Des Moines Register
080-21-07
Rise up against the ethanol man
An Aug. 8 article regarding an Iowa State University study basically said
ethanol is a hazard to the environment ("Expert Warns of Ethanol Pollution").
Duh!
Corn prices going up is good for the corn market, a few family farms, Archer
Daniels Midland and other large agricultural interests, but not the average Iowan
in terms of pollution, lost habitat or diminished air quality. And pristine water
aquifers shouldn't be squandered to create industrial wastewater, either. Burning
coal isn't the answer, and neither is using all the natural gas these plants can
inhale.
We're stuck with higher fuel prices and pollution so a few can get rich. Alternative
fuels are the way to go, along with conservation and increased efficiency. What
we are being sold now is a load of manure.
Do I have any faith our elected leaders will do what is right for the majority? No.
They shrug their shoulders and say they can't do anything under state law. That's
because our elected officials don't care about the average Iowan - we don't have
the money to hire a lobbyist.
Get off your duff, and go to a county board of supervisors' meeting and oppose a
confined animal feeding operation in your neighborhood.
- Scott W. McIntire,
Grinnell.