Ethanol Fuel
Running Head: ETHANOL FUEL
www.ethanol-gec.org
Ethanol Fuel: An Effective Alternative?
Jessica J. Baker
York College Of Pennsylvania
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Ethanol Fuel: An Effective Alternative?
Introduction
Gas prices, they just keep going up, up, up. Is there a way to prevent this? If there is, is
it effective? Is it healthy? Is it more efficient? Better yet, is there a way that we no longer have
to pay the rising cost of gasoline? Well guess what, there is; ethanol.
Ethanol is a colorless, renewable resource also known as ethyl alcohol. It is made of
fermented sugars and starches found in corn that are then separated through a process known as
distillation, or purification through boiling. (Evers, 2008, p.1). When one thinks of ethanol, one
tends to think positive. But is ethanol fuel truly a positive alternative to gasoline? It is true that
there are many positives to using ethyl alcohol, but there are also many negatives and both must
be considered when determining whether ethanol or gasoline is more effective as America’s fuel
source.
A little bit of history
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According to Warren, ethanol has been around for a lot longer than people think. It has
been used as the intoxicating ingredient in alcohol for over 9000 years and has been used as a
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fuel since the 1840s (Seeking Alpha, 2007, para.1). Warren states that ethanol fuel has also been
used for the Indianapolis 500 for almost the entire history of the event. Ethanol was also used
during World War II as a fuel supply for the planes of the United States Navy and Air Force.
Back in the 1950’s gas was referred to as ethyl (short for ethyl alcohol) (para.3). To increase
economic competition in the late 1950’s, companies began to add lead dust to gasoline which
made it much cheaper than ethanol. This was harmful to the environment though because the
lead dust was not consumed in the combustion cycle. Because of this, companies were forced to
begin using ethanol again, but they called it gasohol, which made people unsure about using it in
their vehicles (para.4). After the press released stories that gasohol was ethanol, sales of gasohol
increased rapidly and its sale became a major trade. This also allowed farmers to make their own
fuel for their farm equipment. Government officials disagreed with this practice however, due to
the lost revenue from fuel tax. Therefore, articles were placed in well read journals discussing
the negative effects of gasohol due to the ethyl alcohol used to create it (para.5). This resulted in
a sharp drop of gasohol sales. Because of this, gasoline companies were able to raise their prices
and people continued paying for the gasoline rather than the gasohol due to ethanol’s negative
effects on both their vehicles and the environment (para.6).
The pros of ethanol
There are many of reasons why ethanol is more beneficial than other leading fuels in the
United States. These benefits range from greater job availability to a healthier environment. First
of all, ethanol can be produced from many organic compounds, not only corn. These substances
include, but are not limited to soybeans, vegetables, plants, and switch grass. (Smith, 2007,
para.7).
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Also, the production of ethanol will add many jobs to the United States economy. A
study done in January of 2005 shows that the state of Iowa, which currently has fourteen
operational plants which produce ethanol fuel and nine more underway, has benefitted from the
addition of 5,187 jobs. (Sneller, 2006, para.18). Just imagine how many jobs would open up if
every state had added this many plants to their industry. Not only will job availability increase in
industrial zones, but there will be a greater need for produce, which will increase the demand for
farmers and other agricultural employees (Ethanol Across America, 2008, para.4).
State, government, and personal wealth will also benefit from an increase of ethanol
production.
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The Iowa study showed that once all twenty three plants are under way, “they will contribute
$3.9 billion to the state’s economy” and “$16 million annually in state tax revenues” (Sneller,
2006, para.31). Higher corn prices would result in a $1.4 billion increase to agriculture and save
the government $1billion. An increase in value of $300 million on exports would also result
from the increased grain consumption (Sneller, 2006, para.31). The average American would
benefit as well. The reduction of fuel prices that would take place would save consumers $500 a
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year on average, giving them more spending money which would be put into and increase the
productivity of the American economy (Ethanol Across America, 2008, para.10).
