Ask my wife, and she will tell you that I am not a fan of ethanol because of the larger negative impact it has on the price of everything. Ethanol is derived mostly from corn to be used mostly as a fuel and fuel additive; flex-fuel vehicles that run on E-85 (85% ethanol, 15% regular gasoline) are the primary users of ethanol as a fuel; though many fuel stations sell gasoline with some smaller percentage of ethanol for use in normal engines.

Since corn is the primary source of ethanol, and corn being a staple food product, something has got to give. More and more corn is now being grown to be used in the production of ethanol. So, to keep up with all the demand for corn, more and more farmland is being used to grow corn—and not just any corn, but corn developed specifically for distilling into fuel-grade ethanol—using land that was previously used for some other crops, including food corn. Still, more corn is being used to create ethanol, and less going to other uses, such as food.

How overwhelming is the food use? Well, besides the obvious corn-on-the-cob, canned corn, and pop-corn, check the ingredient list on any of the food items in your house and you'll likely find vegetable oil (which may be corn oil), corn syrup, corn flour, cornmeal, or corn starch (sometimes, even "modified food starch" is corn). Don't overlook other items that you wouldn't think to find corn in, such as that pain or allergy medication you take (the gelatin capsules are often a corn product). And, it is also possible that many household items that aren't eaten are made of corn.

And we're not the only creatures that eat corn. Cows, pigs, and chickens are fed corn which are in turn used to feed us. Not only beef, pork, and poultry products, but dairy and other by-products. So corn is used in the production of milk, cheese, ice cream, and eggs.

Ethanol was supposed to curtail our dependency on oil and oil products and lower fuel prices. That didn't happen. Instead, gas prices are on the rise and so are food prices. All because of that simple grain—corn.

While the motive was sound, and ethanol is a sound type of fuel or fuel additive, corn-based ethanol is overall a bad idea. I would often comment in that regard while we were living in the land of corn and ethanol: South Dakota. And others are FINALLY taking notice, it would seem: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,354350,00.html.