Wednesday, May 30, 2007

The Ethanol Myth

Politicians in Washington claim to be outraged over Memorial Day weekend gas prices averaging $3.20 a gallon. So why are they taking steps to drive the cost even higher?

Their favorite idea is also one of their dumbest -- increasing the ethanol mandate. The 2005 energy bill required that 4 billion gallons of this corn-derived fuel additive be mixed into the gasoline supply in 2006, rising to 7.5 billion by 2012.

Now in its second year, the mandate is an unfolding disaster. Ethanol is more expensive than gasoline, so its use has raised the cost of driving.

Ben Lieberman: Making the Pain Worse

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