste for 10,000 generations to deal with, and oil wars that kill and maim millions. Decentralized solar and wind could power virtually all of our current home and transportation needs. If we quit driving our food an average of 1,500 miles per bite and bought locally, lived within our means as communities and individuals, we might find an actual higher quality of life as we re-create communities based on our old values of taking care of the planet for future generations, living by the golden rule, and being tough enough to figure things out and do right. Just sit down by your car and take a swig of your favorite ethanol beverage, share a shot with your SUV, and ponder ways to avert disaster and the bad-mouthing of us by who is left of posterity. Denny Haldeman can be reached at: dennyh@bellsouth.net This essay originally ran in the Chattanoogan.

Just one more exzmple of the fact that, as the saying goes, we have the best goverment money can buy.

The pious love that so many idiots have for the oil indutry just amazes me! The truth is that, collectively, the sheiks, the drillers, the transporters, the refiners and retailers have been living large off the world for too long! It wouldn't make any difference if it were seawater, hydrogen, or elephant dung - a lot of idiots would be against it because it represents change. Ba Humbug! Hrumph, Hrumph!! Columbus couldn't sail around the world either! The world was flat, wasn't it?

Why don't we make fuel out of Kudzu, buckthorn, reed canary grass, Juniper? They are all very abundant, and all contain lots of energy.

Please read David Blume's new book "Alcohol Can be a Gas" before you go condemning alcohol. You're not utilizing of all the facts and are disseminating erroneous information. See alcoholcanbeagas.com

The Green Hero: Well thanks so much for your thoughtful insight. "Hey, I think I'll just quote a bunch of [deleted] and then say it's a lie without presenting any proof one way or the other!"

Eric is on target, and says it more and better than I can. Corn ethanol is truly carbon negative and has all the additional problems he describes, so why are we doing it? Simple: politics, money, power -- the usual. We need to push biofuels development that avoids all these negatives.

There isn't a silver bullet in energy independence. First, it takes sacrifice from Americans - less energy consumption. Second, to reduce fossil fuels use, we need to push massive credits towards cellulose biofuel, geothermal, solar power, and improved electric car batteries. Get out of Iraq and use the money saved to invest in green energy!

What an arrongant piece of opinion and much to the frustration of the progressives in the US, the dumb self-contained people continue to rant. There is certainly a small farmer, and please stand up to see beyond the US..

An "ethanol" society is not sustainable. That's what we should be talking about. Sustainable developement is the key to the continued habitability of this planet. If we continue to increase the output of the soil, we depleat its nutrients, which we then try to replace with chemical fertilizers, which are petroleum based. Agriculture is also pumping water out of the plains aquifer faster than it can replenish itself. When you burn ethanol, you still get carbon dioxide.....even though its is not co2 that was sequestered in fossil fuel, its co2 just the same. Ethanol is not the answer.

I would expect at least a mention of how all this mass production of corn produces an incredible amount of pollution which is killing our rivers.

It's true that The Green Hero doesn't offer proof that these things are lies, but then again, the original assertions have no proof, either. Don't believe anything without proving it yourself. Knowledge will set your mind free.

Another thing most people miss is that the fermentation process produces carbon dioxide as one of the main by-products--in addition to water and ethanol.

Why this information leads the reader to conclude that Senator Grassley is either shallow, dishonest or both. But how is that possible? He's a United States senator!

Ethanol has proven to be harmful to many small engines & boat fuel tanks. Now you tell me it takes more fossil fuel to produce it? Why are we wasting out time on this. Electric cars, NOW!

