Should the US choose a source other then corn for alt fuel E85, import/grow sugar cane for one?

Question

I was suprized to read how Obama is so for corn based ethanol even though it is driving up food costs versus sugar cane and maybe other sources, what say you?

Answer 1

we should not burn our food for fuel, that just goes to show how ****** up people are,  use hemp seed oil instead, and no do not let food growers switch to growing hemp, but rather make all new farms to grow hemp for fuel and leave the food alone including sugar, i like sugar in my coffee not in my gas tank

Answer 2

How about putting all our Politicians in a Big Warring Blender and pouring them into our gas tanks! At least this way they will be good for something!

Answer 3

everyone should use other sources other than corn for alternative fuels. Algae is one of the best and for power how about solar (we haven't begun to tap that).

As for the price of food being driven up by corn prices being higher, is c**p. The farmer who grows the corn is getting a higher price but the cost of the flour in bread for example has gone from 2 cents to 6 cents. What is really driving up the cost is transportation and the all the middle men trying to take more profits.

Answer 4

We don't grow enough sugar cane in the US to make ethanol..when sugarcane is used, they make the ethanol from the leftover stalks, not the cane itself.....

Ethanol can be made from any vegatable product or by-product  ( corn stalks, grass clippings, sawdust,etc...)

They use corn because it's easier...

As to the rise in food costs, this isn't due to the use of corn for ethanol.. it's because oil prices are driving up transportation costs....

Oil companies started the rumors because they saw that they would soon be displaced.....

Answer 5

The USA is the biggest corn grower in the World. The price of tomatoes plunged because less people are buying them, hint,hint.

Answer 6

The US government should not choose, the market should.

If oil is scarcer, then prices will go up and people, groups and firms will adjust their usage of it.  And it will be profitable to give employees the work from home option (virtual commute)  

It will also automatically become very profitable to bring alternatives without they aid of an "overseer"

The  problem with gov't intervention is that it takes away natural prices, and poeple no longer have a reliable indicator of value to make economical decisions that ultimately make society use resources effectively and efficiently, and which ultimately make society properly adapt to changing resource availability.

Answer 7

Yes we should use sugar cane it just makes more sense then letting people starve.

Answer 8

well, sugar cane is probably the worst idea i've heard in a while considering the ONLY place in our country that it possible to grow is Hawaii.  But yes, other sources are needed.  the human race has known how to produce a combustible fuel out of grass longer than it has known how to make gasoline out of oil.  it's time we start living differently and the current situations will force us to make the change.  i truly hope we run out of oil soon so it makes us look for better answers.

Answer 9

It should be a source that isn't food for either people or animals! How about weeds and lawn clippings! I am ready to donate mine how about everyone else? For a man that has a credentials from Harvard he doesn't seem to have a very real grasp on things does he!