Raising Corn For Ethanol--A Bad Idea

An article in Mother Jones points out--with a nifty, simple diagram, why raising corn in order to make ethanol for cars might cause more problems than it will solve.

First of all, using corn to make biofuels means the cost of feed for animals will go up--meaning meat prices will be higher. In addition, since the farmers will grow more corn and fewer other crops, it also means the cost of other foods will go up as well.

The whole corn industry is reliant upon government subsidies in order to turn a profit, anyway. This is just a way for big, corporate producers to game the market in their advantage.

There are other, more efficient means of making ethanol--like using sugar beets or switch grass. About any plant matter can be used to make ethanol--it's just a matter of getting it to break down properly.