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There is a good deal of debate because of the technical complexities, economics, and the tensions between the political ideologies of top-down versus bottom-up thinking. On the macro scale we can follow the money to see if a policy is justified. At the micro level the energy efficiency is key. The work of the agricultural economists and chemical engineers is to find the optimum allocation of resources. We can experiment to find the best technology at the individual level for different conditions. One point not mentioned is that ethanol is being used as to reduce engine knock. It is also blended with methanol for fuel. Engine efficiency is a function of compression ratio. The technical question becomes what fuel stock yields the best net efficiency. At some point the economics of producing and distributing fuel stocks must match up with the production and use of vehicles. Will a car sold in Maine function in the winter as well as it might in the Arizona summer? What compression ratio can be used with the fuel available at an acceptable price? Will the mandates be responsive enough to continuous improvements necessary by changing condition? Clear thinking and adequate information can be in short supply when personal interest is the overriding goal. Are the people in the coastal cities willing to trade higher food prices for cleaner air and water or can we find other choices. How does an agribusiness allocate land and crop selection for the best return on investment? The shift we are seeing is the transition from a consumer economy to a conserver economy. This means reshaping our fundamental assumptions and that is never easy.
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