"Tony" wrote in message
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Even if the corn is FREE it's a bad deal for the environment.

yeah, and poisoning the groundwater with MTBE spills and leaks (which was
replaced with ethanol) was better for the environment?

That's a different issue than the idea of replacing fossil-based fuels with
biofuels. MTBE was a bad idea, but ethanol as an additive to decrease
pollution is also controversial, because it increases certain emissions.
It's quite possible that no oxygenating additive would be preferable, or
some alternative formulation would be better.

The major problem with corn based ethanol is the energy input to make a
gallon of ethanol, which is very close to a gallon of fossil fuels. Land use
issues, corn prices and pollution from agriculture are all just additional
nails in the coffin, as far as I'm concerned. Let's admit that the whole
program is just a big give away to agribusiness and get moving on other
alternative energy sources, including nuclear.