Yeee-ouch: Another black eye for the ethanol guys

Harry has done a great job of keeping on top of the debate about ethanol that has been bubbling up through the green ranks. Here's the overriding question: Is this cure worse than the original affliction?

The latest piece of research to cast doubt on ethanol's potential as a long-term fuel source comes in the form of a front page article in today's The Wall Street Journal. While ethanol production continues to grow, to the tune of about 13.4 billion gallons this year (according to the International Energy Agency), plans for new plants have been stalled and the stock market isn't being kind, according to the WSJ article. (My apologies if you aren't a subscriber and can't read it.) By the way, there is a great report that the International Energy Agency publishes every year called the World Energy Outlookthat helps you understand energy production and consumption trends of various countries. You SHOULD be able to get to the stuff at that link.

For those of you who'd like to form your own opinion, here's some basic information from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development about the anticipated impact of biofuels and ethanol production.

And, if you're REALLY into learning more about ethanol, a book came out earlier this year called "Alcohol Can Be A Gas." There's plenty of information on the author's Web site for you to brush up on this topic.