Corn Ethanol: Hero or Hype?
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April 4, 2008
By Laura Evers and John Rockhold
Can we get ethanol from other sources?
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Cellulosic ethanol has huge potential to be a part of the solution to declining gasoline supplies. It can be made from non-food sources such as switchgrass and wood chips, and can be produced on marginal (non-food crops) land. Cellulosic ethanol is the subject of extensive and rapidly evolving research, as its energy bang for the buck is much greater than that for corn ethanol — with anywhere from twice to four or five times the energy output versus the input (depending on the source and production technique). Significant hurdles remain before it can become a widely available fuel, but recent legislation (see On the Road to Energy Independence) will encourage its development.
So what’s the verdict?
Ethanol alone won’t become America’s replacement for gasoline. Given the increasing human population, using grain for fuel rather than food promises to be highly problematic. There is reason to be optimistic about cellulosic ethanol, but even with technological breakthroughs it’s unlikely to be a wholesale remedy. Instead, we’ll need advanced biofuels among a variety of solutions, including increased fuel efficiency; lower speed limits and less driving; advanced public transportation; electric and hybrid-electric vehicles; and more.
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