Does the ethanol really help in saving the environment?

Question

Does the ethanol really help in saving the environment?

Answer 1

Well, I don't think so. In order to get the ethanol, the environment is harmed. You see, most of the world's ethanol is produced in Brazil and you know what Brazil is famous for, right? Amazon forest. When the Brazil government decides to grow more corns in order to produce this biofuel, a lot of trees are cut down. When the trees are cut down from a forest we call "The Earth's Lung", of course the consequence will be devastating. This, will lead to global warming because the carbon dioxide emission does not stop and the trees are cut down to produce corns, so they can't photosynthesize to change the carbon dioxide to oxygen. Do you still think using ethanol helps? Well, of course there are good sides of using ethanol. It produces less carbon dioxide, but maybe we should find alternative places to grow these corns. And of course, that is contributing to the rising of food prices nowadays...

--I'm a fan of Al Gore--

Answer 2

It's an alternative fuel, but cost allot to make and

is raising the price of corn. Corn is better burned in

a pellet stove for heat. Brazil has the largest bio-fuel programs in the world, involving production of ethanol fuel from sugar cane, and ethanol now provides 30% of the country's needs.

Answer 3

Debatable, Corn ethanol is generally thought to be not as efficient and possibly even producing more CO2 than oil. SugarCane's more efficient.....

Answer 4

Hi,

it depends on what the ethanol is made from.

In the US, almost all ethanol in gas stations is made from corn. Corn-based ethanol is extremely wasteful and bad for the environment for a multitude of reasons, mostly because growing, harvesting, converting, and transporting that ethanol uses between 1.26-1.29 gallons of pure gasoline for each gallon of ethanol produced.

Now, ethanol produced from other sources such as plant stalk waste or quick growing grasses are much more efficient. The amount of return varies depending on the original plant source, but almost all return much better ethanol yields than 1.26-1.29 gallons of gas burned.

BTW, the 1.26-1.29 gallons of gas used is a conservative, comprehensive estimate from the US government. Take a wander through the various websites, including the EPA's and the DOE's.

Plus, because ethanol is a grain alcohol, it is less energy dense than pure gas and so gives less bang for the buck.

In other words, it takes more ethanol to go the same distance as gas alone can provide.

Every vehicle's mileage goes down when burning ethanol, even in mixtures as low as E10-E15.

Corn-based ethanol is a boondoggle that the US government has latched onto and, like most energy policies adopted by non-scientists and politicians, it will waste more than it saves us.

Answer 5

No.  It doesn't reduce the carbon emissions and many claim that it increases fuel use and carbon emissions as ethanol can't be pumped in a pipeline.

Ethanol contains water which cannot be processed out.  This causes pipes to rust and corrode.  Fuel has to be trucked in diesel trucks.

Answer 6

No, it doen't.  It takes as much energy to produce ethanol as gas.  Produces the same emissions in production as gas, and, creates more waste.

Answer 7

Ethanol in Brazil is  come from cane sugar. The Valtra tractors, now are using B-20,  and testing B-40, B-100 Bio diesel.http://www.conectt.com.br/temp/valtra/ho...

Answer 8

Yes, because you use as your fuel not just petroleum composed combustibles in example the E85 is a fuel used by cars that has 85% ethanol and 15% by gasoline, the ethanol is made of different materials that have sugars as a main component, by fermentation the ethanol is received. You can get more information in my website www.ecologyforlife.info

Answer 9

on the contrary the production cause more carbon  than all of industry put together

and it is also very harmful to those who produce it

second article down

http://byderule.multiply.com/journal/ite...

Answer 10

its a good source, but the consequences and the need for it ish rather high.

ethanol ish supposed to be edible sources, and because of the femine in other countries', it has casued a series of serious debate over its uses. food or fuel.