Iola High School

Iola, Kansas

Teacher:  Loretta Arnold

Ethanol:  The Promise of Tomorrow

By:  Jenna Mittelmeier

12^th Grade

Every day our non-renewable energy sources dwindle.  Today’s society, which is terribly dependent on gasoline, is being forced to look into the future to find an alternative method to fill its transportation needs.  The more gasoline that is used, the more the world contributes to pollution and global warming….  Amidst the damage, however, there is hope for tomorrow, and it lies in ethanol.

Ethanol is an alcohol-based compound formed by the fermentation of corn or sugar.  Used as a fuel source, ethanol is clean-burning and renewable.  A ten percent ethanol-gasoline mixture, also known as gasohol, can be used in all American cars to help lower the amount of gasoline consumed. According to the American Coalition for Ethanol, one-third of all gasoline used in America contained this ten percent ethanol mixture in 2004.  America is already on the way to addressing our own energy crisis.

To help promote the formation and distribution of ethanol and other alternative fuel methods, the United States Congress has passed The Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPACT).  The purpose of EPACT is to form incentives for businesses and corporations that use and/or make energy-efficient objects.  In turn, the consumers of these objects receive a tax break simply for their usage.  In this sense, using these devices, including ethanol-efficient cars, is not only good for the environment, but it is good for consumers’ pocket books as well. 

This act encourages citizens at every level to do their part in lowering the consumption of our nation’s fuel, while at the same time it provides personal incentives for those who participate.  However, doing what is right for ethical reasons and doing what is right for personal incentive gains will not be enough to solve our nation’s problem.  If we are to face this nation’s gasoline shortage and make a true difference, action needs to be enforced.

As petroleum wells dry and supplies shorten, an alternative fuel source is essential to allow the American society to prosper.  Ethanol, a very renewable resource, is ideal because it means that the world will highly unlikely be able to run out of it.  In this sense, countries could continue to produce it at whatever rate it was needed until the end of time.

The benefits to ethanol usage are immense.  For starters, ethanol only costs $1.50 per gallon to produce.  Furthermore, it also is not subjected to gasoline taxes placed by the American Federal Government.  Therefore, mixing ethanol and gasoline lowers the price for consumers.  With gas prices soaring, nearly all family finances could use a bit of a break from their large gasoline expenses.

Secondly, ethanol usage is more environmentally-friendly than gasoline.  Ethanol, when added to gasoline, cuts down the amount of pollution and carbon monoxide emitted from motor vehicles.  As a result, it helps to tackle greenhouse emissions in the environment, which are leading causes of global warming.

Although ethanol has its benefits, it also has its downfalls.  The price of building ethanol plants is extremely costly.  On top of these costs, large amounts of corn must be grown so as to not damage the balance of food supplies.  All of this added together equals billions of dollars to even begin the process of using ethanol as a main fuel source.  However, a large scale plan to develop many national plants would lower the start up costs for each plant, and the long term benefits may make the move profitable.

The majority of cars driven in America are also unequipped to handle more than ten percent ethanol.  To date, ethanol-ready vehicles are not entirely affordable to the average citizen.  To make the switch to more ethanol-potent fuel, changes would, thus, have to be made to vehicles across the nation.  This, in turn, would be costly and inconvenient.  But then again, if the nation were to phase in such a movement, the next generation of car owners would find the benefits worthwhile.  Studies show that most Americans buy at least four cars in a lifetime.  If we are to make a move towards an ethanol transition, why wait?  Future generations will be forced to make one change or the other.  Why not begin now?

More than anything else, the hope of a cleaner, more cost-efficient tomorrow lies in the hands of alternative fuel.  To date, despite its downfalls, ethanol seems the most promising step in this direction.  Ethanol is the promise of tomorrow.  America, in turn, must dedicate itself to the production and consumption of ethanol to help preserve the well-being of the world.  We must begin now.

Works Cited

Berman, Bradley. Pros and Cons of Ethanol.  2006. Online. 27 Nov 2006.
<http://www.hybridcars.com/ethanol/benefits-drawbacks.html>.             (Very Informative.  Pro reform bias)

Hannity, Sean. Ethanol Pros and Cons?. 29 Jun 2005. Online. 27 Nov 2006.
<http://www.hannity.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-14622.html>. (Somewhat Informative. Slight anti reform bias)

Osborn, Donna. “Can we grow our way out of an energy crisis?.” Buffalo Reflex. 13 Dec 2006. 13 Dec 2006. <http://www.zwire.com/site/news.  (Somewhat Informative. Slight anti reform bias)

Answers to the Required Reading Questions

1. Gasohol is a byproduct exclusively from ________ and __________ whereas cellulosic ethanol can be produced from agricultural waste such as _________, __________, and ____________.

Gasohol is a byproduct exclusively from gasoline and ethanol.  Ethanol can be produced from agricultural waste such as cornstalks, grasses, and tree bark.

2. 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?

They wanted a break from fuel-economy standards.

3. When were the first cars produced that were capable of using ethanol?

In the early 1900’s with Henry Ford’s Model T’s.

4. In a paragraph, describe Brazil’s experience with ethanol.  What did the Fortune article claim was Brazil’s key to success?

Brazil is perfect for growing sugarcane.  Forty percent of the fuel used in Brazil is ethanol.  They also are able to use fuel from their own country because of this.  Extra energy is used for electricity.  Brazil’s key to success is that consumers are choosing ethanol rather than being forced to buy it.

5.  What is the significance of a yellow gas cap?

They signify that the vehicle is a flex-fuel vehicle.

6.  Describe bio-diesel.

Bio-diesel is a renewable fuel made from alcohol, oils, fats, or greases in which the glycerin has been removed.  It decreases harmful emissions.

7.  Explain the term “flex-fuel engine.”  What American auto manufacturer introduced the first prototype of a flex-fuel engine?

Flex-fuel engines are identical to gasoline-only engines with minor adjustments for use of ethanol.  Ford introduced the first prototype flex-fuel engine.

8.  Trace the progress of H.R. 6 for viewers to our web site.

The bill was was passed by the United States Congress on July 29, 2005, and signed into law on August 8, 2005 by President Bush.

9. What is the purpose of the fuel hybrid vehicle commercialization initiative?

Its purpose is to improve technologies for hybrid/flex-fuel vehicles.

10.  What is the nation’s largest renewable energy resource?

The nation’s largest renewable energy resource is hydroelectricity.

11.  What is the purpose of the Hydrogen Fuel Initiative?

To develop the technology to produce, store, and distribute hydrogen for use in fuel-cell vehicles.

12.  List seven items mentioned in the 2005 energy tax bill that taxpayers can claim as credits against their tax bill.

1)    Construction of energy-efficient offices and homes.

2)    One equaling the cost of energy efficient equipment, if it reduces energy consumption by 50%

3)    Contracting of new efficient homes if the home saves 50% or more over the 2003 International Energy Conservation Code.

4)    Purchasing solar equipment.

5)    Purchasing water heaters, heat pumps, air conditioners, and furnaces with certain efficiency levels.

6)    Manufacturers who produce highly energy-efficient dishwashers, washers, and refrigerators.

7)    Purchasing solar, photo voltaic, and fuel cell properties for use in residences.

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