Pros and Cons of Ethanol Biofuel

Ethanol provides an intriguing alternative fuel source that some feel is, at least, a partial solution to the United States' current energy crisis. Although estimates vary, most experts agree that the world will run out of fossil fuels. In The Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight, author Thom Hartmann places this estimate at about 50 years. Because of this, the search for alternative fuel sources is more important than it ever has been at any other point in human history. Is ethanol biofuel a good alternative? In order to answer this question, one must evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of ethanol.

Ethanol Basics

Ethanol is produced from plant matter. The plant matter is broken down into simple sugars and starches and then fermented and distilled into alcohol. Corn, sugar cane, barley, and sunflowers are all common plants used in ethanol production.

Many large farms in the Midwest have planted all or part of their land area to take advantage of the government subsidies which are offered for corn production to supply the ethanol production needs. Ethanol companies are being established throughout the corn-producing areas of the Midwest. In fact, according to Reuters, ethanol subsidies in the United States were $7.7 billion in 2009. In 2010, ethanol production accounted for 41 percent of the American corn crop and 15 percent of corn crops worldwide.

Ethanol can be used in all cars in low concentrations, such as 10% ethanol. It can be used in specialized cars, trucks and minivans known as "flexible fuel vehicles" in concentrations up to 85% ethanol - commonly called "E85."

Fuel stations in the Midwest, Minnesota and Illinois are offering E85 fuel, often at lower prices per gallon than traditional unleaded fuel.

Ethanol Biofuel Pros and Cons

There is a lot of controversy on the ethanol biofuel. The controversy centers on several issues:

The cost to taxpayers for ethanol subsidies
The cost of ethanol per mile for the consumer. Some experts contend that ethanol is more expensive per mile than a gallon of gasoline. Their opinion is based on two factors:
- Ethanol contains less energy per gallon than a gallon of gasoline. A car will not go as far on a gallon of ethanol as it would on a gallon of gasoline.
- Ethanol is often more expensive than gasoline if the ethanol is purchased outside of the Midwest.
Environmental concerns focused especially on admissions in the ethanol production process.
The amount of net emission savings. Some experts feel that emissions caused by the use of petroleum-based fuels to farm the corn and produce the ethanol may be greater than the emissions saved using ethanol as an alternative fuel. This controversy will remain until:
- There are more usage emission statistics in a wider geography.
- There are more statistics on production emissions.
- The usage and production emission statistics are recorded over a longer period of time.

Pros

According to the American Coalition for Ethanol, this type of fuel offers several benefits, including:

Renewable: Ethanol is a renewable fuel that comes from agricultural crops. It takes only six months to grow and harvest a crop such as corn which can be converted to ethanol.
No special vehicle needed: Ethanol can be used by all gasoline vehicles in the United States in concentrations up to about 10%. With slight alterations, former gasoline vehicles can run on ethanol blends as high as 85%. Ethanol provides lower vehicle emissions without the need to purchase a hybrid vehicle.
Reduces fossil fuel imports: The use of ethanol can reduce the use of gasoline. A reduction in the use of gasoline reduces some of the dependence on foreign powers for fossil fuels.
Reduces air pollution: Ethanol reduces the amount of carbon monoxide and other ground-level toxic air pollutants as compared to conventional unleaded gasoline by about 10 to 30 percent. It has also reduced smog forming emissions by about one quarter since 1990.
Domestic: Crops such as corn and sugar cane can be grown and produced into ethanol in the United States.
Cost-effective production: Ethanol is relatively inexpensive to process.
Boosts effectiveness of gasoline: Ethanol can help prevent engine knocking, and it increases gasoline's lubricity.
Supports rural economies: Ethanol production increases jobs due to plant construction, operations, and maintenance. Most ethanol plants are in rural communities.
Increases local and state tax revenue: The American Coalition for Ethanol estimates production will increase local and state tax revenue by about $1.2 million per year.

Cons

Many disadvantages also exist with ethanol production and use, including:

Greenhouse gas emission: While ethanol use is beneficial for the environment, an article in BioScience suggests that the greenhouse gasses emitted during production of the fuel cancels out that effect.
Sustainability: According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, many of the crops grown for ethanol are not done so in a sustainable manner, resulting in habitat destruction and loss of valuable food supply resources.
Land use: Ethanol requires significant use of land resources to grow enough crops for production. Many experts express concern this could take away from food supply.
Price: Ethanol can be more expensive than conventional gasoline on the West Coast and East Coast.
Energy level: Ethanol contains less energy than gasoline. A car won't go as far on a gallon of ethanol as it would on a gallon of conventional gasoline. The actual miles per gallon performance may vary depending on the vehicle.
Availability: Ethanol does not have nationwide distribution. E85 is widely available only in the Midwest, with limited availability in other areas of the United States.
Energy-intensive production: Corn farming and corn-based ethanol production can use nearly as much energy to produce as it supplies. New technologies are being introduced and are improving the efficiency of production.

The Perfect Solution

While ethanol is far from perfect, it is one solution that can play a role in reducing reliance on fossil fuels. However, it is very likely it is not the entire solution. Currently, no ideal replacement exists for the rapidly diminishing supply of fossil fuels, which are a finite resource. Because of this, research remains ongoing as energy companies seek to find a balance of technologies to meet the growing needs of a fossil-fuel reliant population.