What's Wrong with Ethanol?

Ethanol, also known as grain alcohol, is being promoted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), automobile manufacturers and the corn growers' lobby as the answer to some of our most persistent energy and environmental challenges. According to proponents, ethanol would lessen air pollution and global warming. it would allegedly reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil with its attendant price fluctuations and disruptions in supply. And it would supposedly decrease the general use of fossil fuel, which is non-renewable and will eventually run out.

The facts are, however, that the production and use of ethanol will actually worsen air pollution and may increase the release of greenhouse gases. In addition, it will not result in meaningful independence from foreign or domestic oil. Its production will require large amounts of water, often in areas that are subject to chronic and sporadic plagues of drought. And, it will have severe effects on agriculture, food prices and starvation relief, along with the potential for serious water pollution.

Ethanol's Role in Air Pollution

One of the primary sources of air pollution in the U.S. today is ozone. Ground-level ozone is caused by the hydrocarbons which result from the burning of fossil fuels, such as the gasoline and diesel fuel used to power motor vehicles. The hydrocarbons emitted from vehicle tailpipes, in the presence of sunlight, chemically react to form ozone. High ozone levels are common in urban areas with their large concentrations of vehicle use. Ground-level ozone causes and aggravates serious respiratory disease, and has been targeted for reduction by the EPA for many years.

Because ethanol use means less gasoline use, it is being touted as a way to lower ozone levels. The ethanol-gasoline mix now being promoted, called E85, contains 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline. These percentages make E85 sound like it is living up to its dubious reputation as a "cleaner-burning" fuel, since ethanol is reputed to burn cleaner. This is quite deceptive. Even the U.S. Department of Energy, a big fan of E85, has admitted that ethanol use would increase overall hydrocarbon emissions by 43 percent. Assuming that this information is correct, ethanol would not only not reduce ground-level ozone. It would actually make the problem worse!

As a further insult to clean air, the EPA has eased its air pollution emission standards for ethanol production plants. Although this new ruling will not be in effect in metropolitan areas with elevated levels of air pollutants, it will be utilized by plants in less-populated regions. These plants will now be allowed to emit as much as 250 tons annually of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide--major precursors of acid rain--and other pollutants before being forced to install pollution control equipment in order to expand their capacity.

The Impact of Ethanol on Global Warming

The jury is still out on the effect of ethanol on global warming. However, there are indications that its effect may be negligible or that ethanol may actually increase the amount of human-generated carbon being ploughed into the atmosphere. Everyone agrees that the burning of ethanol produces carbon dioxide, a major component of the greenhouse gases that cause global warming. The situation is complicated by the fact that the plants such as corn, which are cultivated as the raw material for ethanol, also absorb carbon from the atmosphere. This reabsorbed carbon acts as an offset to the carbon being released by the burning of the ethanol as fuel. Therefore, the net increase in carbon dioxide may be minimal or negative. However, the results of at least one study indicate that there could be a net increase in carbon dioxide by as much as 20 percent.

Another negative impact of ethanol on climate is caused by deforestation. Deforestation's effect on global warming is due to the removal of dense growth of trees and other plants which otherwise absorb carbon dioxide. Without these heavily planted areas, the carbon remains in the earth's atmosphere where it causes climate change. This is already happening due to the deforestation occurring in other parts of the world in order to clear land for the cultivation of crops to be used in the production of ethanol. For example, Brazil is dedicating half of its sugar cane production to ethanol, after devastating large areas of rainforest.

How Ethanol Effects Fossil Fuel Dependence

The ratio of 85 percent ethanol to 15 percent gasoline in E85 sounds like drivers are replacing 85 percent of their fuel with a renewable nonfossil fuel. Although this seems very favorable, one must remember that ethanol production uses a large amount of energy which is generated by fossil fuels. In fact, some studies have revealed that ethanol production consumes more fossil fuel energy than would be saved by ethanol use. It should be noted, however, that further analysis has indicated a large portion of this energy is "recycled" rather than "new" which, if borne out, would paint a somewhat brighter picture. [Note: Ethanol production would still add to global warming and other air pollution problems, whether or not "new" or "recycled" energy is used.] Because of the energy used in its production and because it has a lower energy density than gasoline (see below), ethanol appears to have little to do with America's fossil fuel dependence.