More hemp can be grown on far less acreage, using little water and its seasonal growth returns nutrients to the soil. The fibers can be made into strong textiles and paper requiring less bleaching than wood pulp currently needs. The oil extracted from the plant can also be substituted for the toxic industrial lubricants presently being used. Medicines can also be extracted from the plant, which are far less dangerous than the synthetic chemicals the pharmaceutical industry employs currently. It's absurd that the U.S.A. doesn't utilize this multi-serviceable plant to help drive our economy and reduce the demand for imported oil

I feel that if this is what it comes to that it should be continued. But the fact that hunger will rise is upsetting but you have to think of what we as people are going through living in this kind of society. Also farmers losing will not only effect them but us because we will have higher prices but it should equal out because we will have lower gas prices. I think that we do need to be more concerned about saving energy so I would go through with it.

As long as the presidential election season begins in Iowa, politicians will be pandering to the corn lobby. This has caused a great deal of harm, and little if any good. Corn subsidies have led to high-fructose corn syrup in everything, and an epidemic of obesity and type 2 diabetes. Ethanol from corn is a boondoggle that will increase global starvation. Thanks, Iowa!

Some say a man named John Yoo a Vietnamese refugee, Harvard or Yalie See him interview Naomi Wolf on bookTV-c-span the book is The End of America

Predictions of the next 911 by a Professional Geologist. www.H2onE2.com Glacial Respiration, Conceptual Ring of Ice, The End of Linear Western Religion A Geological Exploration of an E2 Earthen Planet And the H2 Human Species Author: B Billy Marse, Professional Geologist Brief Description: www.H2onE2.com is an exploration of the universe, geology, climate, biology, humans, psychology, folklore and ancient structures to uncover the beginning and disclose the end of linear western religion. The true DaVinci Code behind the bible is not a supreme spiritual power but a scientific record of climate change described as Glacial Respiration. The Greek philosophers originated the practice of communicating a hidden idea or message in the short story format, as a metaphor. In the bible, metaphors conceal historic climate change within the fanciful stories. The theory of Glacial Respiration explains the myth behind the Holy Grail, structures such as the Great Pyramids, Stonehenge, Easter Island and is the knowledge that was collected in the Jewish Ark of the Covenant. The environmental changes of Glacial Respiration determine all biological evolution and can explain why higher forms of intelligent humans developed. Further, Glacial Respiration releases the secret hidden by the Knights Templars, Masonic Order and all religions. Uncovers an advanced Blue-Blooded semi-industrial Atlantian Civilization that was built and destroyed many times over for the last million years. The book ends with an explanation of how linear western religion will be physically ended and describes the construction of the doomsday device capable of fulfilling its own self defining prophesy, “Revelations”. H2onE2 is a mind-expanding experience that stimulates the soul, instinct, intellect and is an almanac to the past, present and future of humanity. Rise, awaken and evolve into H3 human consciousness. The discovery: As a Professional Geologist, I attempted to link the Dust Bowl/Great Depression to a pre-glacial condition or mechanism and ended up writing the book H2onE2. I felt that there was a strong connection between the Dust Bowl and transition back into Glacial Winter. I did notice that my professors scientifically crumbled every time I mentioned the relationship. I could not go back in time or locate indisputable proof. The proof came from understanding all educational disciplines including history and theology. I soon discovered that all religious text both eastern and western continually described significant climate change conditions relating to Glacial Respiration. For years I fought off mixing science and religion until I discovered that the origins of all religions were founded or created to help humans psychologically survive the harsh earthen environment. Without reason I soon accepted that the world's complicated religions were the same. This came true and I continued to write and discover. Everything came into place as though I was unlocking a 10,000-year-old puzzle. I also realized this puzzle was opened before I discovered it, by someone else, some other group. If so, further understanding of this knowledge might be extracted from significant historical events. Lastly, this is the vital information needed to make future predictions. ryjeryjj

The truth is no matter what we do, if we do not get the world's population under control anything else we do is all for not. That is not a lie!

