(FORTUNE Magazine) - Ethanol vs. Gasoline

I appreciated the article on ethanol ("How to Beat the High Cost of Gasoline--Forever!" Feb. 6), and I agree that it will become a very important fuel source. But there are serious concerns about it, not least of which is the formaldehyde produced when it's combusted. Ethanol must be approached scientifically, conscientiously considering all aspects. I don't believe it's as simple as encouraging the Street to accept it as the next great investment. Creating sustainable energy sources is not as simple as economics might suggest.

Johnathan DiMuro Engineering Student Cambridge University Cambridge, England

I own a flex-fuel vehicle, and I have noticed it isn't cost-efficient to use E85 on a regular basis. I get 17% fewer miles per gallon from ethanol, but the price is generally not 17% less than regular unleaded. When the price of unleaded goes up 5 cents, the cost of E85 goes up 5 cents too. I want to help the environment, and I'd rather use E85 than foreign-produced gasoline, but there should be consumer incentives as well.

Matt Youngblut Brooklyn Park, Minn.

100 Best--and Worst

The list of "100 Best Companies to Work For in America" (Jan. 23) is not only helpful for job seekers but is also a resource for consumers. A good follow-up might be "100 Worst Companies to Work For." It would steer potential employees away from companies with poor records and, by exposing bad policies, might compel companies to make changes.

Thank you for producing articles with substance.

Taylor M. Honrath Huntington Beach, Calif. Leaders' Choice

Isn't it amazing that all the ten top leaders ("Ten Top Leaders Tell Their Secrets," Dec. 12) picked their own favorite leaders from the military or from politics, not from the corporate world? With more than 100 years of corporate history, one would expect at least one corporate leader who is admired by the top ten of today. Does this show that corporate leadership is still a long way from being an inspiration?

Milind Sarwate CFO, Marico Limited India

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Please include the writer's name, address, and daytime phone number. Letters may be edited for clarity or space. Mail: FORTUNE Letters, Time & Life Building, Rockefeller Center, New York, NY 10020 Fax: 212-522-7686 e-mail: fortunemail_letters@fortunemail.com Letters sent to this e-mail address may appear in these pages or on fortune.com.

 

A Hot Debate

Our special report on climate change ("Cloudy With

a Chance of Chaos," Jan. 23) by Eugene Linden generated several dozen

letters and e-mails. Supporters found it "right on target,"

"persuasive," and "beautifully researched." Dissenters termed

it "hysterical," "biased," "inaccurate," and "not

up to FORTUNE's standards."

This article sounds like an infomercial. Convince me

that warmer and wetter is an unmitigated disaster. Why are milder winters and

longer growing seasons so awful? How about the other side of the story? Quick,

before the sky falls!

Arthur Thompson

Hereford, Ariz.

Global warming is real, but the key question is the

extent of human culpability. Of course we should reduce pollution and avoid

ecological destruction, even without climate change. But if we are powerless to

halt global warming, the winners in the new climate will be the nimble and

adaptable with an eye for opportunities, not those who shut their eyes and dig

in their heels.

Lance Kaczorowski

Fort Wayne

It's refreshing to see the business media cover a topic

that most interests would rather not discuss. This subject deserves more

attention. We must live more efficiently, even if it means consuming less.

Mike Zweifel

Via e-mail

I would add two remedies to your excellent study:

taming the Sahara, the biggest heat producer, and a vegetarian diet prepared

without firewood, which I have been using for 30 years. Both could diminish

climate shock.

Unto U Muukka

Helsinki

Meteorology and climatology have in the past decade

advanced our understanding of the mechanics of climate. Initially we will try

to redress the balance passively, through alternative energy sources. I suggest

that within the next century we will devise active management measures.

Thanks for a thought-provoking article.

Douglas Medlen

Exeter, England

Now how can we get George W. Bush to read it, study it,

and act on it?

Heidi Fiske

New York City