Ethanol... A Sweet Solution

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, our country imported an average of 9.4 million barrels of crude oil per day, primarily from Canada, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, and Nigeria, in March of this year (the most current data available). At the same time, the national average price of gasoline per gallon, $3.79, is up over 57 cents from a year ago. While ethanol is a viable alternative, many have expressed concern about the implications of corn-based ethanol production on our food supply. Well, Brazil has figured out how to produce ethanol from sugarcane instead. Read this article from The Dallas Morning News for more information. Instead of continuing to protect "big oil" interests, Congress needs to act in the best interest of Americans and either lift the 54-cents-a-gallon tariff on Brazilian ethanol or invest in r&d to find another innovative solution to the energy crisis. Until then, we're clearly behind the times.