Ethanol Production Uses Vast Amounts of Water

People living and farming near ethanol plants will begin to experience water shortages due to the large quantities of water being shifted from aquifers, lakes and rivers into ethanol production. A plant near Springfield, IL proposes using 1.2 million gallons per day, while a Kansas plant is expected to use 450 gallons annually to produce 113 million gallons of ethanol. In Minnesota, which has experienced droughts several times since 1900, there is concern that ethanol production could impair the state's ability to deal effectively with drought conditions in the future. In Nebraska, with its major dependence on water for agricultural irrigation, the state has granted permits for three ethanol plants , but says it will carefully scrutinize any more proposed plants in the context of projected water usage. Residents of Missouri and Illinois have even resorted to lawsuits in an attempt to block ethanol plants and protect access to water by the rest of their communities.

Ethanol Is Expensive

Ethanol is not likely to give us any relief from high gasoline prices. A gallon of gasoline produces about 1.5 times more energy as a gallon of ethanol. Because of this lower energy density, ethanol production and transport requires more production and transport capacity than gasoline. Ethanol also absorbs water, which is present in existing pipelines. Ethanol cannot be transported in these pipelines because the water would dilute the ethanol. The ethanol must therefore be carried over land by train or truck, a more expensive means of moving the ethanol from one place to another. Although the price of motor fuel sometimes increases due to problems with foreign and domestic oil supplies, the price of ethanol has historically been higher than gasoline prices and may remain higher for some time to come.

How Ethanol Production Affects Agriculture

The effect of ethanol production on agriculture is due primarily to two factors. First, the diversion of a major food crop, such as corn, to ethanol production means that less food will be available for humans and food animals to eat. This can hardly be justified in a world where millions are starving. Ethanol fans counter this observation by proposing that non-food crops such as switch-grass be used for ethanol. However, this argument ignores the fact that every acre used for switch-grass cultivation is not being used to grow food, which the world desperately needs. [Note: A possible alternative may be the use of food crop waste, such as corn husks, for ethanol production. Whether quantities and technology are sufficient to yield sufficient amounts of ethanol from this source at reasonable prices remains to be seen.] Many people are not actually starving, but must pay large portions of their meager incomes for food. These people will have less food available to them when they cannot afford the higher prices resulting from the scarcities of plant and animal foods caused by large-scale ethanol-driven cultivation. Second, as noted above, ethanol production also impacts agriculture. By threatening to divert water needed for crop irrigation.

Water pollution is also an issue. The economics of ethanol may motivate greater use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers in order to increase yields of plants used as ethanol feed stock. These practices increase the pollution of agricultural runoff into ground and surface waters, which can cause poisoning of the water supply and the killing of fish.

Despite the efforts of government and the private sector to encourage ethanol, it is not even a good short-term method for coping with the energy and environmental disadvantages of fossil fuels. Ethanol will cause more problems than it solves, and will delay the development of technologies for providing permanent, earth-friendly and people-friendly fossil fuel replacements.

References

Bedard, Patrick, "Ethanol Promises, " Car and Driver, July, 2006.

Lambrecht, Bill, "EPA Relaxes Pollution Standards for Ethanol Plants," St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 13, 2007.

Lambrecht, Bill, "States Across the Midwest Brace for Water-Guzzling Ethanol Plants, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 15, 2007.

Kennell, David, " Terrible Hidden Costs of Ethanol Production," St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 12, 2007.

Hebert, H. Josef, "Study: Ethanol Won't Solve Energy Problems," USA Today, July 10, 2006.