At least ethanol is not the answer to our energy problems. It may indeed be the answer to the question, “What biofuel is used by politicians as a political ploy to satisfy environmentalists while they escape making politically difficult decisions?”
Ethanol actually makes gasoline costlier and dirtier. But, conveniently, the benefits of ethanol subsidies flow to politically-connected corporations and farmers, thus making it a potent source of votes even if its usefulness as a source of fuel is suspect.