By CFDC’s Douglas Durante, Topeka Capital-Journal, Letter to the Editor, Response to Ethanol — Think it over
In response to your Editorial on ethanol, it is certainly fair to ask questions and raise issues, but it would be a disservice to readers to not, in turn, provide the facts.
It is not difficult to find “critics” and “skeptics” of ethanol, many of whom are using outdated and inaccurate information. Many former skeptics are now believers who see that ethanol represents one of the few tools available to stem the flow of foreign oil in and our dollars going out. Numerous government and private studies confirm modern ethanol plants produce 67% more energy than is consumed in the entire production cycle. We are growing more corn with less fertilizer every year. New technologies are being utilized that power ethanol plants by biogas or nonfossil fuels. It is absolutely erroneous to talk about water usage and irrigation when 87% of the corn grown in the U.S. relies on rainwater and natural hydration. Claims of mileage loss in 90-10 blends are certainly not supported by the auto industry and government tests.
We should be focusing on replacing gasoline, and doing so with a domestic, job-creating, clean product. Ethanol is contributing billions to the US economy and lowers the price of gasoline simply by extending fuel supplies. No one is talking about forgoing the development of other alternatives. With even major oil companies like Chevron, BP, Phillips, and others conceding that we are running out of oil, we are going to need every drop of liquid energy we can get. For now, ethanol is leading the way.
~ Douglas A. Durante
Executive Director
Clean Fuels Development Coalition
Bethesda, MD