https://t.

me/+y7eNeXf6f4s3Yjdl From GED Discussions (Independent Students Group)

https://t.me/+0dVDt4iap7ZiNGZl From Key Education

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Bioethanol from Corn: Fuel or Foolish?

The following transcript is from a local radio program.

1 Debate chair: Welcome to Saturday Night Debate. Bioethanol, a renewable fuel, now makes up
about 10% of the fuel used in American automobiles and light trucks. To lower American need
for fossil fuels, the U.S. government is requiring an increasing amount of renewable fuels to be
blended with gasoline each year until 2022. Currently about 90% of the bloethanol produced in
the United States is made from corn. Is corn a good source for bioethanol?

Affirmative, presented by Miriam Garber, member of the Southwestern Ethanol

Association:

2 Bioethanol made from corn is good for the U.S. economy and good for the environment.

3 Corn is a tried-and-true source of bioethanol, Because corn has been used as a source of
bioethanol for more than 30 years, the infrastructure-from producers to refineries-is in place.
Other possible bioethanol sources, such as straw and saw grass, are still in the experimental
stages. Developing these sources will take a great deal of investment. Even then, there is no
guarantee they will be as dependable as corn.

4 Bioethanol from com is a clean-burning fuel, Compared with gasoline and diesel fuel, burning
ethanol creates more water vapor and less carbon dioxide. It helps control exhaust-gas
emissions and results in less carbon dioxide in the air. Carbon dioxide (CO₂) from fuel is the
major cause of global warming. Burning bioethanol in cars helps reduce CO2 and protect the
environment.
5 The U.S. Department of Energy has endorsed bioethanol for more than 30 years as a
biodegradable alternative energy source. Until recently, the government has supported the corn-
based ethanol Industry in the United States by authorizing federal tax credits.

Negative, presented by Kristin Weller, chairperson of the non-profit organization Save Our Crops:

6 Corn and other food crops are not the best sources of bioethanol.

7 Greater demands on corn for bioethanol will raise food prices and create food shortages. As
ethanol production increases, corn will become more expensive as a food crop because it will
be in greater demand. In Mexico in 2007, the spike in the cost of corn resulted in a spike in the
cost of tortillas. The government was forced to take action to stop food shortages and human
hunger. This spike was due in part to corn being used for ethanol production in the United
States.

8 Fuel that is used to create ethanol is not clean burning. Estimates of the amount of fuel it
takes to produce a gallon of ethanol range from 0.7 gallon to 1.5 gallons. Once every drop of
fuel is counted-to drive tractors and harvesting machinery; to Irrigate; to produce nitrogen
fertilizer; to transport, dry, and store the corn; to produce the bioethanol and deliver it to
refineries-the energy "bargain" seems less real.

9 Government policies that have favored bioethanol production have highlighted the flaws of
growing corn for fuel. Thirty years of government subsidies have not benefited com farmers but
instead have benefited the oil companies that blend corn bloethanol with gasoline. Thankfully,
Congress came to its senses and allowed these tax credits and tariffs on imported bioethanol
to expire.

10 While it is tempting to think of corn bioethanol as a solution to fossil fuel dependency, there
are short and long-term drawbacks to consider.