Biofuels are clearly getting a lot of attention lately, and some speculate that ethanol and biodiesel will bring much needed income and spur revitalization in rural communities. Ethanol might be good for the price of corn at the moment, but it looks like it's not going to be helping residents of rural America as much as one might think. ... the people who live near ethanol plants are the ones who may suffer more problems with asthma and other diseases caused by increased air pollution. ... Biofuels could be a valuable asset for rural areas, but only if jobs and profits aren't exported to urban centers. In addition to existing incentives for biofuel production, there should be incentives for local ownership in order to capture the full benefit for struggling communities.

Labels: biofuel