Another benefit from the production of ethanol would be the lowered dependence on
foreign countries by the United States. According to Sneller (2008), “The Financial Times
reported in May 2008 that the U.S. ‘is starting to break its addiction to foreign oil as high prices,
more efficient cars, and the use of ethanol significantly cut the share of its oil imports for the first
time since 1977. The country’s foreign oil dependency is expected to fall from 60 percent to 50
percent in 2015…’ ” (para. 3). Sneller also states that without bio-fuels like ethanol, oil and
gasoline prices would be about 15% higher than what they are now (2008). Although there is not
much difference between the price of gasoline and the price of ethanol, there is a great difference
between the price of diesel fuel and ethanol (Smith, 2007, para.4).
Addison adds one more point. The EPA, or Environmental Protection Agency, stated that
the high oxygen level in ethanol reduces carbon monoxide by 25-30 percent (p.2). Ethanol burns
cleaner than fossil fuels and is capable of lowering carbon dioxide levels in the air (Smith, 2007,
para.8).
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The Cons:
The most obvious negative effect of the usage of ethanol would be the increase of the
price of other corn based items such as candy, soda, and animal feed. (Smith, 2007, para.9). The
prices of these items will increase due to the continuous need for corn used to produce ethanol.
Also, the need for more corn leads to the need for more land which leads to less land to
grow other farm crops on. This, in turn, will lead to an increase of non-ethanol-producing crop
prices (Smith, 2007, para.9). There is already a shortage of farm land which can be used for the
growth of ethanol producing substances like corn. This means that more land will need to be
cleared for farms (Smith, 2007, para.10).
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Not only does the increase in land usage become a problem, but in the case of a natural
disaster like a drought or a flood, all corn crops could be lost, and there would be no production
of ethanol at all, making all that extra land usage a waste (Smith, 2007, para.11).
Another negative of the production of ethanol is that it is actually less productive than
using gasoline. For one, “Current engines, E85 [models] (which use 85% ethanol and 15%
gasoline) provide about 30 percent less fuel economy than gasoline” (Evers, 2008, p.1). Also, it
takes about as much energy to make ethanol as ethanol produces once it is a finished product
(Evers, 2008, p.1). Essentially, there is an energy loss when producing and using ethanol for fuel.
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Also, ethanol is a bigger pollutant than one may think. The plants that produce ethanol
also produce a lot of pollution. According to Lilley (2006), the EPA has found that a majority of
Midwestern ethanol plants have been putting out excessive levels of carbon monoxide, methanol,
toluene, and volatile organic compounds (which are cancer causing compounds) when creating
ethanol gas (p.1). “A single ADM corn processing plant in Clinton, Iowa generated nearly
20,000 tons of pollutants including sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and volatile organic
compounds in 2004, according to federal records”(Lilley, 2006, p.1).
(ADM)
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Besides the plants themselves, the trucks used to transport ethanol (it cannot yet be
transported by underground pipes) produce more pollution than would be saved by switching
from gasoline (Evers, 2008, p.1). according to BBC News, “a computer model set up to
stimulate air quality in 2020 found that in some areas ozone levels would increase if all cars were
run on bio-ethanol” (2007, p.1). This stimulation also showed that there would be an increased
level of smog (BBC News, 2007, p.1).
While these negative effects are harmful to the economy and the environment, the most
negative effect of ethanol usage is its effects on the human population. The production of ethanol
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is just as bad for humans, if not worse, than gasoline. Research shows there would be about 770
more visits to the emergency room, and 990 more hospitalizations because of increased asthma
problems due to increased ozone levels caused by ethanol usage. Also, there would be an
increase of 200 deaths per year due to the increased smog levels (BBC News, 2007, p.1). These
increased ozone levels could lead to inflamed lung tissue which would only worsen asthma
further and weaken the body’s immune system (Osborne, 2007, p.1). About 10,000 premature
deaths occur every year due to ozone levels and if these levels will rise with the use of ethyl
alcohol as fuel, so will the number of premature deaths. Finally, the use of ethanol, raises levels
of formaldehyde and acetaldehyde (two cancer causing compounds) in the air and increased
consumption would be sure to lead to higher cancer rates because of this (Osborne, 2007, p.1).
