2007年VOA标准英语-US Invests Massively in Biofuel, but Benefits U

By Greg Flakus
Houston
05 April 2007

The quest for a fuel that will both reduce air pollution and U.S. dependence¹ on imported energy has led to massive investments in ethanol and other fuels produced from plants. Backers of programs to develop such energy resources include farmers and agricultural enterprises that see bigger profits as demand for corn, soybeans and other crops increases. But, as VOA's Greg Flakus reports from Houston, critics say the promise of biofuels is mostly hype.

U.S. ethanol is made from corn

Depending on who is speaking, ethanol and other biofuels are either the future of energy and the answer to air pollution or a false promise that diverts attention from finding real solutions to both our energy and environmental problems.

The biggest biofuel industry is that of ethanol, an alcohol additive² that is produced from fermenting³ plant material. In the United States, most ethanol is produced from corn and, not surprisingly, corn farmers and politicians who represent corn-growing states are big backers of ethanol.

It is generally agreed that ethanol would be too costly⁴ for consumers if it were not heavily subsidized. But Kristin Brekke of the Sioux Falls, South Dakota-based American Coalition⁵ for Ethanol argues that the government should support alternative energy producers.

"The petroleum⁶ industry is certainly subsidized 10 times as much as the ethanol industry is," said Kristin Brekke. "Ethanol is really proving to be a promising⁷ alternative and, given the question of how long oil supplies will be around and environmental impacts being on people's minds as well, I think it is right that we are investing in the future, which is renewable fuels."

The US government gave ethanol a further boost last year when a commonly used oil additive was banned for environmental reasons and oil companies expanded the availability of a blend of ethanol and gasoline.

In response to increased ethanol production, there has been a 15 percent increase in corn production nationwide and even farmers in parts of the country where corn has not been a traditional crop are now starting to grow it.

But Kristin Brekke says this is a momentary⁸ situation that will be eased as soon as ethanol producers are able to produce fuel from other organic material, including waste products containing cellulose. That, she says, is when the true potential of this renewable energy source will be realized.

"The corn that could be used for ethanol here in the United States, without displacing those other needs as well, if you add to that, too, the potential of cellulosic ethanol, over the long term, those two things together could displace about half of the gasoline we currently use," she said.

One of the chief critics of this rosy⁹ scenario¹⁰ is Cornell University ecologist David Pimentel, whose studies of ethanol and other biofuels call into question their efficacy.

"Even using the Department of Energy's optimistic numbers, they claim we used 20 percent of the corn last year to produce five billion gallons of ethanol," said David Pimentel. "What does five billion gallons mean to petroleum use in the United States? It is less than one percent. If we use 100 percent of the corn, which would be an impossibility, to produce ethanol, it would produce seven percent."

Professor Pimentel also rejects the benefit to the environment that ethanol supporters often cite because the fuel produces far less harmful emissions¹¹ than do fossil fuels. He says it is important to look at the effects of a massive increase in corn production as well.

"Corn production, for example, causes more erosion than any other single crop grown in the nation," he said. "It uses more nitrogen fertilizer than any other crop and that nitrogen fertilizer gets washed down the Mississippi. The National Academy of Sciences reports that corn production is the prime cause of that dead zone down in the Gulf¹² of Mexico."

Pimentel and his research partner Tad Patzek have also done studies showing that, when all production efforts are factored in, it takes 29 percent more fossil fuel energy to produce a quantity of ethanol than the energy it provides. The study shows there is a similar ratio for producing bio-diesel from soybeans and other agricultural products.

But other recent studies have contradicted those findings. Douglas Tiffany, an economist¹³ at the University of Minnesota, worked on one such study.

"We were very thorough and looked at all the energy inputs," said Douglas Tiffany. "Our results conformed to the results of Argonne National Lab and some others that show a positive energy balance from the production of both ethanol and biodiesel."

But the University of Minnesota study also showed that some plant material may be better suited than corn for fuel production and that biodiesel may hold more promise than ethanol. The Minnesota researchers coincided with the Cornell study in saying that bio-fuels are not likely to reduce oil consumption to any significant degree. Still, Tiffany says, the rising cost of petroleum on the world market will keep interest alive in bio-fuel programs.

"There is strong incentive¹⁴ to do these bio-fuels when we have high crude oil prices," he said. "So, in some ways, it is the price of crude oil that is pushing a lot of this development. The question is should it be under control or should governments apply judicious¹⁵ targets?"

Critics like Cornell's David Pimentel, however, argue that the proper response to higher crude oil prices should be increased conservation and the development of other forms of energy that show more promise of being cost effective.

1 dependence   

n.依靠，依赖；信任，信赖；隶属

参考例句：

• Doctors keep trying to break her dependence of the drug.医生们尽力使她戒除毒瘾。
• He was freed from financial dependence on his parents.他在经济上摆脱了对父母的依赖。

2 additive   

adj.附加的；n.添加剂

参考例句：

• Colour is often an additive in foods.颜料经常是各种食物中的添加物。
• Strict safety tests are carried out on food additives.对食品添加剂进行了严格的安全检测。

3 fermenting   

v.（使）发酵( ferment的现在分词 )；（使）激动；骚动；骚扰

参考例句：

• The fermenting wine has bubbled up and over the top. 发酵的葡萄酒已经冒泡，溢了出来。 来自辞典例句
• It must be processed through methods like boiling, grinding or fermenting. 它必须通过煮沸、研磨、或者发酵等方法加工。 来自互联网

4 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

5 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

6 petroleum   

n.原油，石油

参考例句：

• The Government of Iran advanced the price of petroleum last week.上星期伊朗政府提高了石油价格。
• The purpose of oil refinery is to refine crude petroleum.炼油厂的主要工作是提炼原油。

7 promising   

adj.有希望的，有前途的

参考例句：

• The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
• We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。

8 momentary   

adj.片刻的，瞬息的；短暂的

参考例句：

• We are in momentary expectation of the arrival of you.我们无时无刻不在盼望你的到来。
• I caught a momentary glimpse of them.我瞥了他们一眼。

9 rosy   

adj.美好的，乐观的，玫瑰色的

参考例句：

• She got a new job and her life looks rosy.她找到一份新工作，生活看上去很美好。
• She always takes a rosy view of life.她总是对生活持乐观态度。

10 scenario   

n.剧本，脚本；概要

参考例句：

• But the birth scenario is not completely accurate.然而分娩脚本并非完全准确的。
• This is a totally different scenario.这是完全不同的剧本。

11 emissions   

排放物( emission的名词复数 )； 散发物（尤指气体）

参考例句：

• Most scientists accept that climate change is linked to carbon emissions. 大多数科学家都相信气候变化与排放的含碳气体有关。
• Dangerous emissions radiate from plutonium. 危险的辐射物从钚放散出来。

12 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

13 economist   

n.经济学家，经济专家，节俭的人

参考例句：

• He cast a professional economist's eyes on the problem.他以经济学行家的眼光审视这个问题。
• He's an economist who thinks he knows all the answers.他是个经济学家，自以为什么都懂。

14 incentive   

n.刺激；动力；鼓励；诱因；动机

参考例句：

• Money is still a major incentive in most occupations.在许多职业中，钱仍是主要的鼓励因素。
• He hasn't much incentive to work hard.他没有努力工作的动机。

15 judicious   

adj.明智的，明断的，能作出明智决定的

参考例句：

• We should listen to the judicious opinion of that old man.我们应该听取那位老人明智的意见。
• A judicious parent encourages his children to make their own decisions.贤明的父亲鼓励儿女自作抉择。