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Mar 29, 2007

BOOM - The corn bomb just dropped

The three auto executives reiterated their commitment to double their production of flexible fuel vehicles to about 2 million a year by 2010.

Automakers said they could make half of their cars and trucks capable of running on alternative fuels by 2012 if there is enough availability and distribution of E85, an ethanol blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline.
http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/03/26/bush.automakers.ap/index.html?section=cnn_latest

"This makes a big difference," Wagoner said. "There's nothing that can be done that can reduce the curb of growth of imported oil, and actually turn it down, like using E85." ... gets you this:

The government issues a report this week that is likely to show one of the most dramatic shifts in U.S. crop acreage in memory.

... growers are going to plant more acres to corn this year and significantly fewer acres to cotton, soybeans, wheat and other crops. Environmental groups said the focus on ethanol blends would undermine attempts to push automakers to make more fuel efficient cars.

Yeah, but where's the big-money constituency for that?
From Cause and effect (Thanks GRIST! ;-)