ANDREW SULLIVAN is deeply, deeply unhappy with the energy bill. I haven’t followed it, but I don’t think that there has ever been an energy bill that was cause for joy, and given that the one thing I do know is that Tom Daschle is endorsing it because of a hike in ethanol subsidies I doubt this will prove any exception to that rule.
Lynne Kiesling — an actual energy policy expert — has lots more, with collections of links here and here, and a post on ethanol here. Excerpt:
Ethanol does not help clean the air and it is not a renewable energy source. In fact, ethanol used for fuel generates formaldehyde, a toxic chemical. Our environment doesn’t need that kind of “preservation.” Ethanol mandates do nothing but benefit special interests at a very high cost to all Americans.
I prefer my ethanol in a nice Shiraz. Why aren’t we subsidizing that?