IsThisRight

The Case Against Ethanol

You know that there is a bit on bashing when the easiest number to verify is wrong "Ethanol is at $2.00 when corn is at $6.00".
Ethanol ( as of 3/26 noon) is at $2.47 while corn is at $5.48.
A price difference of $3 versus $4 is a LOT.

Now for the other facts:
1/ "The corn used for ethanol could be used for feeding the poor" Question is : would the corn be grown at all if there is no ethanol sales to supplement oil-based gas?

2/ "Ethanol uses as much energy as the coal, oil and natural gas that it takes to make the ethanol".
Question is : why is it we do not turn coal or natural gas into gas?
So taking coal or natural gas energy and CONVERTING it to fuel to put in a car is ingenious!
3/ "The cost of subsidies pf $1-$1.38...'
a) My understanding is that the CORN ethanol subsidy is 50c a gallon. It goes to the REFINERS to kick start their investments to build the infrastructure to store/mix/distribute ethanol. Now this infrastructure is partly USABLE for cellulosic ethanol in the future.
b) the $1-$1.38 is to have the ethanol industry do the research/development/b... new plants for ethanol which will not depend on corn.

So first the author of the article blames the use of corn, then votes again approach to develop ethanol with other than corn.
OK, let's hear your POSITIVE proposal on how to solve the energy challenge. I will start first : I am all for conservation=driving less, buy smaller cars. Any other ideas to burn LESS OIL BASED GAS?