Sununu says corn-based ethanol hurting economy

U.S. Sen. John Sununu (R-Waterville Valley) argued today that corn-based ethanol is contributing to rising food and oil prices.

This morning in Washington D.C., Sununu participated in testimony titled, "Fuel Subsidies: Is There an Impact on Food Supply and Prices?"U.S. Sen. John Sununu (R-Waterville Valley)

"Ethanol production is driving up prices for small businesses, such the New England-based When Pigs Fly Bakery, and continues to hit families and food pantries hard," Sununu told the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. "This year, over 30% of America's corn harvest will be diverted from food to ethanol production. That's a bad deal for New Hampshire and the nation, because it causes higher prices for bread, milk, eggs, and other commodities."

Sununu also said that corn-based ethanol is damaging the environment.

"Moreover, 1,700 gallons of water are used to produce just a gallon of ethanol, 30 million acres of land are necessary to support the corn used for that ethanol, and a recent study indicates that ethanol production nearly doubles greenhouse gas emissions from the land that's cultivated over a 30-year period - all significant environmental consequences."

Yesterday, Sununu joined twenty-three fellow Senators in urging the EPA to waive regulation mandating that refiners blend corn-based ethanol with fuel.