Hope or hoax? The truth behind the great American ethanol debate

Series produced by Harvest Public Media Group

Series image

In this five-part series, Harvest Public Media explores the American ethanol industry and its impact on consumers and rural communities. The first three parts of this series aired on NPR’s Morning Edition, and the entire series is free for download and broadcast.

You can find an online package HERE; please link back to this on your station’s site should you air any part of this series. Doing so will help support Harvest’s mission to produce high quality agriculture and biofuel journalism for public media.

More about the series

Ethanol, mostly made from corn, is poised to make yet another run at being America’s fuel, rebranded with marketing whiz-bang as a green alternative for the NASCAR set.

Not so fast, say its critics. Even ethanol’s one time champion Al Gore says his endorsement was merely a play for the hearts of Iowa farmers in the heart of the Corn Belt …. ouch.

And there are a growing number of voices calling it everything from a threat to our food supply to an eco-charlatan.

Nevertheless, ethanol has supporters who are pulled by its economic potential. And researchers say they’re tantalizingly close to cracking open new ways of producing ethanol, even if in the past those have always been years away.

So who’s telling the truth here, and moreover, how should America handle ethanol as it stares down its energy future? And if we pick ethanol today will it be safe for our cars or make our food cost more? And besides, who is seeing the green from those ethanol plants? Heck, forget the money — is ethanol even a green fuel?

These are just some of the question our reporters picked apart as they looked for truths in the great American ethanol debate. Hide full description
More about the series

Ethanol, mostly made from corn, is poised to make yet another run at being America’s fuel, rebranded with marketing whiz-bang as a green alternative for the NASCAR set.

Not so fast, say its critics. Even ethanol’s one time champion Al Gore says his endorsement was merely a play for the hearts of Iowa farmers in the heart of the Corn Belt …. ouch.

And there are a growing number of voices calling it everything from a threat to our food supply to an eco-charlatan.

Nevertheless, ethanol has supporters who are pulled by its economic potential. And researchers say they’re tantalizingly close to cracking open new ways of producing ethanol, even if in the past those have always been years away.

So who’s telling the truth here, and moreover, how should America handle... Show full description

5 Pieces

Order by: Newest First | Oldest First
Piece image
In this five-part series, Harvest Public Media has been exploring corn ethanol, and the complex economic, political and the environmental concerns ...

  • Added: Dec 29, 2010
  • Length: 04:54
Piece image
Many ethanol plants have sprung up in small towns throughout the Midwest. As part of our ethanol series from Harvest Public Media, Clay Masters rep...

  • Added: Dec 29, 2010
  • Length: 04:09
Piece image
When it comes to ethanol, price, fuel economy and engine performance matter to lots of American drivers. The ethanol industry fights hard to shape ...

  • Added: Dec 29, 2010
  • Length: 04:08
Piece image
The U.S. corn crop is enormous. And about 1/3 of it isn’t going to cereal or cows – but it’s helping run your car. Washington subsidizes ethanol to...

  • Added: Dec 29, 2010
  • Length: 03:58
Piece image
Ethanol is fueling lots of arguments these days. Just Monday, auto and engine manufacturers sued to force the EPA to revisit its decision to allow ...

  • Added: Dec 29, 2010
  • Length: 04:57