Corn farmers, biofuels already playing role in environmental initiatives

   It will no doubt take a wide array of resources and strategies to achieve the clean air and water initiatives outlined in Gov. John Hickenlooper’s executive order this month. Thankfully, the state’s grain corn farmers and biofuels industry are already making a difference and are proud to be a part of the efforts needed to achieve Hickenlooper’s vision of Colorado utilizing “renewable” and “affordable energy.”
    While ethanol has been demonized for decades by special interests, scientific studies continually prove ethanol is a resounding success — not only for energy independence and strengthening rural economies, but also in making our air cleaner.
    Oxygenating gasoline is required under Clean Air Act amendments, and ethanol — with its clean-burning qualities — has long been regarded as the best additive for that. For years, adding 10 percent ethanol to gasoline (or E10) has helped many cities achieve Clean Air requirements they otherwise could not. In fact, in 2016, ethanol was credited with lowering CO2-equivalent greenhouse gas emissions from transportation by 43.5 million metric tons — akin to removing 9.3 million cars from our roads.
    Biofuels like ethanol also displace cancer-causing gasoline additives, like benzene — the same chemical found in cigarette smoke.
    And while ethanol opponents continue using outdated farming practices and figures in attempt to show that ethanol production requires more energy than it produces, that’s simply not true. Ethanol actually has a positive energy balance — not negative. According to a comprehensive analysis from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, one unit of energy invested in corn ethanol creates 2.3 units of usable energy, and the process is becoming more efficient.

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