@Tarheel
LNRT said: "Once they are able to produce ethanol from the entire plant instead of just parts of it it will be effective. But until then it is iffy at best."
What he is referring to is cellulose ethanol which can be produced with pretty much any green organic. So the stems of corn would be what would be used to make the fuel and the corn can still be eaten. Therefore it would be the production of food that would be responsible for the fertilizers and pesticides and as an added benefit, would could make fuel with stems which used to be waste.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cellulose_ethanol
EDIT: BTW, capitalist Sir Richard Branson, founder of Virgin, is heavily invested in Cellulose ethanol with the beleif that it can even be made as jet fuel.
