The discussion on ethanol makes some good points. However, it ignores the huge investment in foreign economies that our country is currently making by its reliance on petroleum. We all know what's happening at the gas pumps. Those dollars are going to foreign countries; some of which are bent on the destruction of this country. Others are purchasing our domestic companies. It may well be worth an increase in taxes to become energy independent. Brazil made the investment in alcohol years ago and is now virtually energy independent. The cost to Brazil was significant at first, but it has paid off.

I am not advocating taking a blind eye to the environmental problems that ethanol can create. Those problems can be dealt with, in part, by government restrictions on the use of fertilizer. Also, new technology will further reduce emissions as emission controls are enhanced.

In summation, many of our country's current political and economic problems are due to our dependence on foreign oil. Ethanol can go a long way towards eliminating that dependence. We need to keep our eye on the big picture while evaluating alternative energy sources such as ethanol.

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