I'm a long time lurker but this thread has finally forced me to register. Here's something I dug up on another board regarding Pimentel:
Just be aware that Pimentel releases this "finding" every other summer, Looking at the dates below, he's a month ahead of schedule this year.
http://www.news.cornell.edu/Chronicle/01/8.23.01/Pimentel-ethanol.html
http://www.news.cornell.edu/Chronicle/03/8.14.03/Pimentel-ethanol.html
http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/July05/ethanol.toocostly.ssl.html
I can't speak to this newest report, but Pimental's work has been repeatedly critiqued, and one of the main compliants it that he uses out of date numbers for yield and conversion efficiency:
http://www.mda.state.mn.us/ethanol/balance.html
http://www.usda.gov/oce/oepnu/aer-814.pdf
http://journeytoforever.org/ethanol_rooster.html
http://www.ncga.com/public_policy/PDF/03_28_05ArgonneNatlLabEthanolStudy.pdf
http://www.ethanol-gec.org/corn_eth.htm
All that having been said, Pimental is right that soy and corn alone cannot replace our petroleum addiction.
