Brazil And The United States: Two Very Different Systems Of Ethanol Production
...Ruzic
NPRE 101
April 18, 2008
Ethanol has by all means been a buzzword of the last few years. In America ethanol from corn is spoken about as if it were a national icon. Politicians rave about its ability to wean us off of foreign oil while providing jobs for Americans whose jobs have been displaced. In reality, the issue is much more complex than this. Ethanol from corn is nowhere near as efficient as its proponents describe it as. The choice of corn farmers to put their crops toward ethanol production instead of food production is having a domino effect throughout the world economy.
In Brazil, a much more sensible ethanol revolution has been taking place for years. They are producing massive amounts of ethanol from sugarcane. Brazil’s government, economy, and citizens, are benefiting from its ethanol production. The results show that sugarcane is a far superior source for ethanol production. Brazil is an example of a widespread ethanol production plan that is beneficial to both the environment and the people of the world. Sadly, this is not the case for the United States.
"For too long now we've relied too heavily on foreign oil to fuel our energy needs in this country, and for too long politicians have just passed the buck or gotten themselves bogged down in partisanship over what to do about it.” These were the words spoken by Democratic Presidential candidate, Illinois Senator Barack Obama. His words echo the sentiments of millions Americans. Each day the average American becomes more and more frustrated as they drive by the gas station. It seems that the price for a gallon of gasoline increases with each passing. When the same citizens turn their radios or televisions to the news they hear that the price of crude oil is also on the rise. For quite some time the question was “When will the price of a barrel reach one hundred...
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