For more than a decade, Bob Seger’s “Like A Rock” and pure testosterone sold GM pickups, but this year’s advertisements have changed to try sell “The most powerful, the most fuel efficient trucks.” Even trophy-wife Suburban and Avalanche SUVs carry a “flex-fuel” badge on their tailgates, a sign that the steel beasts can now drink pure E-85 ethanol.The United States produced 4.86 billion barrels of ethanol last year from corn at a production price of only a $1.09 per gallon, and a retail value $0.41 cheaper than gasoline’s $3.03 per gallon this July.

The European Union has one-upped America’s newfound love of biofuels, committing to producing 10 percent of its gas and diesel carbon emissions from renewable resources by 2020.

According to National Geographic, ethanol produces 22 percent less carbon emissions than gasoline since the corn used to make it scrubs out carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

A recent study by British researchers published in Science magazine has contested that this policy could be a mistake. The study found that trees reduce nine times more carbon dioxide per acre than biofuels, and have recommended reforestation over biofuel production to meet the EU’s mandate.

“We looked at the amount of biofuels produced per (acre),” said Dr. Renton Righelato, co-author of the study and chairman of the World Land Trust to BBC News. “From that figure, we were able to calculate the amount of fossil fuels that could be replaced by biofuels. In all cases, the amount of CO2 sequestered (by forests) over a 30-year period is considerably greater than the amount of emissions avoided by using biofuels.”

Second generation biofuels, which ferment grass, wood or straw have avoided contention as they don’t compete with human food sources.

Primary biofuels, made from grain, have been denounced by many humanitarian agencies that worry the production of food in poorer countries could shift to primary biofuels for export, resulting in massive shortages in food and water supplies for the destitute.

“When governments and companies are discussing biofuel solutions, I think water issues are not addressed enough,” said Johan Kuylenstierna, director of the World Water Week conference, to BBC News.

The increased profitability of ethanol and the subsequent decrease in cheap American corn exports has already damaged an esoteric range of industries dependent on the product. Beer producer Heineken reported to the London Financial Times the decrease in its profits reported this February was due chiefly to a rise in cost of barley as fields were converted from barley to corn production in the Midwest.

The decreases in supply of cheap corn even led to a Mexican tortilla shortage this February and subsequent food riots that required the Calderon administration to cap the prices of tortilla manufacturers.

“I love biofuels,” said junior biology major, Ryan Davis. “They show a lot of promise, but they’re nowhere near a terminal solution to the energy crisis.