Corzine should seek waiver for ethanol fuel

Tag : ethanol fuel

Corn-based ethanol appeared to be a way to wean the United Statesfrom its "oil addiction," as President Bush once characterized it.Yet, it has failed to live up to expectations. Instead, thediversion of corn for use as fuel has helped drive up food pricesnationally and around the world. While it is vital to increasereliance on alternatives to petroleum, clearly corn-based ethanoldoesn't make the grade. It is time to adjust the nation's energymix.
We join a group of businesses and environmentalists, which includesCamden-based Campbell Soup Co., in urging Gov. Jon Corzine to seeka federal waiver to forgo producing and using corn-based ethanolgasoline this summer in New Jersey. Under a federal mandate, some 9billion gallons of corn-based ethanol is expected to be blendedinto gasoline. If more states receive a waiver on using this fuel,it could reduce demand for corn.
Corn prices not only affect the cost of food, but also meat anddairy products since it is used for livestock feed.
A 2007 federal law allows states to opt out of using this gasolineblend, a fuel mix the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency approvedto also deal with ozone pollution so prevalent in summer months.Texas and Connecticut already have made waiver requests to helpdeal with rising food costs for their residents. Corzine should doso, too.
Some studies suggest corn-based ethanol has contributed 10 percentto 30 percent of the rise in food prices. While other factors havealso pushed up food costs, such as poor weather conditions andpopulation growth, easing demand for corn is something the nationcould easily control.
In the imperative to become energy independent, government leadersshould not continue to back an alternative that threatens the foodsecurity of so many working families here and abroad. There arealternatives, such as animal waste. Recycling farm waste could alsohelp stem the too frequent fecal-matter contamination of the foodsupply.
In the short term, there is no doubt that using less corn-basedethanol won't reduce petroleum use or air pollution. It is a toughtrade-off -- affordable food for families wrestling with whether tofill their refrigerators or their gas tanks, as a Campbellexecutive outlined the dilemma for some people. Or, an abundantsupply of a petroleum alternative that is less polluting, but alsoless than ideal as an energy source.
We urge Corzine to come down on the side of working families andmake the call to seek an ethanol waiver.