Food vs. Fuel
Name on way corn can be used as a food source.
On the cob, used to make snacks, tortillas, other food products.
What is ethanol?
What is one negative effect of using corn for ethanol?
What crop is the most productive in the world?
Corn
Alternative
a different option
How much of the U.S. corn is currently sold for human consumption?
15%, very little
Why do some people believe ethanol is a better fuel option?
It is better for the environment, sustainable resource.
Why might using corn for fuel lead to food shortages?
All of the corn could be bought by the ethanol companies. Farming ethanol damages soil, freshwater, and air, damaging farmland use to grow corn.
Why is corn farming important to American farmers?
Corn is in very high demand, always someone to sell it to.
gas released into the air
What do supporters of using corn for fuel say about its availability?
It is a sustainable resource, we can keep making it for a long time.
How does ethanol help reduce pollution?
It burns cleaner and creates fewer emissions.
How does large-scale ethanol production affect freshwater resources?
It depletes them
What do farmers need to do to ensure food is available for people?
Save some of their corn to sell to the food industry instead of ethanol.
Sustainable
has the ability to last
What do opponents say about the impact of using corn for fuel on food prices?
It will increase food prices.
What is one advantage of using ethanol for cars that is grown in the U.S.?
We don't have to depend on other countries to sell it to us.
What is one way that ethanol production can harm the environment?
It pollutes water, air, and soil.
What happens when more corn is grown for ethanol instead of food?
There will be less corn available to make food products with.
Consumption
using up a resource
What is one reason people argue that corn should be used as food instead of fuel?
It should be used to feed people, using it for fuel will increase food prices, farming it for fuel can hurt the environment.
What is the economic benefit of supporting the ethanol industry for American farmers?
They can make more money by selling their corn to make ethanol.
What percentage of U.S.-grown corn is currently used to make products that are NOT for human consumption.
85%
How does the corn market affect food prices?
If there is less corn, less corn based food products will be available, increasing food prices.
Fill in the blank: Joey Chestnut's hot dog __________ is not sustainable. He needs to choose an alternative hobby.
-alternative
-emissions
-consumption
-sustainable
consumption