Ethanol Oil
There is a heated battle being played out not only in the USA but other parts of the world. It is the ethanol oil debate, and the subject has never been hotter than it is right now. Oil is of course the petroleum derived substance currently used to power vehicles and heat homes. Ethanol is a plant derived alcohol based fuel many are proposing as a solution to the current gasoline crisis and a help to the environment. With such a big focus on 'going green' it's no wonder ethonal is such a noteworthy topic of discussion and debate.
Some people think using ethanol for fuel takes corn away from the food supply. They are concerned that by producing more ethanol food will be diminished for the people of the world. While this is a legitimate concern others have raised an alternative called cellulose. Cellulose is the material that makes up stems and husks. It is inedible for human consumption (other than, for example, the use of psyllium husk in a natural laxative.) The corn itself is preserved for human and animal consumption and the byproduct is used to make ethanol.
In current society, ethanol is used primarily as an additive to gasoline. The average ratio might be something like 75 percent gas and 25 percent ethanol. The benefits of adding this plant based substance to gasoline include cleaner burning and less polluting emissions. Of course there are downsides as well, which some say include lowered gas mileage and difficulty starting in cold climates. Anyone considering ethonal should definitely do plenty of research and think about how it would fit into their driving lifestyle.
Rather than becoming embroiled in the ethanol oil issue as a supporter either way, you could try this form of plant based alternative fuel as an additive and see if you like it. What is right for one driver is not going to be right for another. Whether ethanol is a good fuel or fuel additive for you depends upon the current MPG of your vehicle, your fuel budget and your level of concern for the environment. All of these factors should be considered before choosing or rejecting ethanol. There is certainly plenty of information online, on television news programs and in news publications regarding the use of ethanol as a fuel substance.
People & Power - Ethanol & Bio-fuels - 17 Sep 07 - Part 1
| Record ethanol production helps Iowa economy SHELL ROCK --- Ethanol plants statewide produced a record amount of fuel last year, pumping up Iowas economy, according to a report released this past week... | ||
Ethanol's food-fuel dilemma - CNNMoney
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Genetically Engineered Stomach Microbe Converts Seaweed into Ethanol Seaweed may well be an ideal plant to turn into biofuel. It grows in much of the two thirds of the planet that is underwater, so it wouldn't crowd out food crops the way corn for ethanol does. Because it draws its own nutrients and water from the sea, it requires no fertilizer or irrigation. Most importantly for would-be biofuel-makers, it contains no lignin--a strong strand of complex sugars ... | ||
The cost of ethanol - Financial Post
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Is Cellulosic Ethanol The Loch Ness Monster Of Biofuel? - ThomasNet Industrial News Room
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