Ethanol has been touted as an alternative fuel that decreases our dependence on fossil fuels and has the potential to be created domestically, reducing our dependence on foreign oil. But while there is certainly promise, there are also questions about the way in which the fuel is made and subsidized.

A proposed new ethanol plant in Michigan is looking to use a new process to produce the ethanol that may alleviate some of these concerns. Rather than using corn, the new plant would use wood combined with other non-food organic material to produce the fuel. But the new plant has also raised concerns and is now the subject of litigation.

One of the chief concerns about using corn for ethanol production is that when the scale of ethanol production increases, the cost of corn will rise as well. While this may be good for farmers, for consumers this may raise the cost of many foods. Not to mention that there are already many people around the world who simply do not get enough to eat. Under these circumstances the decision to use corn to produce fuel becomes more difficult. For years scientists have been seeking viable alternatives materials from which to produce ethanol, this new process hopes to do so successfully using wood.

The dispute over the project focuses on the potential environmental impacts of the project. Some are worried about the amount of timber that would need to be used to make the fuel. But those who have worked on and studied the project contend that the refinery will not cause deforestation problems, noting that they grow several times more wood than they use each year.

Source: Detroit Free Press, "Controversial wood-to-ethanol plant may finally get under way in Upper Peninsula," Katherine Yung, Feb. 13, 2012