Why is methanol better for the economy and the environment than corn-based ethanol?
A. Economically and environmentally, the major benefit of methanol is that it does not compete with the agricultural market for raw materials, such as corn, wheat, or sugarcane. We are beginning to see very extreme and negative global effects coming from the corn-based ethanol boom such as massive deforestation, agricultural malpractice, crop shifting, etc. Methanol synthesis has no dependence on agricultural products whatsoever, so will not affect land management, farming practices, food prices or food supply.
