The Brazilian ethanol export market is rapidly expanding because of sky-high oil prices. While American corn ethanol is widely regarded as a boondoggle, existing solely because of government subsidies, Brazilian ethanol has proven beneficial for the environment and for business.

OK, I’ve finally found the bright side to corn-based ethanol: The rising price of corn might drive a stake into the heart of a major cause of obesity in the United States.

Rising food prices and are causing lawmakers in Washington to rethink support for corn ethanol, reports The Wall Street Journal.

According to the WSJ: “Two dozen Republican senators on Friday — including Republican presidential candidate John McCain — asked the Environmental Protection Agency to ease requirements mandated by Congress in 2007 to blend more ethanol and other renewable fuels into the gasoline supply.”