While it is true that some ethanol feedstocks are less destructive than others, this doesn't mean that ethanol is a good investment. This is little justification for the government to favor it over other ways to reduce our demand for oil in transport -- such as more efficient vehicles, plug-in hybrids, or better fleet maintenance. For a detailed look at how much we are spending to subsidize ethanol, see our recent report "Biofuels - At What Cost? Government Support for ethanol and biodiesel in the United States: 2007 Update," accessible at: http://earthtrack.net/earthtrack/index.asp?page_id=221&catid=74 Similar studies for a variety of other countries can be found at www.globalsubsidies.org. Among the key findings: between 2006-12, subsidies to ethanol will total between $67 and $82 billion, nearly all of it going to corn ethanol. Subsidies to biodiesel add an additional $9 - 11 billion. With more stringent renewable fuel mandates, the cost will increase dramatically. EIA estimates annual costs of a 25% renewable fuel mandate at $130 billion per year by 2025. So what are we buying with this money, and is it the best way to achieve those goals? Not that much, and not really. Subsidies per gallon gasoline equivalent for ethanol are $1.40 to $1.70 per gallon. Even using the most favorable estimates of how much GHG corn ethanol displaces, it still costs nearly $300 in subsidies per mt CO2 equivalent displaced. For that money, one could buy 90x the offsets on the Chicago Climate Exchange. Of course cellulosic will be better, but probably not enough better. Using best case GHG displacement assumptions for a cellulosic feedstock, and corn ethanol subsidy levels (subsidies for cellulosic will actually be higher), subsidies per gallon of hypothetical cellulosic ethanol are still at least 30x the cost of offsets on the Chicago exchange.

I absolutely agree. I wrote a term paper one this subject that I posted on MySpace. It is complete with references. In the end ethanol is a bad deal for everyone!

Your 1985 Ford 351cdi was never intended to run on ethanol. New engines are engineered to run on E85 and produce more horsepower on fewer cubes. They run quite well and the gpm’s are greater then straight gasoline burners.Your 4 barrel carburetor is not EFI, and all E85 factory built cars are, albeit the old moonshiners used to run their supped-up jalopies on straight 190 proof alcohol.

International Energy Launches 'Algae to Oil' Initiatives 9:15a ET November 5, 2007 (Business Wire) Pursuant to a recently signed collaborative research agreement, International Energy, Inc. (OTCBB: IENI) is pleased to announce that it has launched its "algae to oil" research and development initiatives. International Energy is working to develop advanced biotechnology protocols for enhanced growth and biofuel productivity based entirely on the photosynthesis of algae, which have the unique capability of taking a waste (zero-energy) form of carbon (CO(2)) and converting it into a high-density liquid form of energy (natural oil). As a result, algae have emerged as one of the most promising sources for biofuel production. In contrast to food crops or cellulosic materials, certain algae produce and accumulate oil naturally and can, in the process, clean up waste by absorbing and utilizing nitrogen oxides and carbon dioxide, aiding in carbon sequestration and the mitigation of climate change. International Energy employs proprietary microalgae that naturally photosynthesize carbon dioxide (CO(2)) and water (H(2)O) to liquid hydrocarbons, and accumulate up to 30% of their biomass in the form of biofuels, the renewable equivalent of petroleum. Hydrocarbons produced from the photosynthesis of unicellular algae offer advantages in the production, storage, and utilization of renewable biofuels, as they can be harvested easily, stored in liquid form and do not require special containment systems. Additionally, the process of industrial scale algae growth in photo-bioreactors is non-toxic, non-polluting, can be scaled up and offers a renewable energy supply. "With the capacity to produce oil naturally and needing little more than sunlight and carbon dioxide to flourish, algae may well be the antidote to depleting fossil oil reserves and growing concerns about increased levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide," states Mr. Harmel S. Rayat, a director of International Energy. Mr. Rayat continues, "Algal biofuel production may also be what's needed to meet President Bush's goal of replacing 20 percent of US gasoline consumption by 2017, mostly by producing 35 billion gallons of renewable fuels. Compared to an acre of corn, which can generate around 300 gallons of ethanol each year, an acre of algae has been estimated to produce upwards of 5,000 gallons of biofuel annually." For Additional information, please visit: www.internationalenergyinc.com

Corn is certainly a short sighted and pandering Mid-west vote "green" issue. Other species of plants are much better candidates in terms of water needs, soil loss, and pollution generation. Why not continue to increase bio-diesel use and make large biodisel energy generation plants with modern stack scrubber to remove CO2 and other pollutants from releasing into the atmosphere. There is certainly an unlimited source of used Deep Fryer Oil in the US...

