The Pros and Cons of E85 Ethanol Flex Fuel

Even thought the price of gasoline has come down considerably in the past year, Americans are starting to realize that something must be done to decrease its dependency on foreign oil. There are several different alternative energy sources in the works right now, but there is one that is fully developed and available now called E85 Ethanol Flex Fuel. But what exactly is it and what are the pros and cons?

Ethanol is an alcohol based fuel that is derived from the fermenting and distilling of renewable starchy crops; mostly corn. It is said that one acre of corn can produce approximately 330 gallons of combustible ethanol. E85 Ethanol Flex Fuel gets its name from the mixture used in the fuel. The ratio of the Flex Fuel is 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent standard gasoline. While almost all gasoline now contains some amount of ethanol (usually about 10 percent) not all vehicles can run on the Flex Fuel. For that reason, there are a limited number of service stations that have the E85 available. But the government is pushing for more and is even offering tax credit to stations that do convert their pumps over (source: howstuffworks.com).

According to the proponents of E85 Ethanol Flex Fuel, ethanol will be better for America because it will greatly decrease our dependency on foreign oil. After all, for every mile driven on E85, there is one less driven on standard gasoline. E85 is also supposed to be better for the environment as it is a cleaner burning fuel than standard gasoline. Since it is produced by using crops there is also the benefit of the ability to produce it here in the United States. With an increase in popularity, more jobs would be created to help produce enough E85 to fill the demand (source: howstuffworks.com).

However with every good there is also a reflecting bad. According to those that oppose the Flex Fuel, while it does indeed burn more efficiently as a fuel, it burns a huge amount of fossil fuels while being produced. It is up for debate whether the emissions produced during production make it worthwhile to use the alternative fuel. Critics also point to the fact that with the increased use of corn to make ethanol, there would be an increased demand as well. That means that the cost of food would go up as a direct result (source: howstuffworks.com).

Love it or hate it, E85 Ethanol Flex Fuel appears to be here to stay. There is an increase in the number of service stations that will begin to carry the energy source and it may just be a matter of time before it becomes the norm. While there are valid arguments on both sides of the fence, the fact that our dependency on foreign oil can be reduced by leaps and bounds would seem to be worth its weight in gold; or oil as the case may be.