In conclusion, Corn Ethanol Biofuel has many negative and positive effects. It has a negative effect because it releases greenhouse gases but positive effects as well because it is inexpensive to produce and use, and is a renewable source. The future of corn ethanol is uncertain: “Corn-based ethanol will most likely not be the staple fuel source in the future, as it is only a short term solution and poses problems in the long run. Ethanol contains 33% less energy than gasoline, and corrodes engines that it is used in. Average production and final sales are 62 cents/gal higher than conventional gasoline. Even though political support is waning, Congress will most likely not abandon corn ethanol.” ("Future of Corn Ethanol.) I think corn ethanol
is more of a disadvantage than an advantage because I think effecting the environment has a lot more of side effect such as people’s health, economy, and etc. which I believe is much more serious that just being less expensive or a renewable energy. I think people shouldn’t use corn ethanol fuel because it is basically the same thing as using any other fuel like gasoline except it releases more chemicals as well so it is worse for the environment. Corn ethanol and biofuel have profoundly altered both the environment and the economy in the United States since the late 1900’s; these energy sources provide disadvantages and advantages that change the world.
Steindom, Joel. “My Food Manifesto, Part One: The Bad News.” Steidom.com. Ed. Joel Steindom, Heather Steindom. 2007. 24 July 2008. .
The U.S. government spends billions of dollars every year subsidizing corn production, livestock feed, processed foods, and ethanol production account for the greatest uses of corn in the United States. Supplying the livestock and processed food industries with cheap corn ultimately leads to an American diet that is heavily based on the consumption of meat and sugary processed foods. This diet is thought to contribute to America’s obesity epidemic. Corn subsidies also encourage production of ethanol. Ethanol may be no better than fossil fuels because of the required energy inputs and the environmental damage caused by its production.
Corn, or maize, plays a vital role in many areas of the world today, and each location views and handles corn in a different way. How they manage corn can show small details about the area and culture as a whole. Not only is corn a staple today, it also had a huge presence in the ancient Native American’s lives; corn is sometimes revered as a deity and other times as a gift to the people from the Creator or a hero of the culture.
Alternative energy is the world’s race as of now. As the space race concluded and the nuclear arms race died down, alternative energy became the race of the ages. In today’s society, with today’s technology there are all sorts of forms of alternative energies. These energies include hydro power, geothermal, biomass, nuclear power, and so much more. With all of these variations of alternative energy the question now becomes, which form is the best to use? Are any of them safe? Which ones would effectively solve the world’s depleting energy crisis? Of course, the country that is able to produce clean efficient energy; that country would become the new world power virtually overnight. With today’s technology, should we resort to food/corn as our primary source of energy?
In the United States we have been looking into alternative energies to reduce our dependence on oil and help reduce our carbon footprint. One method the EPA has come out in support of is ethanol production. Ethanol is considered a green fuel because it recycles the burned carbon each time new crops are grown. In theory ethanol is a good stepping stone between using gasoline and zero emission power sources. However biofuels are still young technology that has many problems before it can be useful. The EPA is in full support of biofuels and has mandated that by 2020, 36 billion gallons of biofuels are to be produced in America. Currently almost all of America biofuels comes in the form of corn based ethanol which is extremely inefficient and can cause sustainability problems. Due to this reason only 15 billion gallons of the mandated biofuels can be form corn based ethanol. The rest of the biofuel must come from non-corn based alternatives such as cellulosic ethanol which the EPA projects to create all most all of the 21 billion remaining gallons of ethanol. Cellulosic ethanol uses the cellulose that is in all plants matter to create ethanol. Cellulosic ethanol is far more efficient than corn ethanol because you can use the whole plant and it sets no limitation on what type of plant matter can be used. Even though the EPA projects that these number will be achievable, due to current setbacks and efficiencies cellulosic ethanol will not be able to meet this output within the time constraints and a goal of 2034 years would be more realistic in the long run.
Something that has remained constant throughout history is the fact that in society, the majority rules. Society is made up of many different groups of people. These groups may be based on religion, race, socio-economic status or location. Almost everyone wants to fit in somewhere. For example, if a man lives in a primarily Christian neighborhood, chances are, he is Christian. The concept of monkey see, monkey do is prominent in society. The essay “Corn Pone Opinions” by Mark Twain demonstrate’s the theme that if a man belongs to a group in society, he will conform to their lifestyle.
Biobutanol has the potential to replace ethanol as a fuel in the future. Recent studies suggested that it does not damage car engines like ethanol does, it reduces fuel mileage , and it can blended with gasoline directly in the refinery. In conclusion, butanol can make up for ethanol’s weaknesses. However, butanol fuel is said to be too expensive and not competitive enough to compete with ethanol.
