Corn is used in many countries, including Brazil, USA and Canada, to produce ethanol. We learned from our trip to the Corn Palace in Mitchell, South Dakota, that the largest ethanol producer in the world, POET (http://www.poetenergy.com/inspiration/index.asp) is headquartered in Sioux Falls, also in South Dakota. Ethanol is added to petrol/gas in many states in the Midwest – for example, the 10% ethanol content petrol in South Dakota is about 5 cents per gallon cheaper ($2.749) than the regular petrol ($2.799) with the same octane rating. At the risk of harping on the issue, ethanol is a major alternative to pure-petrol fuel for cars and trucks and produces far fewer greenhouse gases than petrol.
In 1976, the Brazilian government mandated that all automobile fuels blend ethanol (10-22% depending on the fuel). Brazil is now the undisputed ethanol superpower and has mandated a 25% ethanol content in all fuels (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethanol_fuel_in_Brazil). Although detractors argue that the production of the sugarcane (Brazil) or corn (USA) creates as many greenhouse gases as the burning of fossil fuels, in areas like the Midwest, there is a very significant financial incentive to turn the massive corn crop into an indisputably cleaner burning fuel for cars.
Editor's Note: The World's Only Corn Palace itself has not been discussed in this blog entry as it is too crazy and incomprehensible to describe with the written word. Dear reader, you will have to see this thing with your own eyes to believe it.
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