For starters, it's time the corporate farmers start to become acquainted with capitalism instead of living the good life off of government handouts. Ethanol is a disaster for the environment since it requires more fuel to generate than it produces. Also, looking at the skyrocketing cost of food, this is an even more wasteful way to spend money. The ongoing trend with the Obama administration is to throw a bone here and there to the left and then push the larger pro-corporatist policies. This cynical policy may end up translating into a 2012 victory, but it doesn't change the fact that it's bad policy for the general population.
Nearly two-thirds of cars on the road could have more corn-based ethanol in their fuel tanks under an Environmental Protection Agency decision Friday.
The agency said that 15 percent ethanol blended with gasoline is safe for cars and light-duty trucks manufactured between 2001 and 2006, expanding an October decision that the higher blend is safe for cars built since 2007. The maximum gasoline blend has been 10 percent ethanol.
The fuel is popular in farm country because most ethanol comes from corn and other grains. It faces strong opposition, however, from the auto industry, environmentalists, cattle ranchers, food companies and others. Those groups say that using corn to make ethanol makes animal feed more expensive, raises prices at the grocery store and tears up the land. There have already been several lawsuits filed against the EPA — including one filed by automakers, boat manufacturers and outdoor power equipment manufacturers — since the agency decided to allow the higher blends for newer cars in October.
