Text 26946, 41 rader
Skriven 2007-02-04 15:27:00 av Jeff Binkley (1:226/600)
     Kommentar till en text av John Massey
Ärende: Wetbacks, the Border, sol
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JM>  BA> because most of the ethanol plants that have been announced in
JM>the  EH> past couple of
JM> BA>> years have yet to start production - so those plants' demand
JM>for  EH> corn doesn't yet
JM> BA>> exist.

JM> EH> Corn isn't even an efficient form of ethanol. The process is
JM> EH> barely worth the effort. For every unit of hydrocarbons used to
JM> EH> process ethanol from corn they only get 1.3.

JM> EH> A crop such as switchgrass gets a much higher return than corn,
JM> EH> but the corn lobby is too powerful and so the government funds
JM> EH> go to them.

JM>Doesn't shit like that just get under your skin.

The problem is that most folks will not look at the capitalistic side of 
this, which is often what drives the supply and demand of a solution.  I 
don't know whether the corn subsidies are the right answer or not right 
now but I do know that it costs more to make ethanol right now than what 
is being charged at the pumps.  So without some type of incentive, there 
will be no ethanol.  Liberals would suggest that we pass a law forcing 
farmers to grow corn and take a loss, just so they can drive their 
ethanol powered cars and feel good about themselves.  I don't know that 
incenting farmers to stop growing corn and start growing switchgrass is 
a good idea either.  Liberals would be crowing in the streets the first 
time we have a bad corn crop and prices go through the roof.  Or other 
countries will claim how we are killing their people because we don't 
have enough corn to sell them.  

The problem is that folks like Bob and many liberals only want to look 
at this problem through rose colored glasses and not look as the basic 
economics of the problem.  If we solve the economics portion of the 
equation market forces will do the rest.  It's been proven time and time 
again.

Jeff


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