In today’s Washington Examiner, IWF President and CEO Michelle Bernard takes a look at the hype surrounding ethanol. Is it a “quick fix” to our energy concerns? Hardly:
“Cars usually get 30 percent fewer miles per gallon with an ethanol blend than they do with regular gasoline. Burning more fuel, even if it’s slightly cleaner, will have very little, if any, positive effect on the environment. In fact, one prominent Australian study concluded that burning ethanol creates more pollution than burning gasoline.
“Proponents of ethanol also tend to ignore the massive amount of energy needed to turn corn into ethanol. A University of Minnesota study, for example, recently found that ethanol yields only 25 percent more energy than what it takes to produce it. And if the energy used to produce ethanol comes from a fossil-fuel power plant, ethanol production could actually exacerbate greenhouse emissions, possibly even more than gasoline.
“On top of its intensive energy requirements, ethanol fuels also pose significant threats to the environment. Corn production requires enormous amounts of pesticides and herbicides, both of which have the potential to poison groundwater supplies and wildlife habitats. Is it worth trading one environmental concern –the safety of our water supply– for dubious emissions benefits?”
Check out the full article here.