Outward Migration

[Dave1215]

Originally Posted by SCGranny

Y'know, odd as it sounds... I actually prefer the polka!
D'you think my family would toss me out if I admitted that?

Polka - there are many places in Nebraska that will love you...

[dgt103]

Originally Posted by mattpoulsen

Actually, if anything, the ethanol industry will kill the rural areas. Ethanol is nothing more than a government subsidy in disguise. The science is simply not there. Most estimates show that there is essentially no energy benefit to using ethanol. Meaning that after you calculate all the energy needed to plant, harvest, and process the corn you end up with just enough fuel to do all those things (or less). Which means...you would have been better off not producing ethanol.

The problem is that corn growers have been living high on the hog lately and when the carpet is pulled out from underneath them they will be left holding the bag. Furthermore, all these ethanol plants will be "ghostplants" in a few years. I am hoping though that they can be converted to process "switchgrass", which is processed and grown much more efficiently...allowing for much better energy gain/energy used ratios. In the coming years there will be a major push for this product.

Small communities can not pin their hopes on ethanol. They absolutely must diversify. Maybe there should be a larger focus on more novel agricultural products...find a niche that the mega farms don't compete. The point is, whatever they do, they can't continue to do things the way grandpa used to do it.

About the Ethanol thing-I have helped build 2 ethanol plants, so I thought I'd let y'all know some of what we 'workers' say/think...they are most likely a joke, at least compared to what the gov and and the media have forced down our throats. The ratio for ethanol production is something like 1 to 1.8, gasoline is maybe in the 3's. (my figures here may be off, am relying on memory).