Don't dismiss ethanol's power to cut gas use.

M ike Hudson's column dismissing ethanol was a sadly cynical take on an alternative fuel that Americans can use today to begin reducing our dependence on oil ("Automakers are wasting time by pumping up E85," Aug. 16). He acknowledges that E85 ethanol blend is a cleaner-burning, renewable resource that uses established technology to lower our nation's dependence on oil. Then he rushes to judgment with a short-term view of its challenges, specifically that it can be more expensive and it is harder to find. Actually, he says "you can't buy it anywhere."