Corn Ethanol: The Future Fuel? Essay

Corn can be used to create a fuel from corn pellets called ethanol.This colorless liquid can be added to gasoline to reduce the amount of gasoline burned. This can reduce the amount of pollution used by cars. It states in paragraph 2 on page 1,”Shelled corn can be dried and formed into pellets.”.These pellets can be burned

Growing corn for ethanol could be beneficial for the economy by providing more jobs as needed on the farms. The farmers would have to purchase more farm equipment which would boost our economy even more. Plus the fact that the US could cut out the middle man or the need to import ethanol from other countries; thus, keeping money inside our country and not giving it all away to other countries. This all looks good on paper for the economy but when it comes to the environmental side of things scientist seem to think there is more of a downside to this. I can see where the ethanol use as fuel from corn would be of great importance to the environment as it would cut out the need for the bad emissions released by straight gasoline.

First, the production of corn ethanol negatively impacts the U.S. food supply. That is, within the last few years, there has been a decline in corn-based food. As Kripke notes, “In 2008, the USDA estimate that 3.1 million bushels of U.S. corn will be used to produce biofuels. That’s an increase of nearly 50 percent over 2.1 million bushels last year.”

Ethanol did not become such a staple addition to gasoline until the 1970s due to fuel shortage scare. Its use became even more prevalent in the early 2000s with the increase in global warming awareness. The Renewable Fuels Association reports that the United States alone produced over 15 billion gallons of ethanol, a 14 billion gallons increase from its production in 1999 (Industry Statistics, 2017). While ethanol is a clean energy when use, however, its production is not quite as clean clean as it appears to be. Ethanol is considered renewable since the heartland of the United States grows so much corn annually to supply the plant. The corn growing process is quite damaging to the environment. Farming equipment runs on diesel fuel, which directly contributes to the greenhouse gas production. The use of fertilizer and insect repellent chemical is harmful to soil and atmosphere. The transportation of crops relies heavily on semi-tractors that still heavily rely on fossil fuel, thus exacerbate the problem. Not to mention that ethanol plants require electricity primarily generated by coal-fired power plants since it is much more efficient and a lot cheaper. All these factors contribute to the global warming problem, the very problem that ethanol is supposed to

To start with, the lecturer debunks the author's first conjecture since ethanol removes carbon dioxide from the atomsphere. To elaborate in detail, the lecturer claims that although ethanol releases carbon dioxide as known as greenhouse gas, ethanol is made from plants such as corns. so the process of growing corns actually counteracts the release of the gas. This view is in direct opposition to the author's claim that ethanol is harmful as gasoline.

Second, using some plants like corn which are utilized as sources of ethanol leads to a reduction in food product, because many people cannot use these

Not only is Ethanol “a renewable energy source that can be produced domestically by using a wide range of agricultural crops,” but under this act was the Renewable Fuel Standard, which “is a federal program that requires transportation fuel sold in the United States to contain a minimum volume of renewable fuels,” Ethanol is apart of and therefore becomes much more useful than fossil fuels. On top of creating the Renewable Fuel Standard, the act also “lifted the oxygenate requirement for reformulated gasoline, allowing refiners to produce gasoline without an oxygenate, provided that gasoline continues to meet Clean Air Act standards. Oxygenates, such as ethanol or MTBE, are added to reformulated gasoline to make the fuel burn cleaner and produce fewer tailpipe emissions.” While Ethanol production had been increasing, it wasn’t until about 2005 when production growth for Ethanol, and therefore the corn being used for Ethanol, began to grow much quicker. (Graph

Corn, also called maize, is mainly grown throughout North and South America. Maize ranks third in world production following wheat and rice (Olaniyan, 2015). “In the United States, maize is a principal feedstock for ethanol production and is expected to contribute approximately 42% of the target annual use of biofuels in the country by 2022” (Woli & Paz, 2015) Its high consumer use has driven a large

