Consumer group questions ethanol research

Consumer groups have called into question a recent study suggesting that ethanol would be as bad for human health as petrol.

The study, conducted by Professor Mark Jacobson from Stanford University, suggested that the focus of alternative energy research should be shifted away from biofuels such as ethanol and towards plug-in hybrid or fuel cell cars, because ethanol was bad for human health and environmentally damaging.

However, the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights (FTCR) in the US has called the credibility of the findings into question, arguing that Stanford's close association with oil company ExxonMobil raised doubts over the objectivity of the conclusions.

ExxonMobil has given $100 million (£50.2 million) to Stanford's Global Climate and Energy research programme, FTCR said.

"It's difficult to accept a controversial study throwing cold water on the accepted idea that blended ethanol is a good solution to our energy problems when the university well that produced the study has been poisoned by big oil's money," said John M Simpson, an FTCR advocate.

The FTCR also pointed out that ExxonMobil had rights to any patented results of hydrogen research conducted under Stanford's research programme.

Professor Jacobson, however, rejected the idea that his research was influenced by the oil giant, saying that he opposed "ExxonMobil and what it stands for".

Source: Adfero