On his trip, Bush announced a deal to share alternative-fuel-development technology with Brazil, the world's leading producer of ethanol.On his trip, Bush announced a deal to share alternative-fuel-development technology with Brazil, the world's leading producer of ethanol ethanol (ĕth`ənōl') or ethyl alcohol, CH3CH2OH, a colorless liquid with characteristic odor and taste; commonly called grain alcohol or simply alcohol. . Brazil's ethanol, made from sugar cane cane, walking stick cane, walking stick. Probably used first as a weapon, it gradually took on the symbolism of strength and power and eventually authority and social prestige. , uses cropland crop·land n. Land that is fit or used for growing crops. far more efficiently than the corn-based ethanol produced in the U.S. But it's not clear that the U.S. should emulate em·u·late tr.v. em·u·lat·ed, em·u·lat·ing, em·u·lates 1. To strive to equal or excel, especially through imitation: an older pupil whose accomplishments and style I emulated. 2. the Brazilian model. Brazil's warm climate is far more suited to growing sugar cane, and ethanol's 40 percent share of the country's fuel market---which would cover only about 3 percent of the much larger U.S. fuel market---is largely the result of decades of heavy government intervention in the energy sector. Abetter plan would be for Bush to do away with the current 54 cent per gallon tariff on imported ethanol and let Americans reap the rewards at the pump. Unfortunately, this option is strongly opposed by farm-state legislators whose corn-growers benefit from the tariff, and the administration has made clear that it is not going to leave this subsidy subsidy, financial assistance granted by a government or philanthropic foundation to a person or association for the purpose of promoting an enterprise considered beneficial to the public welfare. behind. |
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