In a time of energy crisis and a subsequent search for a renewable replacement for crude oil, biofuels have arisen as a source of hope.   Currently, the largest source of biofuels in the United States is corn-based ethanol. The large scale of corn-ethanol production and the potential promise of finding a domestic, reliable source of energy, requires the fuel’s viability as a replacement for crude oil to be evaluated.  However, there is debate surrounding corn-based ethanol’s environmental, economic, and social impacts. The scientists and governments who support the development of biofuels claim that it will not only provide a new and sustainable source of energy but also that it will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and is therefore better for the environment. However, although corn-based ethanol continues to harbor support from the United States government, environmentalists argue that ethanol is not substantially better for the environment, especially when the effects of its production are taken into account.  Also, while some larger farms profit from ethanol production, it places economic stress upon smaller farms and the agricultural industry and leads to higher food prices that are a great detriment to those living at the level of subsistence.  Therefore, in order to produce energy-efficient, environmentally-friendly fuel, the United States must work towards developing cellulosic biofuels and those produced by microbes as they have fewer consequences than corn-based

Energy can be produced from electrical, mechanical, and some forms of living organisms, among others. Different types of energy production may have specific advantages and disadvantages, weather those concerns are environmental, economical, or political. While the function of biofuels has potential for abating some concerns, other concerns arise from the use of biofuels. Industrialized nations seem to be leading the production as well as the consumption of all energy resources, including biofuels.

Since the invention of the internal combustion engine, car makers and consumers have been filling the gas tank with just that, gasoline. Starting out with leaded gasoline then slowly switching to unleaded gas in the late 1960s until catalytic converters, a new auto part which can only run on unleaded, were made mandatory in 1975. However over the past couple decades there have been a new contender in the fuel marketplace to power consumers’ cars. Ethanol is defined in World Book Student as “a type of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages and used as an automobile fuel” (Sheehan 1). Sometimes called ethyl alcohol or grain alcohol, has been an additive to gasoline since its introduction. The purpose was to reduce dependence on foreign oil,

Biofuels, like fossil fuels are hydrocarbons made from a living or once lived organism that humans can use to power something and uses biological carbon fixation, a process that takes inorganic carbon and converts it into organic compounds (Wikipedia). However, unlike fossil fuels, which can take millions of years to form, biofuels are produced in a short period of time such as days, weeks, or months.

Ethanol is a good alternative fuel but there is negative things that come with it. Ethanol requires a bunch of corn, barley, and wheat to make (Meyers, 2014). Which in turn could be used to feed starving people all over the world. Using corn, barley, and wheat hinders food availability and even the prices of the food. The new York times has stated that using ethanol actually decreases gas mileage. Ethanol gives you 2-3 miles less than normal gasoline (West, 2014). Ethanol can also break down faster than normal gasoline. Meaning that ethanol can cause rust of the car engine. Making ethanol can actually pollute the air a bunch because of all the gasoline it requires to power the tractors and machines that gather the required material to make it. Ethanol has negative impacts on our environment but overall it has more positives then negatives and makes a good alternative fuel.

Finding the most effective fuel could solve a global issue and debate about which is better to use. Biofuels refers to materials that are recently dead and can be used as a gaseous fuel, a solid, or a liquid. Biofuels are also known as the nonrenewable fuels. On the other hand, agro fuels are derived from specific crops and are also known as the renewable fuels. In conclusion, I will be testing multiple types of fuels to compare my own results on a global energy issue.

Over time there has been a growing focus towards the environmental consequences that the world faces at present due to the constant global use of fossil fuels. Increasing fuel prices and the high cost of fuel imports have caused the issue of depleting Crude Oil supplies to become a global concern. Determining whether Biofuels deliver benefits over fossil fuels requires thorough investigation into factors such as direct and indirect inputs and outputs for their full production and life cycles. Throughout this report current and well supported public data will be presented on focusses covering; fuel prices, production plant efficiencies, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and other environmental effects.