Ethanol #2

(cont'd from yesterday's post)

A call to reverse the "ethanol mandate" (yesterday's post) comes from both sides of our political life because of these reasons:

• the government's requirement to use corn-based ethanol as a fuel puts the American Great Plains at risk - "Along with other environmental groups, the Natural Resources Defense Council has now completely reversed its position on biofuels. Instead of lobbying for ethanol, it’s now lobbying against it, saying, “There is no denying that the bulk of today’s conventional corn ethanol carries grave risks to the climate, wildlife, waterways and food security.”
• the government's requirement to use corn-based ethanol as a fuel "funnels tens of billions of dollars in benefits to a well-organized special interest group" - namely, industrial corn farming

The law-makers who wrote this mandate into law probably had good intentions. But that's not good enough. Policy must change when it's clear that good intentions have not had good results.