An ethanol distilling plant under construction. Democratic candidate Mike Gravel argues that producing ethanol is a strain on water resources. (Photo by Lester Graham)
A presidential candidate says ethanol subsidies jeopardize water resources. Democrat
Mike Gravel says producing the alternative fuel could cause over-use of water in some
areas. Samara Freemark has that story:
Transcript
A presidential candidate says ethanol subsidies jeopardize water resources. Democrat
Mike Gravel says producing the alternative fuel could cause over-use of water in some
areas. Samara Freemark has that story:
More corn is being grown for ethanol. Some corn growers pump water from
underground to irrigate their crops. And it takes about four gallons of water to distill a
gallon of ethanol.
Democratic presidential candidate Mike Gravel says that means subsidizing ethanol
could threaten some water resources.
He says Congress is jumping on the ethanol bandwagon without taking the time to look
at harmful side effects. And he says in areas that have seen water loss such as the
Great Lakes, that’s a mistake:
“The farmers who are going to be draining out their aquifers to satisfy the corn needs
are going to find themselves assaulting the Great Lakes. That is a national policy that
doesn’t get any stupider.”
Gravel blames that policy on lobbying by ethanol producers such as Archer Daniels
Midland. ADM has received more than ten billion dollars in federal ethanol subsidies
since 1980.
For the Environment Report, this is Samara Freemark.