Conclusion:
While ethanol has its positive qualities, such as a lessened dependency on other countries
for fuel and lower gas prices, it also has negative qualities, such as increased health,
environmental, and economic concerns. From these facts, it can be determined that the usage of
ethyl alcohol for fuel, while effecting the consumer positively at first, would lead to disaster in
the long run and could effectively ruin the United States in three main areas; the strength of the
economy, the stability of the environment, and the health of the nation as a whole.
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References
BBC News. (April 18, 2007). Ethanol Cars May Not Be Healthier. Retrieved October 28, 2008, from
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6563255.stm
A computer model was set up to represent the air quality in 2020 after using ethanol
fuel. The results were pretty clear. The air quality will be terrible. This will result in
more deaths, asthma patients, and cancer patients.
Ethanol Across America. (Fall 2008). Ethanol Economics from Ranch to Restaurant. Retrieved October
23, 2008, from http://www.ethanol.org/pdf/contentmgmt/CFDC_Fall_2008.pdf
Evers, L. (April 4, 2008). Corn Ethanol: Hero or hype? Retrieved October 29, 2008, from
http://www.motherearthnews.com/Green-Transportation/Ethanol-Pros-And-Cons.aspx
Ethanol is not what it is thought to be. It turns out that it will be more expensive, less
efficient and produce more pollutants than gasoline. Also, More areas are going to have
to be cleared out in order to withhold the need for more corn fields.
Addison, K. Ethanol Fuel. Retrieved September 24, 2008, from
http://journeytoforever.org/ethanol.html
Lilley, S. (June 1, 2006). Green Fuel’s Dirty Secret. Retrieved October 29, 2008, from
http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=13646,%20June%201,%202006;
Ethanol plants cause more pollutants than gasoline does. It produces unhealthy toxins
into the air making it unhealthy for the human being to live.
Osborne, H. (April 18, 2007). Scientist Warns Against Ethanol Fuel Drive. Retrieved October 28, 2008,
from http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2007/apr/18/energy.travelandtransport
Seeking Alpha. (November 29, 2007). The Top 10 Ethanol Related Stocks. Retrieved November 3, 2008,
from seekingalpha.com/article/55800-the-eop-10-ethanol-related-sstocks
Smith, S. (July 23, 2007). The Pros and Cons of Ethanol. Retrieved October 28, 2008, from
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/314393/the_pros_and_cons_of_ethanol.html?page
=1&cat=27
Sneller, T. (Spring 2006). Issue Brief: Economic Impacts of Ethanol Production. Retrieved September 24,
2008, from http://www.ethanolacrossamerica.net/CFDC_EconImpact.pdf
Sneller, T. (Summer 2008). Issue Brief: The Impact of Ethanol Production on Food, Feed and Fuel.
Retrieved September 24, 2008, from
http://www.cleanfuelsdc.org/pubs/documents/FoodFeedandFuel08.pdf
Ethanol is going to be good for America. It is going to decrease the independence we
have on other countries. Farmers will be receiving a well deserved raise. Also, although
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ethanol is made from corn, it only uses the part of the corn that is not used for anything
else.
Warren, R. Make Your Own Fuel Ethanol. Retrieved September 24, 2008, from
http://running_on_alcohol.tripod.com/id7.html
Ethanol has been a fuel source within America and other countries for years. It was at
once the main source of fuel, but did not succeed. It has also been used in race cars and
airplanes.
Picture References
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http://www.ethanol-gec.org/E85.jpg
http://www.hoax-slayer.com/images/mexico-drug-money2.jpg
http://media-2.web.britannica.com/eb-media/65/100965-004-EBDB01D0.jpg
http://sequestration.org/images/JC0905-ADM%20aerial%20(75).jpg
http://www.withrowdairy.com/Images%202/Corn.jpg
http://z.hubpages.com/u/256916_f520.jpg