" Our politicians continue to lead us down the pike so they can woe the deep pocketed contributors to their campaigns. They'll do anything for big business and that includes the farm interests in country. How much more can the consumer take between gas and grocery prices? "

" Ahh yes, more doom and gloom from the poo-pooers of the LJS editorial page whose ink all too often bleeds into the "news" pages. "

" So Jas, what do you propose? Should we keep irrigating the heck out of corn in dry country and suck our aquifer dry? Should we continue to mandate the use of ethanol in gas when it's been proven to a disaster for the environment (in every way you can imagine), provide worse mileage per gallon than regular unleaded, throw the market entirely out of whack and drive up the cost of food (Nobody can deny that anymore). So tell me, what leg do you stand on now? This is an outstanding editorial, providing some common sense and vision in a state that desperately needs it. It's the corn-or-bust mentality that will bankrupt Nebraska in the long term. "

" G.I. Joe, Unfortunately your post is as absurd as it is ignorant - better you keep your head buried in the sand believing ver batim what your fed by the LJS editorial staff. "

" I agree that we need to move away from grain based Ethanol to cellulosic Ethanol as quickly as possible. However don't blame the farmers for the high price of corn related food items. Do a little bit of Math: Two years ago corn was selling for about $1.60 a bushel (56 pounds) yet a one pound box of Corn Flakes was selling for about $2.50. Current corn prices are at around $4.00/bushel and that same one pound box of Corn Flakes is around $4.00. That is an increase of about $1.50 per box of corn flakes. I don't know for sure how much corn is used to make a one pound box of cereal but just assuming that one bushel of corn (56 pounds) could be turned into 28 pounds of Corn Flakes at the retail level the value of the corn in a one pound box of Corn Flakes would have been $1.60 divided by 28 = $.05714. At todays corn price the corn in that same box would be $4.00 divided by 28 = $.14857. In two years an increase in price per bushel to the farmer of $2.40 per bushel. The cost of the corn used in a box of Corn Flakes has increased just around nine cents yet the price of the box of Corn Flakes has increased over $1.50 per box! You can't blame that on the farmer!! * My figures are just W.A.G's but if anyone has a more accurate set of numbers please feel free to correct me. "

" In combination with the period of drought from 2000-2006, several areas with high densities of registered Irrigation wells saw groundwater level decreases greater than 25 feet during this time. Corn is a thirsty crop, and with demands for irrigation increasing as a result in more corn being planted in these same regions, the ability to conserve portions of the Ogallala aquifer during periods of drought will be next to impossible,thanks to the driving economic factors. Drought will happen again, it is the high plains and we must be diligent and always prepared for it. Overuse now will mean none for later. G.I. Joe is not exagerating, check your facts. This is not a political issue, this is about facing reality and thinking about true sustainability. Switching to other biofuel sources like switchgrass is a healthy and natural progression towards sustainability. I hope that big business does not sway the reality of this situation for the bottom dollar. Please see: http://csd.unl.edu/surveyareas/gwmaparchives.asp for groundwater archive information from the Conservation and Survey Division. "

" Is the only way to go. Look it up. The benefits of this type of ethanol are amazing. "

" I think that Big Chief is totally correct. We can't contribute the huge rise in corn prices completely to corn. First, 4.00 corn probably is equivalent to getting 2.50 per bushel ten years ago since the costs of everything from fuel to fertilizer has increased thanks to our friends in the petroleum industry. They seem to be the big culprits behind the rising prices of everything! Also, lets think about how much spare capacity we have in this country to plant more acres to corn. The government now pays farmers not to plant certain crops in the CRP program. Why not quit doing that and put those acres back into production. Second, I think that the hype about the rising food prices and ethanol is largely just that, hype that is being driven by those who are in position to profit from rising food prices. I am not denying that by getting more for a bushel of corn, we would see increases in food costs, but at the current rate- that is ridiculous. Now days you go to the grocery store and pray that your bill is below $200, even though you only have groceries for a week. The internet and ever-presence of multiple news casts throughout the day have made it possible for stories to create instant hype and make adverse things happen- Similar to how anything that happens in the world makes the price of oil go up- we are seeing that phenomenon occur in other products such as food that are vital to our existance. If we are talking about steak prices, corn represents only a portion of the finishing ration that a feelot steer is being fed. From that time they are calves, they are grazed- sometimes through the entire process depending on if they are certified grass fed, then are often times placed in a feedlot to be fed for several months to fatten up and then be turned into steaks. People also fail to realize that there are alternatives that are cheaper and are by-products of the ethanol industry- distillers grains- that can take the place of a portion of the corn that is fed. I also looked up some facts on wheat- one bushel of wheat will make 73 loaves of bread, which at a todays high prices of $5.80, calculates out to approximately $.08 per loaf in raw materials. The food industry must think that the general public are a bunch of blooming idiots if we are to believe that when such a small amount of a raw material is used to manufacture a product, that modest increases in prices have the great affect that we are seeing! We are believing just what the food suppliers and oil companies want us to by failing to think about it and say there is something wrong with this picture! Finally, we all need to consider that ethanol should be looked at as only a piece of the puzzle for the replacement of petroleum as a fuel source. If I thought that by using 15 billion gallons of ethanol per year would make the fat, greedy oilmen drink 15 billion gallons of gasoline, I would not hesitate to use it! "

" Sorry- Let me correct the first line- Huge rise in food prices..... "

" Nobody realizes how much the oil companies are loving that the ethanol is getting blamed for higher food costs. Ever think that much of the increase in food cost is related to the increased price of fuel such that its costing much more to distribute food? "

" I can tell that communicating with you could be a tough go. You irrigate a couple thousand acres of corn these days? "

" Or are you a die-hard member of the corn or ethanol lobby? Hmmm .... "

" Anyone who thinks the price of corn has caused huge jumps in prices is completely insane. The huge jump in prices, just like everything else, is due to corporate greed. Look at the increase in profits from major food companies and figure out where the money is going. Don't listen to the lies and the threats of manipulative corporations. Maybe if the the farmers grew dryland corn in those areas they got subsidies on, we would have enough corn for everything we need. "

" Good grief. It doesn't take but about one chemist and a financial advisor to recognize that the big money in ethanol is coming from federal subsidies and will be a short run gain for a few well placed insiders. When will we ever realize that if it seems too good to be true, then it probably is. "