Obama and Ethanol: Is it Just About Winning Votes?

Obama is the first candidate in a long time that I have believed in and thought might actually be above politics as usual. With the Democratic nomination cinched, I fear his campaign has moved into tactics designed to win votes that may not truly express his my ideals.  From faith-based reform to liquid coal, Obama is making blunders that are shaking his liberal base in order to appeal to more moderate voters.  His long standing support of corn ethanol subsidies is another example that appears he is selling out for votes, or maybe I have misunderstood him from the start and created an ideal candidate that does not exist.

Ethanol is an alternative biofuel that can be made from corn, sugar cane, or switchgrass. In fact, Henry Ford’s first mass-produced automobile was designed to run off of 100% ethanol, so the fuel has a long history in the car industry. When added to gasoline, ethanol reduces ozone formation by lowering volatile organic compounds and hydrocarbon emissions.  This all sounds good, but there is controversy surrounding corn-based ethanol. Michael Grunwald of Time reports that one person could be fed for a year “on the corn needed to fill an ethanol-fueled SUV”. Some research demonstrates that the production of corn ethanol consumes more energy than it yields, and there is concern that corn-based ethanol is raising the price of food, although the USDA denies the increase is significant.

If you’ve ever driven through the midwest, you’ve seen acres upon acres of corn growing in this fertile land. Obama reigns from Illinois, the second largest corn producing state.  He has been cozying up to the corn ethanol industry for quite some time. According to Plenty Magazine:

When Obama campaigns in the corn belt, the Times reports, he often brings along his friend Tom Daschle, the former Senate majority leader, who now serves on the boards of three ethanol companies… And Obama himself has cozied up to corn ethanol, courting controversy early in his Senate career by accepting subsidized travel on jets owned by Archer Daniels Midland, the country’s largest ethanol producer.

I don’t have a problem with ethanol per se, but I am concerned that Senator Obama favors corn-based biofuels over other alternatives. Obama supports multibillion dollar subsidies for corn ethanol, as well as a steep 54-cent-a-gallon import tariff on the cheaper and more efficient sugarcane ethanol.  This sounds just like politics as usual, instead of looking at what is best for our environment.  Obama admits,  “Look, I’ve been a strong ethanol supporter because Illinois … is a major corn producer.”  Despite these concerns, I still believe Obama is the best candidate.

Image:  Kables on Flickr under a Creative Commons License

Related posts on Obama’s energy policies and Ethanol:

• Low Impact Living: Who’s the Greenest? Obama vs. McCain
• Bill McKibben Discusses Obama, the Dems, and the Environmental Movement [video]
• Obama: Blame the Iraq War for Lack of US Climate Change Leadership
• Which is Worse: Exporting $1 Billion Per Week or Growing Fuel?
• 2015: 30% of US Corn Harvest Will Be Gasoline
• How Green Are Biofuels? Comparison Chart [PIC]

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