Tom Nelson
11/22/2010
U.S. corn ethanol was not a good policy-Gore | Energy & Oil | Reuters
U.S. ethanol consumes about 40 pct corn crop
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ATHENS, Nov 22 (Reuters) – Former U.S. vice-president Al Gore said support for corn-based ethanol in the United States was “not a good policy”, weeks before tax credits are up for renewal.
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“It is not a good policy to have these massive subsidies for (U.S.) first generation ethanol,” said Gore, speaking at a green energy business conference in Athens sponsored by Marfin Popular Bank.“First generation ethanol I think was a mistake. The energy conversion ratios are at best very small. It’s hard once such a programme is put in place to deal with the lobbies that keep it going.”
He explained his own support for the original programme on his presidential ambitions.
“One of the reasons I made that mistake is that I paid particular attention to the farmers in my home state of Tennessee, and I had a certain fondness for the farmers in the state of Iowa because I was about to run for president.”…
Heh. That comes as a surprise, doesn’t it? This article continues at Tom Nelon’s blog.
H/T Climate Depot
Related: Steve Goddard’s article Fifty Years of Low Hurricane Activity in the US
Update: From Instapundit
AL GORE: On second thought, I was just pandering to the farm vote on ethanol.
Ann Althouse: “So… self-interest then. Where’s his self-interest taking him these days?”
