BY: E R I C A T U C K E R

ETHANOL VS. GASOLINE

INTRO TO THE FUELS

• Gasoline:• Produced from petroleum• Non-renewable• Types:• Pure gasoline• Gasohol (combination of gasoline and ethanol)

INTRO TO THE FUELS (CONT.)

• Ethanol:• Derived from plants• Renewable• Types:• Corn-based• Sugarcane • Cellulosic (made from the sugar substrate of plants)

THESIS

• After each side of the argument is presented, my thesis is:• The BEST combination of each fuel needs to be used to

improve environment and maintain necessary resources.

MAIN POINTS

• Benefits and downfalls to both gasoline and ethanol • The new forms of ethanol being researched• What these new forms bring to the table for the

U.S.• The need for alternative fuels• New technology

BENEFITS OF GASOLINE

• Cheaper than ethanol in the long run

• Engine burns it more efficiently

DOWNFALLS TO GASOLINE

• Worse for environment• Releases more Hydrocarbons and Carbon Dioxide

• Non-renewable• This issue leads to a need of alternative fuels

BENEFITS OF ETHANOL

• Cheaper to produce• Made from corn- renewable resource

• Better for the environment• Emissions released are less harmful

DOWNFALLS TO ETHANOL

• Using corn to produce ethanol would decrease amount used for feeding the people of the world• World doesn’t produce enough corn as it is

• May be more expensive in the long-run than gasoline• Less-efficient burning in engine

NEW FORMS OF ETHANOL

• Sugarcane Ethanol:

• Made from sugarcane

• Renewable

• More needs to be produced, this space is available

• Benefits:

• Reduction of carbon emissions by 66 million tonnes

• “tonne” here means 1000 kilograms

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR U.S.

• U.S. was tenth in sugarcane production as of 2005• Need to either produce or import more sugarcane

• Car manufacturers need to produce engine to run efficiently on sugarcane

• Although promising, has downfalls• Also uses valuable food sources that could be feeding the

starving people of the world

NEW FORMS OF ETHANOL (CONT.)

• Cellulosic Ethanol• Produced by breaking down sugar substrate of plant

material

• Cellulose makes up between 75 and 85 percent of plant material • If broken down too, corn could be used more efficiently

and less would be needed to produce the same amount of fuel

GASOHOL

• 90% gasoline and 10% corn-based ethanol• Same price at pump, but emissions are not as harmful

• Downfall• “Expensive and energy intensive to produce” (Columbia)

NEED FOR ALTERNATIVE FUELS

• Nations need to keep up with demand of food sources for ethanol, but also maintain adequate production of crops for feeding the world

• Need for fuel that is safe for the environment and also competitive with gasoline’s efficiency in engines

ADDITIONAL GOAL: REDUCE OVERALL USE OF ENERGY SOURCES

• New technology has surfaced

• Electric cars

• Run on electricity and gasoline

• More beneficial to environment because they release less harmful emissions than a car that runs only on gasoline

• Chevy Cruze Eco

• Better gas mileage

MAKING PROGRESS

• Benefits of Electric Cars:• Require less fuel therefore reducing needed amount of

depleting petroleum

• If progress continues• Electric-ethanol cars?• 100% electric cars?• Resolve problem of overuse of petroleum and remove

harmful emissions

IN CONCLUSION…

• Despite positives of gasoline, long-term survival of society requires use of alternative fuels.

• Due to drawbacks, society is not yet ready to completely replace gasoline because of greedy consumption of petroleum

• Many hurdles to conquer and further research and analysis is necessary for reduction of petroleum-based products and increase in alternative fuels

WORKS CITED

• “Economic and Social Department the Statistics Division.” Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations. 2005. Web. 01 Nov. 2011. < http://www.fao.org>.

• “Ethanol is More Expensive than Gasoline over Time.” US News. Daily News, 03 June 2008. Web. 01 Nov. 2011. <http://usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/cars-trucks/daily-news/080603-Ethanol-is-More-Expensive-than-Gasoline-Over-Time/>.

• “Gasohol.” Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th Edition 1.1 (2011): 1. Vocational and Career Collection. Web. 01 Nov. 2011.

• Goldemberg, José. “The Ethanol Program in Brazil.” Environmental Research Letters 1.1 (2006): 4. IOP Science. Web. 01 Nov. 2011.

• Ho, Mae-Wan. “Ethanol from Cellulose Biomass Not Sustainable nor Environmentally Benign” Institute of Science in Society Science Society Sustainability. (2006): n. pag. Web. 02 Nov. 2011.

• Lerner, Ivan. “The New Ethanol.” ICIS Chemical Business 277.22 (2010): 24-25. Vocational and Career Collection. Web. 02 Nov. 2011.

• Weeks, Linton. “Big Question: Can Grain Ever be the Future of Fuel?” National Debate Archives. (2006): G29. TOPICsearch. Web. 01 Nov. 2011.