The Socioeconomics of Growing Corn for Ehtanol · The Socioeconomics of Growing Corn for Ethanol...

The Socioeconomics of Growing Corn for

Ethanol Yatindra H. Patel

Chemical Engineering and Biomedical Engineering Carnegie Mellon University Class of 2014

June 6, 2012 Universidade Estadual de Campinas

General History

Samuel Morey discovers engine fuel as a use for ethanol

Henry Ford develops ethanol powered vehicle

MTBE is replaced by ethanol as an oxygenate additive

http://www.hfmgv.org/exhibits/showroom/1896/quad.html

Recent Facts and Figures

Corn Cultivation 332 million metric tons of total corn planted

Ethanol Production 130 million metric tons of corn grown for ethanol

49.2 billion liters of ethanol produced

http://www.treehugger.com/renewable-energy/corn-ethanol-back-in-the-game-under-new-epa-renewable-fuel-standard-rules.html

1. http://faostat.fao.org/site/567/DesktopDefault.aspx?PageID=567

2. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/12/business/12corn.html?_r=1

3. http://www.ethanolrfa.org/pages/statistics#E

Subsidies

Corn and Ethanol 4 billion dollars for corn alone

Nearly twice the amount for either soybeans or wheat

Profitability Farmers are operating on a loss without subsidies

$45 per acre

http://carnageandculture.blogspot.com.br/2010/12/tax-deals-corn-lobby-kickback.html

1. http://farm.ewg.org/progdetail.php?fips=00000&progcode=corn

2. King Corn

Economics of Food

Land Availability 309 million acres of total cropland

88 million acres of land dedicated to corn

Food Supply Farmers growing corn instead of staple foods

Food prices increased worldwide

http://mjperry.blogspot.com.br/2011/09/cartoon-of-day-western-fetish.html 1. http://www.ers.usda.gov/StateFacts/us.htm

2. http://usda01.library.cornell.edu/usda/nass/Acre//2010s/2010/Acre-06-30-2010.pdf

Energy

Current Sources and Consumer Cost

Indirect costs make corn ethanol unfavorable

Source Energy Balance

Corn 1.3

Switchgrass 5.4

Sugarcane 8

1. http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2007/10/biofuels/biofuels-text

Livestock

Nutrition Fat content of meat increased

Vitamin and mineral content decreased

Infection Resistant E. coli more prevalent in corn-fed livestock

http://malaysia4biotech.blogspot.com.br/2010/03/phytase-corn-breakthrough-by-chinese.html

1. King Corn 2. Food, Inc.

GMOs

Genetically Modified Organism

First performed using E. coli and Salmonella

Current applications Pharmaceuticals

Agriculture

http://infinityfitnessgym.com/2012/02/hidden-dangers-to-your-children/

1. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/4594039

GM Corn

Production Increase from 119 bu/ac to 152 bu/ac

Prevalence 85% of total corn planted is GM

Vertical Integration GM corn requires pesticide/herbicide from same manufacturer

http://www.jeremyrhammond.com/2012/05/26/new-york-times-gm-foods-are-safe-we-dont-need-no-stinkin-labels/

1. http://www.ucsusa.org/assets/documents/food_and_agriculture/failure-to-yield.pdf

2. http://www.gmo-compass.org/eng/agri_biotechnology/gmo_planting/341.genetically_modifid i l b l d lti ti ht l

Conclusions

The process of producing corn-based ethanol has negative consequences

Heavily subsidized

Disrupting the food supply

Energetically unfavorable

Corrupting the integrity of food

Aiding the formation of vertical monopolies

http://www.thereisaway.us/2007/10/

Biofuels

Good but not good enough 1st generation technologies were a good start

2nd generation technologies are promising

3rd generation technologies are ideal

Solar, wind, and ocean energies are better

Biofuels swap OBEC for OPEC

Conclusion: Biofuels are a great intermediary step to other sources of alternative energy