The Cellulosic Ethanol Delusion

by Robert Bryce

For years, ethanol boosters have promised Americans that "cellulosic" ethanol lurks just ahead, right past the nearest service station. Once it becomes viable, this magic elixir - made from grass, wood chips, sawdust, or some other plant material - will deliver us from the evil clutches of foreign oil and make the US "energy independent" while enriching farmers and strengthening small towns across the country.