Support for Ethanol Drying up in Canada
A bill in parliament that would give corn farmers in Canada a big boost is rapidly losing supports in the commons. The bill would require gasoline sold in Canada to have at minimum 5% ethanol content. The Bloc Quebecois is the latest party to confirm that they will be voting against the bill, although they had already voted for it as recently as May 1.
The change in sentiment is coming as world food prices skyrocket, which is partly blamed on the increased use of food crops for ethanol. As well, recent scientific studies have shown that making ethanol from corn is not nearly as energy efficient as was previously thought. The consensus in the scientific community is that, to help fight global warming, ethanol should be made from more efficient crops such as sugar cane. There is also a recent shift in thinking that ethanol should come from non-food crops, known as cellulosic ethanol.
The fate of the bill now rests with the Liberal party, who is re-examining their position. Liberal MP Keith Martin said of the bill, “There is a chance that the bill will not pass, depending on what we do. We’re still negotiating internally.” He later continued by citing some concerns over the bill, “We now know that biofuels aren’t what they were all made out to be and the new science must force all of us to rethink on position on biofuels.”
There is also concern that the opposition liberals will allow the bills to pass, but with amendments that would limit the use of corn in ethanol in Canada. The Manitoba Corn Growers Association has said this would force the country to meet the ethanol requirements by importing from the US, a situation that would not change the environmental impacts, but would be detrimental to the Canadian farming industry.
In addition to this bill, the ruling Conservative government has announced $2.2 billion (CDN) in funding for development of ethanol. Of this, $500 million is set aside specifically for cellulosic ethanol.
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