We can't do one without the other. We can't choose ethanol without choosing at the same time to cut down on our consumption and to improve our energy efficiency.
Generally speaking, research is carried out by industry. Independent researchers are few and far between. You probably know Mr. Patzek who teaches at the University of California in Berkeley and who stated that, if one were to add all the activities required to produce grain corn -- ground tilling, fertilizer making and spreading, pesticides made from all the molecules, harvesting, transportation, processing and distribution -- taking into account the low energy efficiency of ethanol since we know that 1 litre of gas is equal to 1.5 liter of ethanol, the end result would be 6 units of energy used to produce 1 liter of ethanol. He's not saying you would need 6 L to produce 1 but 6 units of energy.
Other researchers have come to similar conclusions. Dr. Pimentel of Cornell University has concluded that you need 29% more energy to produce 1 litre of ethanol than what ethanol would give you afterwards because ethanol, which is an alcohol, is not very efficient.
What do you think of those independent studies compared to studies carried out by researchers who are more in agreement with industry?