The Pros And Cons Of Ethanol Emissions

Ethanol Emissions

Another goal of the ethanol mandate is to reduce harmful emission released into the atmosphere to preserve the environment. The Alternative Fuel Data Center (AFDC), a branch of the DoE claims that corn-based ethanol helps reduce anywhere between 19-48 percent, subject to the source of energy used during the production (n.d.). The claim only represents the reduction of emission in vehicles; it does not encompass the emission produced by households, factories, heavy equipment, and even ethanol plants. The U.S. ethanol production relies heavily on corn. Corn production requires a vast amount of land, water, fertilizer, and energy. A recent research by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States

The data suggests that corn fertilizers release harmful compounds such as ammonia and nitrogen oxides into the air. Corn fertilizers also release Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and other heavy metal elements into the soil. Pesticides further exacerbate the situation by releasing several toxic compounds into the atmosphere, soil, and water supply. Furthermore, farm equipment aggravates the situation by releasing Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) into the atmospheres. VOCs are hazardous organic compounds that the EPA has been trying to curb for years since they are directly responsible for the recent climate change by human. (Yang & Suh, 2015) Corn farming also poses another dangerous threat in drought since it requires an ample amount of water for irrigation. The list of the environmental impacts does not stop there. Ethanol production requires a massive amount of energy in its life cycle. Every single step from growing corn to ethanol refinement utilizes an immense amount of energy, usually in some forms of fossil fuel such as oil, coal, and natural gas. Ethanol plants require enormous amount of electricity to operate – most of these power plants operated on

Chemically speaking, ethanol is a clear and colorless liquid, made up of Carbon, Hydrogen, and Oxygen molecules. In plain English, ethanol is an organic compound that contains a mixture of alcohol and water. As previously mentioned, the EPA mandates petroleum companies to add at least 10% ethanol into their fuels – the very same ethanol that contains water molecules. Water molecule causes metal to oxidize, become rusty, and weaken its