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October 2006
Sunday, October 22, 2006
6:51:00 PM EDT
The Ethanol Debate
By Joseph D. Cohen
Some of you may have noticed the words on your gasoline pump. We are now routinely consuming gasoline that may contain up to 10% ethanol. Ethanol (often called grain alcohol) from US sources is most often derived from corn. Ethanol is a very acceptable and clean burning motor fuel. It will not harm your car. It blends easily with gasoline and does help to minimize the presence of small quantities of unburned fuel gases that may be present in your car’s exhaust system.
Car companies are also touting some of their vehicle’s capabilities of burning E85, a fuel that is 85% ethanol denatured by 15% gasoline. E85 is generally unavailable except in a few areas near ethanol production facilities. Not all vehicles are able to use it. If you can use it, you will immediately notice that your fuel mileage will fall by approximately 27%. A vehicle that normally gets something like 20 mpg with gasoline, may realize only 14 - 15 mpg with E85. This is a result of the fact that ethanol has a much lower available thermal energy content than gasoline. Use of E85 will increase the cost per mile of driving by about 37% over and above a possible unsubsidized higher cost per gallon of E85 fuel over gasoline.
There are a number serious economic and practical problems associated with ethanol derived from corn.
• The total ethanol production process from seed to a salable motor fuel requires a greater expenditure of thermal energy than is returned by the final product.
• A complete production sequence also requires more total fossil fuel to be consumed for the creation of ethanol than it can possibly replace.
• More pollution is created during ethanol production than is saved from running a vehicle. That includes total greenhouse gas emission such as CO2.
How do we know all this? The author cites a new study from Stanford University entitled “Ethanol From Corn: Just How Unsustainable Is It” by Tadeusz W, Patzek of the Civil and Environmental Engineering Dep’t. of U.C. Berkeley and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. This is a highly detailed technical study and can be read in its entirety at the following web site: http://pangea.stanford.edu/ESYS/Energy%20seminars/patzek_ethanol.pdf
It has been known for some time that corn derived ethanol is an energy intensive product with an extremely low production potential compared to our total automotive energy needs. Many conflicting studies have been done todetermine if it makes sense to pursue ethanol production for use as an alternate automotive fuel. Most early studies showed poor potential, especially from corn. A more recent study by the Argonne National Laboratory under USDoE auspices showed very small energy gains even from corn if low energy agriculture is rigidly employed. The best future ethanol yield potential may be from converted cellulose based materials such as agricultural waste and switch grass. However, that is still an unavailable production technology.
What is going on in our quest to be energy independent? Why are we pursuing dead ends in our energy policies? Our national policy reminds me of a ship trying to maneuver without a rudder. So far, ethanol provides neither a practical nor an economically viable answer. At maximum production potential, it is not likely to ever provide more than about 1% of our national energy needs. Coming from corn, the number will be closer to zero or will most likely be negative based on this latest study.
Our President has been making speeches around the country promoting ethanol as a motor fuel. His stated reason is that it is home grown fuel. He clearly does not understand the issues involved. Ethanol produced from corn represents a serious mistake in our energy policy. It makes no fiscal sense. It cannot provide enough fuel to meet demand. It is a bigger polluter than gasoline because of the production requirements. It loses energy instead of increasing it.
Unless we can obtain renewable clean energy sources to produce ethanol, it will be an unacceptable choice in our energy mosaic.
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6:51:00 PM EDT
The Ethanol Debate
The Ethanol Debate
By Joseph D. Cohen
Some of you may have noticed the words on your gasoline pump. We are now routinely consuming gasoline that may contain up to 10% ethanol. Ethanol (often called grain alcohol) from US sources is most often derived from corn. Ethanol is a very acceptable and clean burning motor fuel. It will not harm your car. It blends easily with gasoline and does help to minimize the presence of small quantities of unburned fuel gases that may be present in your car’s exhaust system.
Car companies are also touting some of their vehicle’s capabilities of burning E85, a fuel that is 85% ethanol denatured by 15% gasoline. E85 is generally unavailable except in a few areas near ethanol production facilities. Not all vehicles are able to use it. If you can use it, you will immediately notice that your fuel mileage will fall by approximately 27%. A vehicle that normally gets something like 20 mpg with gasoline, may realize only 14 - 15 mpg with E85. This is a result of the fact that ethanol has a much lower available thermal energy content than gasoline. Use of E85 will increase the cost per mile of driving by about 37% over and above a possible unsubsidized higher cost per gallon of E85 fuel over gasoline.
There are a number serious economic and practical problems associated with ethanol derived from corn.
• The total ethanol production process from seed to a salable motor fuel requires a greater expenditure of thermal energy than is returned by the final product.
• A complete production sequence also requires more total fossil fuel to be consumed for the creation of ethanol than it can possibly replace.
• More pollution is created during ethanol production than is saved from running a vehicle. That includes total greenhouse gas emission such as CO2.
How do we know all this? The author cites a new study from Stanford University entitled “Ethanol From Corn: Just How Unsustainable Is It” by Tadeusz W, Patzek of the Civil and Environmental Engineering Dep’t. of U.C. Berkeley and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. This is a highly detailed technical study and can be read in its entirety at the following web site: http://pangea.stanford.edu/ESYS/Energy%20seminars/patzek_ethanol.pdf
It has been known for some time that corn derived ethanol is an energy intensive product with an extremely low production potential compared to our total automotive energy needs. Many conflicting studies have been done todetermine if it makes sense to pursue ethanol production for use as an alternate automotive fuel. Most early studies showed poor potential, especially from corn. A more recent study by the Argonne National Laboratory under USDoE auspices showed very small energy gains even from corn if low energy agriculture is rigidly employed. The best future ethanol yield potential may be from converted cellulose based materials such as agricultural waste and switch grass. However, that is still an unavailable production technology.
What is going on in our quest to be energy independent? Why are we pursuing dead ends in our energy policies? Our national policy reminds me of a ship trying to maneuver without a rudder. So far, ethanol provides neither a practical nor an economically viable answer. At maximum production potential, it is not likely to ever provide more than about 1% of our national energy needs. Coming from corn, the number will be closer to zero or will most likely be negative based on this latest study.
Our President has been making speeches around the country promoting ethanol as a motor fuel. His stated reason is that it is home grown fuel. He clearly does not understand the issues involved. Ethanol produced from corn represents a serious mistake in our energy policy. It makes no fiscal sense. It cannot provide enough fuel to meet demand. It is a bigger polluter than gasoline because of the production requirements. It loses energy instead of increasing it.
Unless we can obtain renewable clean energy sources to produce ethanol, it will be an unacceptable choice in our energy mosaic.
Written by jdc2485 Blog about this entry |
Add to del.icio.us | digg this