Um, if you look at my 'brother's prototype from about a century ago, he was playing around with farmer's fuel before gasoline, the waste product from other oil refining processes, was 'chosen' as the fuel of choice. In the defense of gasoline, it does burn pretty well, but it's the environmental impact of that burning that concerns people. Ethanol burns cleaner, and if you spill some, it's not going to wipe out South America's drinking water or whatever. Hydrogen's being tested as a vehicle fuel, someday when they get smart/brave enough to mix it with oxygen, I think it'll propel a vehicle just fine. Getting it to stop, though, might be a job for NASA...

United Nations Radio October 26 - Converting Food into Biofuel a 'Crime Against Humanity' - Special Rapporteur on Right to Food www.un.org/radio/news/html/14891.

I was originally looking for an article appearing in Mother Jones in the 80s about a guy who had been running his car on alcohol from sugar beets (a by-product of that particular industry) at 90% fewer emissions and at about (back then) 10 cents a gallon. Haven't found it yet - but found this story and comments instead. Sadly, knowing that the next HUGE crisis on the planet will be water, I'm not sure what the solution is. I just know that what ever it is, it won't be massed produced unless some corporation can make a ton of money from it. Wait til we start having wars over water! When California loses their lease on the Colorado River access, we could see another civil war right here in the US - since our preference for conflict resolution is war!

Once again our government goes to the wrong direction. Does anybody knows about a car called EV1? Why the car companies, government and oil companies were against it that they killed it. As somebody said. Forget about oil (from any source) we need ELECTRIC CARS NOW!!!! with solar recharging stations

Try again, freethought. If ethanol contains less energy than gasoline, it will take a larger volume of ethanol to perform the same amount of work. The mileage in my '99 Camaro drops at least 10% when I have to fill up with "gasoline" containing 10% alcohol. The only real beneficary of E85 is ADM and the other mega-agro businesses who lobbied heavily to get subsidies and tax breaks for alcohol. Now they're spending big bucks on advertising to con people into believing their BS.

your site is really gay if you need to call me dail 580-3260

Veare is Clostridium thermocellum

Is everybody just trying to ignor the fact that producing more corn, using more pesticides and fertilizer is some how going to have better results on global warming than the use of oil. We need to find a really clean and safe source of energy, recycle and use less.

The author of this article did not cite any resources at all, let alone credible resources, making this propaganda, not a reliable news article.

Agree that short term, all biofuels in US will need to be subsidized, but the crop agronomics and conversion ratios favor sugar beets over corn or other crops in US.

Lobby your favorite politicians and educate them about the best science!

I lived in the capital of corn milling- Decatur, IL and was always amazed that no one harnessed the damn wind energy there... but they have all those big corn mill assets to keep busy in this evolving low-carb, soy/meatless world.
Got keep those mills crushing- even if it crushes a few american pocketbooks.

Why is it so hard to explain to some people why an idea is so obviously bad that its almost embarassing to have to explain it to them. Nevertheless, these are the people who are blindly gambling on technological intensification as a panacea to all the limitations of primary (photosynthetic) production of food and fuel on earth...and I believe the primary motivation for being blind is to maximize corporate profits. The cost to the environment and the risks are of course socialized, aka...you, me and our children will pay for the mistake!

i do have to agree with that... it gets you more in shape and it's a great way to stay fit and healthy. =] bikes are great.