Ethanol.

This is a music video by a Japanese group called Lead. "STAND UP!" has a corn throughout the video which is promoting ethanol.

What is ethanol exactly? I asked myself this question. When I found out about it a few years ago, all I knew was it was an alternative fuel made with corn. The other thought was, it’s going to save me gas and that sounded really good. Recently though, I noticed ethanol is suppose to have consequences. Because I don’t know much about it and want to learn more, I researched some advantages and disadvantages on ethanol.

Advantages

1. This alternative fuel is renewable.

2. The energy density of ethanol is higher than other alternative fuels. Because it is higher, less volume is required to go the same distance.

3. The agricultural economies can be improved because it will help certain farmers, for example those who produce sugar beets and maize, have a steady market.

4. No dependence on foreign oil!!!

Disadvantages

1. It has a short shelf-life. If the fuel does not get replaced within a certain amount of time, it can corrode at the engine.

2. Ethanol has a smaller energy density than gas. This means it takes longer for ethanol to travel a certain distance than gas.

3. It takes up a lot of water. This can damage your engine.

4. Ethanol burning could increase emissions of certain types of pollutants.

5. Ethanol is expensive to make. A lot of land is needed to grow crops. This would be a problem in developing countries because it would compete with food production. Crops are also vulnerable to bad weather, insects, and droughts. Also, a lot of water is needed to convert crops into ethanol.

6. Corn production is bad for the environment. It causes more soil erosion than any other crop in the nation.

I guess after researching, ethanol is going to need a lot more work before it should be used as an alternative fuel. If you do not take care of ethanol in your engine, it causes harm to your vehicles. Producing the crops needed for ethanol is bad for the environment. I suppose the dependence on foreign oil will have to continue.

Most of my information I got from this site.