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"  In a previous post, I discussed how ethanol (usually 5% or more of our gasoline) is produced in a manner that&amp;#039;s very similar to the way the alcohol we drink is distilled. In 2005, President Bush initiated the Energy Policy Act, calling for a mandate and subsidy for ethanol production in the United States. Now, 6 years later the Department of Energy (DOE) estimates that 11.2 billion gallons of corn ethanol are being produced, using 30% of all corn grown in the United States! The implications of such heavy demand for corn to supplement our fuel supply are huge. The controversy surrounding such heavy reliance on corn is the topic of much debate. For starters, ethanol contains less energy per gallon than gasoline, which is why blends with higher ethanol percentages result in lower gas mileage. Also, when you factor in the total amount of energy required to grow and process corn in the first place, the overall energy gain is minimal. (Current estimates are that more than half of the energy created by producing corn-based ethanol is negated by the amount of energy it takes to grow, process, and distill it).  The other concern focuses on the intensive strain corn places on soil and water resources. Corn is an inherently energy-intensive crop, meaning that it draws nutrients out of the soil. To counter this, farmers apply heavy doses of petroleum-based fertilizers and chemicals to the soil. Additionally, because corn doesn&amp;#039;t have a permanent root structure, it makes the soil prone to washing away in heavy rain, pulling pesticides and fertilizers with it into local watersheds. What&amp;#039;s more, the fact that 30% of corn grown in the US is used to produce automotive fuel puts a strain on corn supplies used for food and agriculture here and abroad. In the future, solutions to all of these problems are possible. The proposed long-term solutions rely on what are referred to as second-generation biofuels derived from environmentally benign grasses and tree scraps. Right now, and in the near future, the expense of breaking down these materials detracts from their cost-effectiveness but it&amp;#039;s expected that these costs will drop. Bioengineers are also aiming to harness algae as a producer of fuel. Whichever avenue biofuels take, in the future they&amp;#039;re expected to help meet the demand for automotive fuel supplies, while lessening their environmental footprint, and making better use of limited resources. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/institute/a20435/biofuels-why-we-should-care/>