Pricey Corn Ethanol

Fire of Liberty

Throughout the nation there are a lot of people who have caught the ethanol fever and are building various factories to make this alternative fuel. Such a fever is understandable due to the fact that folks are so willing to free us from our heavy dependence on foreign sources of fuel as well as a desire to rake in a serious amount of money through the production of this "liquid maize," but this move towards corn-based ethanol is also having a negative impact on the American people's pocketbook through the raising of the price of beef, chicken, and pork due to these fuel producers buying up the feed corn that is normally used by farmers. While it's admirable for these individuals to promote such alternative fuels, I've got to say that it will be much easier on the American consumer if these budding entrepreneurs would lay off the corn feed and venture into the sugar(Dropping the 54 cent a gallon tariff on imported sugar could spur this production) or cellulosic based ethanol(pine trees, bark, and switch grass) in which the raw materials are more readily available.

*Here's a piece on the sugar-based ethanol front.