here is a paper i wrote in high school, not sure if it will help, but dont say i never did nothin for ya
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Standing at the gas pump and watching thecost fly past $90, I knew I would be back in a day or two to refill mygas-guzzling 40-gallon Yukon XL. I wonder how we can continue to supportthe oil market? The only viable solution to this question is that we, asAmericans, must find a more common use of ethanol fuel and move away from theconsumption of crude oil. Many other nations have taken this stepalready, including Brazil, Germany, and Sweden, according to the Renewable FuelAssociation. The reason for the switch from oil tobio-fuel is because it is cheaper to produce, the resources are more abundant,and bio-fuel pollutes the atmosphere much less than oil.
Ethanolis a bio-fuel that can be used as an alternative to gasoline. Thereasons for the switch include the fact that it is cheaper to produce and sell, it ismore abundant and readily available, and it is better for the environment, withless CO2 emissions than conventional fossil fuels. It can be produced by fermenting sugarcane or cornstarch by the hydration of ethylene. As proposed by the International EnergyAgency, another source of production includes cellulosic ethanol, whichis derived from the cellulose fibers in plant cell walls, inplants such as switch grass.
Switching to ethanol as a main fuelsource is a positive motion, considering it is far less costly than drillingfor and collecting oil. With the current state of Americaneconomic failures, the cost of gasoline is rising to unreasonable amounts. DuringAugust 2008, the cost of oil per barrel reached record high in history, costingover $145/barrel (WTRG Economics) and causing gas prices to skyrocket toupwards of $4 per gallon. In comparison, the cost of producing ethanol fromcornstarch is $1.10/gallon and $1.15 to $1. 43/gallon for cellulosic ethanol (BiomassEnergy). This vast difference in cost could single handedly be theswaying factor in making ethanol a competitive option in fuel sources.
Ethanol is also more abundant than fossil fuel sources. Aspreviously stated, ethanol is produced through the fermentation of naturalsources, including sugar, cornstarch, and switch grass. All ofthese sources are natural and renewable resources. All that is required to produce these crops is a field of land. Incontrast, fossil fuel is not renewable, which translates to the notion that oneday the world will run out of oil to extract, leaving us without the leading source ofenergy unless we, being the United States, consider using ethanol.
A final reason for considering ethanol asa viable fuel source deals with the environment. Considering the great increase in globalwarming on Earth, it is unreasonable to continue to drill for and use fossil fuelsthat pollute our world and destroy the atmosphere. The concept of “going green” implies switching to natural resources thatexcrete less of an amount of CO2 into the environment.Currently, gasoline puts out 2.44 kg/l of CO2, incomparison to ethanol, which puts out 1.94 kg/l., asignificant difference in effects on the environment. The“going green” revolution is sweeping the nation, as companies and campaigns areexploiting the fact that they are environmentally friendly. Rob andBig,a popular skateboarder and security guard/best friend are example of this idea. In arecent episode, Big Black decides to convert a Ford Pinto from gasoline tobio-fuel. At areasonable price, he was able to take a car that has seen more than its fairshare of miles on the road and turn it into a fully functional mobile that runsoff used oil from deep fryers at fast food restaurants. In America, moreand more stations that can turn engines to “green” are sprouting up and thereis certainly no shortage of grease from fast food chains in our country.
Despitethe positive reasons for switching to ethanol, some still dispute the effectiveness ofthis notion because of its underlying shortcomings in terms of effects on theenvironment and economy. As the crops, whether it is corn, sugar,or switch grass, are grown, it takes large amounts of pesticides, ammonia, andartificial additives to have the stock grow. In this, the additives eventuallyreach the soil or the air, increasing the levels of pollution. Also, the largescale farming of ethanol sources requires substantial area of cultivated land.In order to acquire more land to grow on, deforestation and the destruction ofbeautiful land is taking place, in areas like the Brazilian rainforests. Currently,the market for the purchase of food products is inflating to unreasonableprices. The crops used for producing ethanol are also key sources for many ofthe goods undergoing inflation. By producing ethanol, the supply of fooddecreases while the demand remains the same. Regardless of all these arguments,we should continue to pursue the possibility of using bio-fuel because thedownfalls of production are dwarfed by the positive outcome of production inthe lager view of things.
Consideringthe positive effects of switching to ethanol as a bio-fuel, itseems that it is not only a possibility but a necessity to convert to for thefuture for us to thrive as an energy efficient country. If we do not open up to the possibilityof “going green”, we may continue to use fossil fuels until the Earth runs dry andeventually destroy our beautiful planet.
Bibliography
- RenewableFuel Association
o http://www.ethanolrfa.org/
- WTRGEconomics
o http://www.wtrg.com/
- BiomassEnergy
o http://www.oregon.gov/ENERGY/RENEW/Biomass/BiomassHome.shtml
- MTVProductions
o “Rob and Big” (Season 3, Episode 7 “Charity”)
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