Burlington High School
Burlington, Kansas
Teacher: Devra Parker
Fuel Alternatives: Organic Ways of Changing Our Economy
By: Bradley Dunlop
Senior, 12th grade
Change--it is a very powerful concept. It is the main reason why this beautiful country we live in is so great. Right now we are dealing with immense oil problems, and we are paying for it everyday at the pump. To cope with this enormous crisis, we are beginning to [move] away from the use of gasoline. To do this we are amazingly using corn; that is right—corn--who would have ever guessed that? Ethanol fuels could now play a huge role in how powerful and magnificent this country is in the near future.
Finding alternative fuels has become a bigger and bigger issue worldwide. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 is largely credited [for] helping [citizens] become more aware of this issue. This Energy Policy Act is a statute which was passed by the United States Congress on July 29, 2005. It was later signed into law on August 8, 2005 at the Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, New Mexico. This law is an attempt to combat growing energy problems, provide tax incentives supply and loan guarantees for energy production of assorted types.
Among all of these alternative fuels, ethanol reigns supreme from the rest. Ethanol, also known as ethyl alcohol or grain alcohol, is a flammable, colorless, mildly toxic chemical compound with a distinctive perfume-like odor. It is also the alcohol found in alcoholic beverages. In common usage, it is often just referred to simply as alcohol.
The use of ethanol started long before many might think. Ethanol was first…used [in]…Henry Ford’s Model T’s…. Brazilians have been driving on ethanol since 1979. The Brazilians are so successful at using ethanol because they choose to use it without being forced to use it. To produce it, Brazil uses sugar cane; this is the most energy-rich ethanol…that is known to mankind up to this day….
If we--America--were ever to go to ethanol like the Brazilians did, it would be a long and slow process for a couple of…reasons. One major reason it would be hard to switch over is we have very few cars that can take E85 ethanol. Also, out of 170,000 gas stations, only 587 sell E85.
However, one automobile giant is launching a huge campaign to draw attention to their E85 ready cars and trucks. This super giant is GM, and its yellow cap campaign shows promise for ethanol use. The purpose of this yellow cap project is to bring attention to their new vehicles and to show their support in the use of ethanol.
These new cars boast a new concept engine called a flex-fuel engine. A flex-fuel engine is an engine that can either run off gasoline or another source. Most of the time that source is ethanol. However, some cars have a separate tank for natural gas, so they can use gasoline or switch over to gasoline. This is another reason why Brazil is succeeding in the ethanol era. They have the ability to switch to whatever fuel source is cheaper because they are using the flex-fuel engine.
Although ethanol sounds foolproof, it does have its down side. One of these drawbacks is that it is known to be very hard to start on those cold winter mornings. Also, it is very corrosive to the pipes and the engine itself. Another…concern is getting [ethanol] it into gas stations. Refining…ethanol will…take many years and a great deal of money to [make it readily available.
However, positives easily outweigh the negatives when it comes to ethanol and other alternative fuels. A major plus is that cornhusks and sugar cane are renewable sources. Also, they are environmentally friendly; they would not give off nearly as much pollution as petroleum. If we swapped over to an alternative source then that could mean that we may never have to depend on the Middle East for oil again.
Thus, I think it would be in our nation’s best interest to slowly start to wean ourselves from the dependence on foreign oil and onto ethanol. Also, as I stated before, it would also be great for the environment in several different ways. Hopefully, we can learn form Brazil…and apply it ourselves here at home…. We could finally depend on ourselves and nobody else, to refine our fuel to keep us the great country we are today.
Questions
Based
on
Required
Reading
Q1- Gasohol is a byproduct exclusively from corn and sugar cane whereas cellulosic ethanol can be produced from agricultural waste such as prairie switch grass, wood chips and corn husks.
Q2- Why did auto makers produce cars that could operate using ethanol as well as gasoline before there was an adequate number of service stations that could provide
ethanol?
Auto makers calmly started to add the flex-fuel feature to get relief from fuel- economy standards.
Q3- When were the first cars produced that were capable of using ethanol?
Brazilians have driven some cars that run exclusively on ethanol since 1979.
Q4- In a paragraph, describe Brazil’s experience with ethanol. What did the Fortune article claim was Brazil’s key to success?
The key to Brazil's success is that consumers are choosing ethanol rather than being forced to buy it. Brazil's military dictators tried the latter approach in the 1970s and early 1980s, by offering tax breaks to build mills, ordering state-owned oil company Petrobras to sell ethanol at gas stations, and regulating prices at the pump. This bullying--and cheap oil in the 1990s--nearly killed the market for ethanol until flex-fuel came along.
Q5- What is the significance of a yellow gas cap?
It is a campaign drawing attention to E85 and its E85-ready cars and trucks like the Chevy Avalanche.
Q6- Describe bio-diesel.
A biofuel produced through transesterification, a process in which organically- derived oils are combined with alcohol (ethanol or methanol) in the presence of a catalyst to form ethyl or methyl ester.
Q7- Explain the term “flex-fuel engine”. What American auto manufacturer introduced the first prototype of a flex-fuel engine?
Flex-fuel engines allow the driver to either use ethanol or gasoline. The first American auto manufacturer to introduce a flex-fuel engine was ford.
Q8- Trace the progress of H.R. 6 for viewers to our web site. (dates introduced, amended, pass or rejected) http://www.eei.org/industry_issues/electricity_policy/federal_legislation/index.htm
It was signed by President Bush on August 8th, 2005. Then Congressman Russ Carnahan voted against the act. However it passed with 275 in favor, and 156 opposed in the House of Representatives.
Q9- What is the purpose of the fuel hybrid vehicle commercialization initiative?
The program is intended to reduce petroleum consumption by bringing new clean technologies to the market faster
Q10- What is the nation's largest renewable energy resource?
Hydroelectric dams are the nation’s largest renewable energy source and account for 7 percent of America’s electricity supply
Q11- What is the purpose of the Hydrogen Fuel Initiative?
The purpose is to develop the technology to produce, store, and distribute hydrogen for use in fuel-cell vehicles.
Q12- List seven items mentioned in the 2005 energy tax bill that taxpayers can claim as credits against their tax bills.
1) Tax credits for the contractors of new energy efficient homes if the homes achieve an energy savings of 50 percent or more over the 2003 International Energy Conservation Code.
2) Tax credits for the purchase of water heaters, heat pumps, air conditioners, furnaces and other equipment that achieve certain efficiency levels when purchased for residential properties.
3) A new tax credit for manufacturers who produce highly energy-efficient dishwashers, clothes washers, and refrigerators.
4) 30 percent tax credit for the purchase of solar, photovoltaic and fuel cell properties for use in residences.
5) Offers businesses and consumers tax credits for the purchase of alternative- fuel and hybrid vehicles.
6) Provides 30 percent credit for investments in alternative fuel refueling stations.
7) Provides $2.7 billion in production tax credits to encourage the production of clean renewable energies for wind, closed- loop biomass, geothermal, small irrigation power, landfill gases, and trash combustion.
Works Cited Back
www.wikipedia.com
(very informative) neither pro or anti
http://www1.eere.energy.gov/biomass/ethanol.html
(somewhat informative) very pro reform bios
http://www.eere.energy.gov/afdc/altfuel/ethanol.html
(somewhat informative) very pro reform bias
http://healthandenergy.com/ethanol.htm
(very informative) very pro reform bias