Calvert Hall College High School
Towson, Maryland
Teacher: George Kropp
A Brighter, More Fuel-Efficient Future
By: Michael McMonagle
11th Grade
Transportation technology has made great improvements since the colonial horse-drawn carriage. Since the invention of the automobile, gasoline has been the primary fuel source for people worldwide, and it has seemed to be effective enough. More recently, though, questions and problems have arisen which have sparked research into alternative fuels. Global warming becomes an increasing threat to the world’s climate, and the waste released into the air by hundreds of millions of automobiles only exacerbates it. The ongoing crisis in the Middle East threatens America’s oil supply, which comes in great part from that region; not to mention, gas prices have continually risen, greatly deteriorating many people’s budgets.
Luckily, the world is becoming aware of the economic, social, and environmental crisis being caused by our primary fuel. The United States demonstrated this concern and made an attempt to ameliorate the problem with the Energy Policy Act of 2005. By providing monetary incentives to companies and individuals to produce a cheap, less detrimental means of fuel, as well as more efficient energy conservation technologies, the act aims to solve America’s fuel problem on a long-term basis.
With alternative fuel research in full force around the globe, ethanol seems so far to be the most likely successor of gasoline. Production of ethanol is easy, as it can be made from natural resources such as corn and wheat with no need to burn fossil fuels. It can now even be produced from agricultural waste materials like corn stalks. Additionally, use of ethanol is significantly less harmful to the environment than use of gasoline. When produced from corn, it reduces greenhouse gas emissions by about 13 percent. Using more woody plants to create ethanol can help even more, reducing harmful emissions by up to 95 percent over gasoline throughout the entire production process.
Ethanol is a corrosive substance which can be destructive to engines and can cause faulty starts and other minor problems. Creating engines which can effectively utilize ethanol is not a difficult task, however. It has already been done in Brazil, where 1.3 million cars are equipped with “flex-fuel” engines. The benefits of creating and distributing such engines in the United States would significantly outweigh the disadvantages of continued usage of gasoline.
Unfortunately, it will be difficult and will take years for the United States to even get to the point at which Brazil is now in ethanol production and use. Brazil has the advantage of being a major producer of sugar cane, which can be used to produce ethanol. The United States will have to spend billions of dollars to build the necessary biorefineries to produce ethanol, while maintaining our national food supply. It took Brazil years to come up with an effective way to produce and distribute ethanol; and, while we can learn from their nearly self-destructive mistakes, the United States or any other country should not expect it to be much easier.
The notion of alternative fuel is one that demands much consideration, experimentation, contemplation, and debate. It is a complex issue, each option with its own benefits and disadvantages. It seems necessary to me that the United States develops a cheaper and less detrimental fuel for its automobiles. The elevated gas prices allow less of Americans’ income to be used for other commodities and necessities which contribute more to the national economy. People need to be able to spend money on a wide array of things and should not be forced to focus a significant part of their spending on gasoline. Depending on income, these lofty prices reduce the quality of living for many Americans. The continued crisis in the Middle East induces the fear that a great deal of our supply of oil will be discontinued. Many Americans fear that the country’s, if not the world’s, oil supply will soon be exhausted. Unlike the materials used to produce ethanol and other alternative fuels, oil is not a renewable resource. The United States is indeed consuming oil faster than it is being harvested, and there is no way to augment the production of oil. Therefore, as the popularity of cars increases, the depletion of the oil supply nears.
Putting a new fuel into widespread use in the United States will undoubtedly cost a lot of money, but the end will justify the means. Continuation of gasoline use arouses too many problems and concerns – problems and concerns which would be eliminated, or at least alleviated, with the use of an alternative fuel. Most of the options for alternative fuels seem promising and certainly no more harmful to the environment than gasoline. The use of alternative fuels will probably help the environment, and will definitely cost Americans less money and have the benefit of being able to be renewed. The Energy Policy Act has initiated the search for effective alternative fuels and energy sources; hopefully, nationwide action will soon be taken to improve the economic, social, and environmental issues brought about by our continued use of gasoline.
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 _woodchips___, _cornhusks__ and __switch grass__.
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?
- Flex-fuel engines allowed vehicles to benefit from the use of ethanol before it became a primary fuel. Also, the effectiveness of ethanol tends to vary with conditions, as it sometimes causes faulty starts on cold mornings, for example. Flex-fuel allowed car owners to avoid this, while still getting their fuel cheaper than they would if they were using gasoline only.
Q3- When were the first cars produced that were capable of using ethanol?
- The first cars capable of using ethanol were produced in 1979.
Q4- In a paragraph, describe Brazil’s experience with ethanol. What did the Fortune article claim was Brazil’s key to success?
- Brazil has successfully made ethanol a widely used fuel. Its conversion from gasoline to ethanol was not smooth, however. Originally, the military dictators of Brazil tried to “force” ethanol use upon Brazilians. This, along with a drought in the 1990s, almost destroyed the market for ethanol. The development of flex-fuel came along and saved the industry though. The key to Brazil’s success today is that Brazilians are willingly using ethanol and are not being forced.
Q5- What is the significance of a yellow gas cap?
- Yellow gas caps are being distributed by GM to vehicles capable of using E85, and 85% ethanol mixture. The distribution is a marketing campaign designed to draw attention to the energy saving fuel method.
Q6- Describe bio-diesel.
- Bio-diesel is a processed fuel derived from natural sources. It is effectively equivalent to diesel and can be used in vehicles equipped with diesel engines.
Q7- Explain the term “flex-fuel engine”. What American auto manufacturer introduced the first prototype of a flex-fuel engine?
- A flex-fuel engine is an engine which can run on either gasoline or ethanol at the driver’s will. It was introduced in America by Henry Ford in his Model T’s.
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 introduced to the House of Representatives on April 18th 2005 and to the Senate on June 9th 2005. It passed on April 21st, 2005 in the House, and on June 28th, 2005 in the Senate. Final debates took place and it was finally passed on July 28th and 29th, 2005 by the House and the Senate, respectively. It was presented to the President on August 4th 2005, and signed by him on August 8th.
Q9- What is the purpose of the fuel hybrid vehicle commercialization initiative? - It is designed to promote and improve hybrid vehicle technologies.
Q10- What is the nation's largest renewable energy resource? - The largest renewable energy resource in the United States is hydroelectric dams.
Q11- What is the purpose of the Hydrogen Fuel Initiative? – The Hydrogen Fuel Initiative hopes to reduce America’s growing dependence on foreign oil by developing technology needed to commercialize effective hydrogen-powered fuel cells.
Q12- List seven items mentioned in the 2005 energy tax bill that taxpayers can claim as credits against their tax bills.
1. Hybrid gas-electric cars or small trucks
2. Energy-efficient dishwashers, washing machines, and refrigerators
3. Solar water heating appliances or other such energy-efficient appliances
4. Tax deduction equaling the cost of the energy saving equipment if it cuts the consumption in half
5. Provides $2.7 billion in production tax credits to encourage the production of clean renewable energies
6. Tax credits for contractors that build new energy efficient homes
7. Purchasing solar, photovoltaic, and fuel cell properties for use in residences
Referenced Websites
http://www.eia.doe.gov/oil_gas/natural_gas/analysis_publications/natbro/gasprices.htm (informative, unbiased)
http://www.livescience.com/environment/060126_ethanol_better.html (very informative, unbiased)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_Policy_Act_of_2005 (very informative, unbiased)
http://www.epa.gov/otaq/consumer/fuels/altfuels/altfuels.htm (very informative, somewhat biased toward reform)