Corn Ethanol's Subsidy Glut

[kristopher]

Corn Ethanol's Subsidy Glut
Corn ethanol received 76 percent of all federal government renewable energy subsidies in 2007, despite its unclear environmental and energy benefits, according to the Environmental Working Group.

Corn-based ethanol, beloved by farm states and maligned by some environmentalists, received more than three-quarters of all federal renewable energy tax credits in 2007 – a balance that the Environmental Working Group says needs to change.

The Washington, D.C.-based group released a report Thursday citing U.S. Department of Energy data showing the corn-based ethanol industry took about $3 billion in federal tax credits in 2007, or 76 percent of all the tax credits going to renewable energy nationwide. That could grow to $5 billion by 2010, the report stated.

Solar, wind and geothermal power, which the Environmental Working Group supports as more environmentally friendly, received about $750 million in tax credits in 2007, or about 19 percent of the total, and biodiesel makers received $180 million, or 5 percent of the total.

Tax incentives make up about four-fifths of all federal support for renewable energy, making it an important measure for which industries the government is most heavily backing, said Craig Cox, the Environmental Working Group's Midwest director and author of the report, said Friday.

The Environmental Working Group wants to do away with ethanol's subsidies and link any future subsidies for biofuels to those that can "prove themselves as a more promising solution," he said...

http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/corn-ethanols-subsidy-glut-5489/

"Then it's time to talk about what the next steps are," Cox said. "Clearly

[Sebastian Doyle]

1. Corn isn't a good source material. Hemp would be much better

In fact, corn shouldn't be used for anything other than corn on the cob, popcorn, corn meal, and something to feed chickens or pigs, but NOT other livestock.

[Quantess]

3. I've heard that corn is a lousy source of ethanol

and that sugar cane is a far better source. I believe that's what they use in Brazil, where their use of ethanol as fuel has been so much more successful than ours.

[Sebastian Doyle]

4. I have no problem with sugar cane being used for energy

As long as it takes its rightful place in food first (instead of that cancerous radioactive mutant corn poison)

[kerrywins]

2. Subsidies Are Destructive

anyone remember the great depression? the gov. actually subsidized farmers to destroy crops...

that makes sense...lets destroy food when people are starving to drive up food prices!

just like the gov. now subsidized cars.

yeah, lets destroy cars (cash for clunkers) in the middle of a depression when people can't afford cars...all to drive up the prices of cars!

[kenfrequed]

6. This isn't about food

This is about subsidizing an intensely fossil fuel burning crop to create a green-wash gasoline additive.


Subsidies make sense sometimes, unfortunately they are all to often infiltrated by larger industries such that subsidies that help ensure that family farmers make a decent living end up lining the pockets of big-factory-agro.

[pscot]

5. The farm lobby has been at this

longer than anyone else in the game. They know how to squeeze the federal tit for maximum flow. One area where bipartisanship really works.

[elocs]

7. Corn ethanol is great if you are a corn farmer. That's about it.

Otherwise, it stinks.