More fuel for the energy debate

Re “Food or fuel?” editorial, Feb. 26

It is unfortunate that there are no engineers among our presidential candidates and few among our politicians. The obvious solution to global warming, smog, rising gas prices and our dependence on oil imports from the unstable Middle East is to radically reduce our use of combustion to power our vehicles. Less than 20% of the energy in the gasoline that we pump into our cars actually moves the car. The Automotive XPrize competition, to be kicked off on March 20 at the New York Auto Show, will introduce new, zero-emission technologies. These can cut energy costs per mile, eliminate the need for combustion in daily driving and require no new materials.

Tom Hanson

Newhall

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Protests about wasting corn by converting it to biofuel don’t pass the smell test. Why no mention of the corn and other foods constantly being converted into alcoholic beverages and other products that feed no one? (Of course, the tycoons in those mega-million-dollar businesses would protest just as loudly as those in oil.)

And why no mention of the experiments in using nonfood sources for biofuel? Why not encourage our scientists instead? The clock is ticking. When all the petroleum and coal have been sucked from our planet, then what? Back to donkeys and oxen and rubbing sticks together?

Let’s consider what’s best for our nation as a whole instead of what just seems best for certain greedy chief executives.

Bonnie

Compton Hanson

Santa Ana

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There’s ample evidence that corn-based ethanol has little effect on world food availability. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, nonfarm costs account for 80 cents of every food dollar spent in the U.S. Only 19 cents can be attributed to farming. Last year, U.S. corn crop production reached a historic 13.1 billion bushels. Only 22% was directed toward ethanol production. Moreover, corn yields have been increasing every generation, proof that farmers are getting better at planting more crops on less land, meeting the demands for food and fuel.

The ethanol production process churns out a byproduct in the form of distillers grains, a nutritionally rich livestock feed that has begun displacing the corn that is directed to ethanol production. The production of 2.8 gallons of ethanol from corn produces 17.5 pounds of feed. Increased feed costs are becoming a notion of the past. U.S. farmers are meeting the demands for food and fuel through innovative growing practices and the production of new feed products. It is foolish to blame global food availability on ethanol.

Rick Tolman

Chief Executive

National Corn Growers

Assn., Washington