Sure, Ethanol is a renewable resource, unlike fossil-based fuels like gasoline and diesel, but could it be costing us the Chesapeake Bay? Apparently, as corn production in the greater Chesapeake Bay Watershed rises, the amount of fertilizer runoff increases, too. This runoff has the nasty tendency to cause algae blooms which then gum up the bay, causing further damage to the habitat.
This then begs the question: is the desire to move to more renewable resources worth the cost of the Chesapeake Bay? I’m not so sure. Of course, with market pressures driving up the price of corn to a point where it becomes the cash crop for the region, it’s hard to tell farmers not to grow it. Where’s the compromise?
This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs
I live and work in the District of Columbia. I write at We Love DC, a blog I helped start, I work at Technolutionary, a company I helped start, and I’m happy doing both. I enjoy watching baseball, cooking, and gardening. I grow a mean pepper, keep a clean scorebook, and wash the dishes when I’m done. Read Why I Love DC.
