Bio-fuels using corn may not be the answer

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reports the largest corn crop ever this year - 13.3 billion bushels -to meet the nation's demand for ethanol-based fuel. Hats off to the hard work of many in our agriculture sector for stepping up to the plate. However, this surge has scientists and environmental advocates worried about the toll that expanding biofuel crops, such as corn, will have on land and waterŠand rightly so.

Farmers planted an extra 14 million acres of corn this year - equal to an area more than half the size of Indiana, and more growth is coming: The U.S. ethanol sector will need 2.6 billion bushels per year -nearly 50 percent more than in 2005 - by 2010, according to the USDA. The rush to farm more corn is a result of President Bush's call to produce 35 billion gallons of renewable and alternative fuel by 2017, or about 15 percent of all U.S. liquid transportation fuel.