...self to not be such a good place for hard earned taxpayer money. It shows great signs of reducing of automobile pollution, decreased foreign oil dependency as well as steps towards being a greener society. On the reverse, the implicated price would be significantly higher, at a starting price of $3.95 per gallon, the induced miles per gallon in FFVs takes a huge hit and are the miles per gallon are significantly lower which would lead to an even higher estimated cost for consumers. Not to mention the production of corn ethanol draws a net negative energy loss due to ethanol’s weak energy output. This all meaning that more money goes in to get less energy out. Over all, ethanol is a great idea in the mindset of moving towards a greener society and becoming self-sustainable as a country, but proves to be a negative investment choice as far as a government subsidy.
...her combination of intoxicant. There are several better plants to use, sugar cane and algae all produce far more ethanol than corn does. Keep in mind that running on electric sometimes is better than running on gas all of the time, But to see for yourself go down to the car dealership and ask for yourself.
With the ever growing increase in population, the demand for energy is increasing every day, and our dependence on non-renewable energy will one day come to an end. Energy is readily available everywhere and can be primarily classified into two principal groups, non-renewable and renewable. Non-renewable energy comes in numerous forms such as coal, oil, natural gas. However, these types of non-renewable energy resources are only available in limited supplies, and once they 're used up, they cannot be replaced. Renewable energy is an alternative to the traditional energy resources that we as a society currently use i.e. oil, coal, and natural gas. Non-renewable energy is also very expensive with regards to retrieving it from the earth and as we all know it causes substantial harm to our environment. Renewable energy or if you prefer green energy are resources that consist of solar, wind, water (hydro), biomass, and geothermal. Furthermore, renewable energy is energy that we do not have to fear about depleting because it is replenished naturally over moderately short periods of time.
But what’s so wrong with corn you might ask? Corn syrups have been known for being the cause of heart problems and harmful because of how it metabolizes differently than sugar does. In the 1980’s after the wholesale switch to corn sweeteners, there's no wonder why the epidemic of obesity and Type 2 diabetes swept our country. Since sweetness became cheap, instead of lowering prices, soft drink makers super sized their portions and marketing budgets. Since there is about 10 billion bushels of corn produced annually to feed, you can literally have corn in your system just by eating hamburger products or even fish.
Ethanol fermented from renewable sources for fuel or fuel additives are known as bio-ethanol. Additionally, the ethanol from biomass-based waste materials is considered as bio-ethanol. Currently, there is a growing interest for ecologically sustainable bio-fuels. The target in the European Union is to increase bio-energy contributions in total energy consumption from 3 to 11 % by the year 209.
Global warming is an extremely important and troubling aspect of the world’s current situation. This is due to the fact that the majority of the world’s energy production is from non-renewable energy sources, which are energy sources that either can not be naturally replenished or require thousands of years to be restored. Based on our current energy usage growth rates, there are an estimated 100 years left before our natural resource reserves are exhausted. (Non Renewable Natural Resources: How Much Is Left, Environmental Thinker) China alone consumes nearly as much coal as the combined usage of coal from the rest of the world. (US Energy Information Administration, China Consumes Nearly as Much Coal as the Rest of the World Combined) There is visible evidence of this happening with the increasing pollution levels. Carbon Dioxide and Methane pollution levels in the world reached a record high in 2012 and are 260% higher than the pre-industrial levels. (UN: CO2 Pollution Levels at a Record High, John Heilprin) Converting our world into a more renewable energy dependent society is the most advantageous and likely method for preserving our dwindling fossil fuel supply while also protecting the world that we call home.
These would be: the cost, the fact that there is an unlimited supply of resources to make the fuel with, it’s a renewable source that benefits our environment and it leads to economic stimulation and. First of all, the cost is an advantage since biofuels have to potential to be significantly less expensive than petroleum or any fossil fuel. This is possible due to the increasing worldwide demand for oil. Meanwhile, the supply for oil is diminishing, making biofuels more desirable whilst the prices are constantly fluctuating. Whereas fossil fuels are limited since they come from specific materials years ago, biofuels are renewable (since you can always produce more if it runs out) and can be manufactured from a variety of materials such as: crop waste, manure and other byproducts. This takes recycling to a new constructive level. Likewise, the amount of carbon emissions will also decrease drastically since when biofuels are used, they produce significantly less carbon and fewer toxins. This also makes them a safer alternative in order to preserve atmospheric quality and lower air pollution. In terms of economic stimulation, the economy will find stability as when using biofuels you can disregard afore mentioned fluctuating oil prices due to change in demand. This is because biofuels are produced locally. This will also lead to multiple job opportunities, resulting less unemployment, which is incredibly advantageous economically. Biofuel productions will also increase the demand for certain crops therefore, providing economic stability to the agriculture
The concept of this essay is to stress that biofuels are a viable and sustainable energy source than fossil fuels, showing its advantages but not ignoring its disadvantages which also enlightens us about the cleaner and renewable natural resources. Biofuels is an alternative source of energy which can end the global dependence on fossil fuels.