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Is corn the new golden child of fuel sources?
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Ethanol, the corn based alternative to straight gasoline, has often been heralded as the next generation of fuels. With congress funneling $1.4 billion into the industry, Washington steadfastly supports the growing market. Many critics, however, believe ethanol is worse than regular gasoline for the environment.
Ethanol is used to extend the amount of oil used per tank of gas. It also limits the carbon emissions vehicles create. Currently much of the ethanol produced goes into what is called E10, which translates to 10 percent ethanol for 90 percent gasoline. This product is widely used in heavily oil-reliant states such as California. The Berkeley Daily Planet reported, “Nearly every gas tank in California has some ethanol in it.”
Now congress is pushing to make E85, an ethanol fuel alternative which contains 85 percent ethanol, standard across the country. While having the benefit of lowering our crude oil use to only 15 percent of what we typically put in our cars, the move has critics in many different fields.
Economists argue that ethanol cannot be produced cheaply enough to remain competitive on its own. “It’s popular now because the government gives a huge subsidy to produce it. It’s not competing on a level playing field,” Ernest Angino, Kansas University geology professor, said. Subsidies cover nearly one dollar for every gallon of ethanol produced.
David Pimentel, author of the book, “Ethanol Fuels: Energy Balance, Economics, and Environmental Impacts are Negative,” writes that, “Ethanol is not cost-effective and requires large government subsidies and mandates. A gallon of ethanol costs $2.24 to produce compared to 63 cents per gallon for gasoline.” In addition to this, using corn as a fuel source has driven up the price for food use as well.
Others criticize the environmental effects. Recently, a study done by Cornell University and the University of California-Berkeley found that ethanol uses more fossil fuels in its production than it replaces. Researchers believe that the amount of oil used by farm machines and in processing as well as the pesticides and insecticides used in the growing process make the costs associated with synthesizing ethanol outweigh the environmental benefits of using the corn based alcohol.
Many consumers are worried about the use of ethanol in their cars. Using more than a 10 percent solution of ethanol voids car warranties from companies such as Honda and Toyota. This is because ethanol has an octane rating of about 116. “Octane rating and performance are inverse,” Boise State professor and special lecturer Mike McCormick said. “Octane rating [is] resistant to burning. Ethanol does not burn as well as standard gasoline,” McCormick said.
Since ethanol burns at a hotter temperature than regular gasoline an engine is forced to channel more heat. Most engines manufactured at this point in time aren’t built to specifications necessary to handle the increased strain of the higher temperatures.
This doesn’t mean ethanol can be completely ruled out. “You just have to reengineer your car to [accept] ethanol,” McCormick said. McCormick does, however, believe ethanol is not the best fuel alternative. “I think most of the data points now show it’s not an effective use of energy.” He advocates the use of hydrogen gas. “[It's] a very renewable resource and it only produces water as a byproduct.”
However, Honda and Toyota have both made major breakthroughs in ethanol research. In the last quarter of 2006 both car companies released cars in Brazil that can run on any mixture of gasoline and ethanol from 20-100 percent ethanol. Honda also claims its cars’ performance and fuel efficiency to be equivalent to that of a 100 percent gasoline powered car. Brazil utilizes much more ethanol than the U.S. because sugar cane, another source of the biofuel, can be found in such abundance in the area.
In Boise you can only find E85 at the stinker station on Main. BSU has helped spearhead the region’s alternative fuel availability. “We are currently a sponsor level member in [the] Treasure Valley Clean City Coalition. We have donated money to get [the station] implemented to have one close by,” Environmental Health Specialist & Sustainability Coordinator Sarah Cordova said. “We have one electric vehicle and 12 that use E85.”
BSU is largely involved in changing the area’s energy source and uses. “We’ve made great strides trying to [modify] cars to use biofuels,” Cordova said. There is also research being done through John Gardner’s office. “We’re looking at different ways of producing ethanol.” Some of the research looks at using sources such as potato waste or switch grass so as not to inflate the food industry. “Whatever fuel source we use we want it to be in a sustainable fashion.”
Ethanol may not be the panacea for all carbon emission concerns, but it is a step in the right direction.
With more research done into the production coupled with other fuel-saving or gasoline alternatives, it has potential to help battle excessive greenhouse gas discharge. Consumers can help by buying alternate-fuel or hybrid vehicles. Before using ethanol as a fuel, however, drivers should make sure that their car is able to process the gasohol properly and their warranty covers its use. Public transit and riding a bike rather than driving improves the situation as well. With more research, funding and vehicle owner involvement, we can break fossil fuel dependency.
MATT ALMEIDA
BizTech Writer
