Grass is the way to go, folks!

I was pleased to read a balanced BusinessWeek piece on ethanol because I'm SO tired of the misconceptions out there related to ethanol. Ethanol does not = corn, regardless of what headlines scream. Those who still think it does simply MUST read this article.

Fact is, there are a number of ways — some much better for the planet than others — to make ethanol.  Bottom line? It's all about the material and the process. What we (as members of a planet we want to survive, that is) need is biofuel that's made from things that don't negatively affect our food supply or increase global warming. Enter cellulosic ethanol. It's made from the non-food portion of of renewable feedstocks such as cereal straw, corn stalks, rice straw and switchgrass. (This prairie plant is drought-resistant and adds carbon to the soil over time. And, it has few natural pests or diseases, so there's no need to spray all those nasty pesticides that you have to do with row crops. Yep, that's goodness.)

Cellulosic ethanol isn't being mass produced yet, but then, neither are hydrogen cars. Guess we'll just have to continue to be patient. But the hippie generation found new and interesting applications for plant matter, so I'm convinced we will be able to do so again. In the meantime, please pass the corn!