Cars: “We Shouldn't Become Vegetarians, Yet.”

Gas prices are rising and due to the conflicts in the oil-rich regions of the world, they don’t show any sign of coming back down. In response we humans began to do what we always do when our resources begin to look scarce, improvise and invent. So we begin to devise new ways for automotives to use less of our precious fuel and begin to switch to cleaner alternative fuel. Thus the idea of ethanol is born and with it we hope to find the answers of our fuel crisis. However, despite the growing popularity of ethanol, in this day and age it is most definitely not the answers to our problems, in fact it might even create more issues then solve.

In order to understand why this otherwise ideal fuel alternative is not the best for this time and age, one must understand what ethanol is. Ethanol is an alcohol formed from the anaerobic fermenting of either a type of sugar or a grain. Ethanol is found mostly in alcohol beverages such as beer. The two most common sources of ethanol as of now are sugar beets and corn. While other sources could be used, these two plants show the highest potential for ethanol production. Its chemical composition is very similar to that of petrol or the gas we use to power our vehicles. It has a good amount of oxygen in its composition which allows it to burn more cleanly then petrol. Because of all these things ethanol seems like the ideal choice of an alternative fuel for gasoline but there are many things that point to it not being the best idea as of now.

Mainly there are two reasons why focusing more on ethanol as an alternative fuel is a bad choice. The first reason is the amount of fuel it actually takes to produce the produce and then convert it into ethanol. This whole process, while it seems like its saving energy at the end, really is not. This process actually causes net loss in energy and while ethanol is seen as a great alternative to gasoline, it uses what it replaces to be created. The second major issue is how we would be able to grow enough corn and regulate it so that the fields don’t become barren from overuse. Corn fields take multiple years to get the nutrients back to that it can produce corn again. Also currently there are issues with the abrupt rise in food prices. If we were to start dedicating tons of acres of fields of corn to ethanol production, the prices would go even higher. With the economy as it is and the rising of gas prices, the additional rise of food will be more devastating. And it is for these reasons, though ethanol was a good idea, it is not suited for this time and circumstances.

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/fuel-efficiency/alternative-fuels/ethanol-facts1.htm
http://www.aboutmyplanet.com/alternative-energy/ethanol-fuel/