Ethanol, C₂H₅OH, is currently being promoted as a clean, high octane, renewable fuel. Supporters claim a number of benefits including increased energy independence, decreased global warming, cleaner air and economic benefits for the U.S. and its farming industry. Opponents question the energy balance (how much energy goes into production of ethanol compared to ethanols energy value as a fuel), are critical of ethanol subsidies, and question the clean air benefits.

Ethanol can be used in gasoline in concentrations up to 10% without any vehicle modifications. E85 - a mixture of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline is also being promoted as an alternative fuel, though modified vehicles are required.

Web Resources

Sites For Ethanol in Fuel:

• The National Corn Growers Association has a great deal of information on ethanol. Check out Ethanol and Coproducts and the list of links on the right of that page.
• Ethanolfacts.com - also from The National Corn Growers Association
• The National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition promotes the use of E85 - a fuel that is 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline.
• Ethanol Information from the U.S. department of Energy
• Governers' Ethanol Coalition - "to increase ethanol use, decrease imports, and improve the environment and the economy."
• Corn Based Ethanol Does Indeed Achieve Energy Benefits - A study from Argonne National Lab.
• Renewable Fuels Association is the "national trade association for the ethanol industry"

Sites Against Using Ethanol in Fuel:

• David Pimentel, a scientist at Cornell University, is a strong critic of ethanol use in gasoline. See the following Cornell new release: CU scientist terms corn-based ethanol 'subsidized food burning'
• Ethanol from Corn: Clean Renewable Fuel for the Future or Drain on Our Resources and Pockets? an article by Tad Patzek and his students at U.C. Berkeley.
• The American Petroleum Institute has a policy page gateway for information about other fuels. See the Ethanol Fact Sheet and other resources on the page.
• Fuel's Gold: Turning corn into ethanol may not be worth it - a freelance article written by Richard Lovett (Ph.D. in natural resource economics).
• From the Cato Institute: Ethanol keeps ADM drunk on tax dollars (1997) or the more recent Energy Piracy (July 2005) and Alternative Fuel Nonsense http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/62609/c-ford-runge-and-benjamin-senauer/how-biofuels-could-starve-the-poor>How Biofuels Could Starve the Poor How Biofuels Could Starve the Poor an article by C. Ford Runge and Benjamin Senauer in the journal Foreign Affairs, published by the Council on Foreign Relations a "non-profit and nonpartisan membership organization."
• New Rush to Use Crops as Fuel Raises Food Prices and Hunger Fears - Article from the New York Times (4/7/11)

Other Sites of Interest and Sites Not Specifically Pro or Con

• Alternative Fuels - From the government's Fueleconomy.gov site.
• Alcohol Fuel - from Wikipedia gives an overview of the use of ethanol and other alcohols as fuels (Wikipedia is open source and edited by users)
• Researcher's Biomass-To-Ethanol Technology Could Help Replace Half Of Auto Fuel In U.S. - A University of Florida news release about a new way to turn agricultural resources into ethanol.
• Sierra Club to Sue South Bend Ethanol Plant - about pollution from an Indianan ethanol plant.
• Crunching the Numbers on Alternative Fuels summary of pros and cons of many alternative fuels. From Popular Mechanics.
• Algae: Biofuel Of The Future? - A Science Daily article about algae based biofuels.

• Back to the Honors 203/Chemistry 110 Page.

Questions should be directed to Dr. Kimberly Lawler-Sagarin: ksagarin@elmhurst.edu