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| Dr. Rob Horsch
of Monsanto recently defended ethanol against the flawed theories
of Cornell University's David Pimentel. |
Ethanol
Opponent's Flawed Theories Shot Down Again (5-10-02)
Dr. David Pimentel,
an entomologist (a scientist who studies bugs) from Cornell University,
has received lots of media focus lately on his flawed analysis of ethanol
and ethanol production. At the same time, there are people lining up
with facts in hand awaiting their turn to prove Pimentel wrong.
The National Corn
Growers Association (NCGA), which has long been refuting Pimentel's
assertions, was pleased to see Pimentel's faulty analysis shot down
again, this time by Dr. Rob Horsch, a plant biologist and vice president
of product and technology cooperation for Monsanto, during a meeting
at USDA-sponsored by the National Research Council
Horsch said during
the question and answer session of the "Science and Conservation
Colloquium: Farm Bill Opportunities and Challenges" meeting Pimentel
began criticizing ethanol as a renewable resource, saying it takes more
energy to create ethanol than it produces. This has been a consistent
element of Pimentel's thesis, but it is based on inaccurate analysis
of data. Scientists who are trained in engineering and economics agree
show that ethanol has a positive energy balance.
"I got up to
the microphone immediately after his comments, and challenged his analysis,"
said Horsch "I have looked at a variety of sources on ethanol sources
and am aware there are opinions (on the matter) other than his that
the audience should know about. The best figures I have looked at have
shown a net positive contribution of ethanol from corn.
"I went on
to say there were other reasons to support ethanol besides it being
energy positive, such as national security and clean air benefits,"
he continued. "He rebutted by saying if ethanol were such a great
energy source, it would not be subsidized and the only reason we have
ethanol as a fuel source is because it is subsidized. He also said how
the USDA projections completely ignored the energy used to grow the
corn that is turned into ethanol."
Horsch went on to
explain to Pimentel that all forms of new energy are subsidized as part
of the alternative fuels program. Horsch also reminded Pimentel of the
entomologist's wish for gasoline prices to jump to $10 per gallon while
Horsch pointed out to him gas prices do not have to rise anywhere near
that price to be economically viable. It was also noted the petroleum
industry has and continues to receive generous subsidies and that ethanol
will continue to become more and more competitive even if imported oil
prices do not rise in the near term.
Horsch has been
filling his cars with ethanol-supplemented gasoline for years and is
a strong supporter of such new, better and more efficient technologies.
"I wanted to make sure that everyone in the audience knew that
there more recent studies than the one Dr. Pimentel was sighting, so
I just got up and publicly challenged him and made sure the audience
knew there were other sources of information out there that came to
very different conclusions.
"It just irks me," he concluded, "because a lot of people
in the audience probably didn't know much about ethanol and if all they
hear are Pimentel's theories, that's what they'll go away believing."
For NCGA's official
rebuttal of Pimentel's research, visit the NCGA website at http://www.ncga.com/ethanol/pdfs/EthanolfFuelsRebuttal.pdf.
Last reviewed
May 10, 2002
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