published a paper on corn ethanol stating that it was a zero net energy producer. Now the world believes it. They threw away 90 percent of their potential fuel, in the form of cellulose (plant fiber, leaves, stem, stalks, roots). There are all kinds of methods to reduce plant fiber into fermentable sugars, and the process as pioneered by Iogen Corporation of Canada is economical and competitive. In fact it is so competitive that Iogen decided not to pursue it due to lack of demand.

So that is the real problem. The transportation sector is in a rut. We are using petroleum to fuel our cars & trucks, and nothing short of total worldwide oil depletion is going to change that, regardless of economics. We use it because we like it, and most importantly because we don't feel like changing just right at the moment.