Kevin Hassett put forth an interesting view on Ethanol claiming that its promotion and use is really a political racket: " The fact is, ethanol is a scam that allows farm states to extract resources from everybody else and pretend to be virtuous while doing so. We would all be better off if Congress just wrote these states a check with no strings attached. At least then we wouldn't be wasting all that energy." (source )

Hassett claims that not only does Ethanol take more energy to produce than it generates but it also produces waste through pesticides and herbicides and is ultimately not a viable replacement for oil. Ultimately, Hassett feels that congressman see Ethanol as a "cash cow for their constituents."

As Ethanol becomes more known through recent promotional efforts from GM and with President Bush touting the need for alternative fuel sources, the debate on fuels such as Ethanol and hydrogen will certainly continue to be of interest to those interested in renewable energy and alternative fuels.