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Kevin Fulton's avatar

Great article! The use of grains to produce biofuels has had a huge negative environmental impact throughout the Midwest region. It’s time to stop subsidizing this FUBAR!

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Suzan Erem's avatar

This just adds to the addictive nature of growing corn and keeps farmers on the commodity debt treadmill. When I tell them we can make $15,000/acre off of chestnuts and similar profits off of shorter-term high-value crops, they are astonished, but they are stuck in this cycle with millions invested in massive equipment and a system that is screwing them, our environment and our public health.

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Sara Golden's avatar

Thanks for the well-written article on the current, harmful ethanol policies. I’m a 5th generation Iowan and it’s sad to see this state devolving into a toxic extraction colony.

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Ewa B.'s avatar

Excellent! Ethanol is bad for the environment and bad for vehicles not to mention humans. The only people that benefit from ethanol production are the owners of and investors in ethanol plants! Yes, gas with ethanol is a bit cheaper. The important question is: Are the savings worth the human/environmental cost?

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Kevin Fulton's avatar

I would add that farmers are also benefiting financially from ethanol production and they are also responsible for the land degradation that coincides with producing grains for the biofuel market. Millions of acres of highly erodible and marginal land has been destroyed and converted to crop production as farmers chased the subsidies. This has created numerous negative environmental problems. I’ve had a front row seat to this debacle as a Midwest farmer who raises crops and livestock. The grain I produce is not used for biofuels or raised on highly erodible land.

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Scott's avatar

Someone needs to remind to the good Governor that Iowa is no longer a relevant state for caucus/primary season.

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Sarah A. Green's avatar

An acre of solar panels generates vastly more energy than an acre of corn turned to ethanol, and keeps making energy without fertilizers, tractors, or fuel.

https://www.cleanwisconsin.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Corn-Ethanol-Vs.-Solar-Analysis-V3-9-compressed.pdf

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Gilbey Strub's avatar

Fantastic piece. I learned exactly what I needed to learn about ethanol and why Iowa had gone mad for it, and now, California.

Electric cars are the sole solution right now.

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Roger Sterling's avatar

Cutting to the chase....you don't burn food! All of this unnecessary engineering is full of unintended consequences.

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