| With governments like the U.S. backing the bioethanol | | | | pass many of the ethical, environmental, and financial |
| industry, biomass crop productions are growing. If CO2 | | | | issues connected to bioethanol production. |
| emissions can be cut in half by growing and | | | | How do they make it? |
| manufacturing conventional farm crops like corn, then | | | | Bioethanol is obtained through a manufacturing process |
| bioethanol stands a good chance of becoming the | | | | of fermenting biomass, which contains sugar and |
| soup du jour from the alternative fuel menu. Yet there | | | | starch. Sugar cane is used in tropical areas, primarily |
| are other complications like food price inflation due to | | | | wheat in Europe, and corn is produced in the U.S. and |
| increased food scarcity resulting from food being | | | | Brazil. Rectification and distillation processes turn the |
| diverted energy creation. Of course one must first | | | | biomass into a concentrated form and removes |
| decide if bioethanol is really worth it in terms of its | | | | by-products that are no needed in the fuel itself. The |
| "green claims." | | | | negative side of bioethanol as mentioned above is it's |
| What is it, and is it clean enough? | | | | use of fertile land for food, which drives the food |
| Bioethanol, also called ethyl alcohol, is a non-fossil, high | | | | prices up and locks up usable land to grow more |
| octane fuel with lower emissions than gasoline. Made | | | | foodstuffs. There has all been great concern amongst |
| from renewable agricultural sources, it is a clean fuel | | | | certain environmental groups about the waste |
| for internal combustion engines. Hydrous ethanol | | | | products left over from manufacturing bioethanol as |
| contains water and can be used as a gasoline | | | | evidenced in bioethonal pollution finding it's way in to the |
| substitute, but requires a modified engine. Dehydrated | | | | Gulf of Mexico via the Mississippi River. This of course |
| ethanol can be used in proportions of 5% (E5) to 85% | | | | provides a big argument from within the green fuel |
| (E85). Most cars today can use E5, and Flex Fuel | | | | camp against bioethanol production and use. Despite |
| Vehicles (FFVs) use E85. Both can be blended with | | | | it's negative aspects, when the issues have been |
| conventional fuel. | | | | worked like, which crop to use and where to grow it |
| It does take energy to produce it, and there are | | | | and of course what to do with the waste, bioethanol |
| concerns related to the large amount of land needed | | | | stands to be a very powerful clean fuel alternative. |
| for crops. Another concern is whether such biofuels | | | | One hopes as the oil price continues to stay above 10 |
| release more carbon dioxide into the air than can be | | | | dollars that every means necessary is found to make |
| absorbed by growing plants. A better solution might be | | | | bioethanol as efficient, clean, and financially attractive |
| a process currently being developed in the U.S., | | | | as possible. |
| whereby trash like waste paper is broken down into | | | | Is your car a FFV? |
| sugar and then converted into ethanol. This would by | | | | |