Ethanol - Is it a Clean Way to Save Gas?

There are many who believe that Ethanol would be a better fuel alternative and that to save gas, we should be producing and using more ethanol. Yet their premise has many serious flaws. The first is that there is no date showing that ethanol fuel is cleaner than gas. In fact, many studies have shown that ethanol creates more pollution that typical gas. Using 100 percent ethanol is prohibited in the United States for just this reason. Although some places, especially in the Mid West use a blend of gasoline and ethanol, this is done to save money, not to create a more environmentally friendly fuel alternative.

Using Fuel Alternatives like Ethanol

The Clean Fuels Report compared of fuel emissions and showed that ethanol exhaust generates 2.14 times as much ozone as does gasoline. The base contribution to smog is 1.7 on a scale where gasoline is 1.0 and higher numbers signify greater pollution. So it is clear that switching to Ethanol will only make pollution worse, not better.

Is Ethanol One of the Efficient Fuel Alternatives

Ethanol is also not a very efficient fuel alterative if you want to save gas. Thik about this. In the United States, ethanol is primarily produced from corn. One person could be fed for a whole year on the corn needed to fill a single tank of an ethanol-fueled SUV. Even though ethanol is touted as a clean fuel, it actually increases global warming, destroys forests and inflates food prices.

Other Fuel Alternatives are Better To Save Gas

There are many other fuel alternatives that should be looked at instead of ethanol. Wind power, solar energy, and hydro power are all truly clean and renewable energy methods of production. While the promoters of ethanol should be praised for starting the debate about better energy sources, it is a debate where they are clearly on the side that will not win in the end. We need to develop better - not just different - energy supplies. After all, we are looking for long-term economical solutions here.

Ethanol is Produced from Sugar Cane in Brazil

Brazil is the biggest producer of ethanol. Yet ethanol is produced there from sugar cane, not corn. Just think about all the better uses for that sugar cane than ethanol production. Brazil could be producing much more chocolate and other sweets if the sugar they grew was used to produce straight sugar rather than ethanol. Yet to decrease ethanol production would require a change in thinking that may take decades to come about. Ethanol is just a part of the culture in Brazil.