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http://energybulletin.net/21064.html

Ethanol from Brazil and the USA
by Milton Maciel

Since the beginning of the present boom of corn ethanol production in the United States, Brazilian success with its ethanol from sugar cane has been cited as an example of how the USA could get free from its oil imports (mainly from Middle East) by substituting ethanol for gasoline. This would be corn ethanol.

Well, I’m an organic sugar cane farmer and ethanol expert in Brazil. And I think it is my duty to tell my American readers and friends that this comparison is not so simple or straightforward. This would be, indeed, comparing mangoes and apples.

There are two points to consider: First, the immense difference between the two economies and their respective rates of consumption. And, second, the yield and ERoEI differences (net energy, or Energy Returned on Energy Invested) between tropical sugar cane and temperate corn...........

This article goes on to explain in depth why citing the successes of Brazil's use of ethanol, as a model of what the US can do with corn ethanol, is an erroneous assumption. Look at the info, its clear to see.