Here is a great editorial by Mark Bennett of the Terre Haute (Ind) Tribune-Star.

Basically, he summarizes all of the criticisms being thrown at ethanol and says that, as a matter of national security, he’d still rather pay for a home-grown fuel than subsidize Middle Eastern countries.

If self-serving interests in farm states such as Iowa, Nebraska and Indiana drive up the price of corn and, thus, ethanol, we’re not likely to end up in an armed conflict. No amount of economic inefficiency offsets that price.

Bennett also points out the “hidden costs” of sticking with oil because it is “cheaper.”

Americans pay beyond the pump price for gasoline. Those added costs include the human and financial toll from military conflicts, as well as the expense of having to guard international shipping routes, not to mention directly and indirectly subsidizing unsavory governments controlling oil-producing countries.

Many more good points in his op-ed piece – a very good read.

Some Domestic Fuel readers may criticize us for not being more “balanced” in our coverage of mainly ethanol news – in other words, not reporting all the negative stuff. There’s plenty of that out there. We believe strongly that ethanol is part of the solution – not all, just part – and we are not going to criticize it or any other potential solutions to making our country more energy independent.