Skip to content
Surprising Science

Al Gore Recants on Ethanol

The former vice president said that corn ethanol was a “mistake.” He went further, saying that he supported ethanol production because the first presidential primary is in Iowa.
Sign up for Big Think on Substack
The most surprising and impactful new stories delivered to your inbox every week, for free.

For three decades, the ethanol industry has been claiming that their hydrophilic, corrosive, low-heat-content fuel is cutting America’s need for foreign oil. Indeed, the ethanol lobbyists cited the foreign oil bogeyman in their Tuesday letter to Congressional leaders, saying “The volumes of ethanol produced domestically have been uniquely successful in reducing our dependence on foreign, imported oil.” Perhaps we should be thankful that Gore has finally seen the light on ethanol and dared to state the obvious: corn alcohol-based fuel is a bad idea.

Sign up for Big Think on Substack
The most surprising and impactful new stories delivered to your inbox every week, for free.

Related
The hospital where Rainn Wilson’s wife and son nearly died became his own personal holy site. There, he discovered that the sacred can exist in places we least expect it. During his talk at A Night of Awe and Wonder, he explained how the awe we feel in moments of courage and love is moral beauty — and following it might be the start of our spiritual revolution.
13 min
with

Up Next