“The costs of corn-based ethanol are getting more expensive by the day,” reports Kevin Kerr. Aside from the usual ethanol shortcomings -- expensive startup, low fuel yield, depletion of the world’s food supply, etc. -- Kevin’s found even more tangible evidence of the ethanol hoax -- the expanding “dead zone.”
“The dead zone is a 7,900-square-mile patch of ocean that has been ravaged by runoff from the Mississippi River. The river is a conduit for millions of pounds of nitrogen that is used to fertilize all of this corn.
“The nitrogen makes its way into the Gulf and basically depletes all of the oxygen. Fish, shrimp, crabs and vegetation all suffocate… just another example of the devastating impact of corn-based ethanol. I was on the air with a Louisiana radio station and the phones lit up to talk about this subject and to try to find a solution. One thing is clear: More corn is not the answer. “To me, biofuel and bioheat from soy- and sugar-based ethanol are the clear winners going forward. The damage corn-based ethanol causes, coupled with the low return on investment, means that corn-based ethanol is not likely going to last.
“That doesn't mean corn as a crop will not continue to do well -- not at all. Corn demand is higher than ever and will likely just keep going. The big winners, however, will be sugar and soybeans once the shift to a better alternative begins, likely sometime in mid-2008.”
“The dead zone is a 7,900-square-mile patch of ocean that has been ravaged by runoff from the Mississippi River. The river is a conduit for millions of pounds of nitrogen that is used to fertilize all of this corn.
“The nitrogen makes its way into the Gulf and basically depletes all of the oxygen. Fish, shrimp, crabs and vegetation all suffocate… just another example of the devastating impact of corn-based ethanol. I was on the air with a Louisiana radio station and the phones lit up to talk about this subject and to try to find a solution. One thing is clear: More corn is not the answer. “To me, biofuel and bioheat from soy- and sugar-based ethanol are the clear winners going forward. The damage corn-based ethanol causes, coupled with the low return on investment, means that corn-based ethanol is not likely going to last.
“That doesn't mean corn as a crop will not continue to do well -- not at all. Corn demand is higher than ever and will likely just keep going. The big winners, however, will be sugar and soybeans once the shift to a better alternative begins, likely sometime in mid-2008.”
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