Elevated Food Prices

• Converting corn into ethanol has reduced the existing supply of the crop that was heading into the world's food markets. Because land that was in use for cultivating other crops besides corn has also been diverted to ethanol production, supplies of many different crops have dwindled, with an increase in food prices. While this has not had much of an effect on U.S. food prices as of 2011, in countries like Egypt and Mexico, shortages in staples have led to riots.
  
  

Fire Safety Risks

• Every traditional gas station has a myriad of signs asking drivers to turn off their cars and refrain from smoking because of the fire hazards associated. Ethanol is just as flammable as other fuels, but there are two factors in an ethanol fire that don't apply to other fuels. The flame of burning ethanol is just about impossible to see. Also, water won't put out an ethanol flame -- it just absorbs into it, like a sponge. A special foam is necessary to keep the ethanol vapors from spreading.
  
  

Risks for Marine Engines

• Even at a 10 percent concentration (E10), ethanol can pose several hazards for boat engines. If you've put gas in your boat, and the boat will sit for longer than three months, you're looking at the possibility of your fuel separating out. Also, ethanol attracts water, and so it can bring water into the gas tank of your boat. Water in your gas line can ruin your engine.
  
  

Role as a Solvent

• Ethanol is also an efficient solvent -- rubber, plastic and other surfaces will wear away over time. This can wear away seals at crucial points in your car's fuel system. While this damage is minimal with the use of E10, current EPA waivers to permit E15 for use in cars mean that the likelihood of damage to those parts of your engine will increase.