Yellow is not green, necessarily. Using yellow corn to make green ethanol for cars is not necessarily the most environmentally sensitive way of making biofuels. Using biofuels in cars with poor fuel economy is close to being a profligate waste of resources, a point that is made over on Green Options in a guest post pointing to a report out on 18th.
Quoting from Green Options
If we examine GM's E85 fleet, a group of cars that can run on a mixture of gasoline and up-to 85% ethanol, we notice some pretty week fuel efficiency standards. City average less than 11 miles per gallon and Highway less than 15. (See the fleet averages here)I have recently inherited a Vauxhall Astra 1.6l Automatic from my father-in-law (don't ask, unless you're related to me its pretty dull) and that does about 30 miles per gallon in town. At 11mpg I'd be expecting a three-pound gun, armour-plate and catapillar tracks.
As they say on Green Options:
So rather than fix the real problem, an inefficient fleet of cars, the auto industry has decided to paint the problem green by hoping Americans will swallow the ethanol pill.But it is a dangerous pill to swallow.
This is why The Network for New Energy Choices, along with Food & Water Watch and Vermont Law School has put together The Rush to Ethanol: Not all Biofuels are Created Equal.
I'll be looking out for that publication.