Ethanol.
Image Credit: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0f/Ethanol_Flasche.jpg/180px-Ethanol_Flasche.jpg
Yet another issue that refers back to something specific that we learned earlier this year. We’ve heard it, and our book even states it: A switch from gasoline to ethanol is necessary, and one of the reasons is that ethanol burns much more cleanly than gasoline does. So with this in mind, how can a study show that ethanol makes the air dirtier and is responsible for smog-related deaths?
The new research says that if all automobiles in the United States ran on mostly ethanol fuel, by the year 2020 almost 200 more people would die yearly due to respiratory problems. Think about it – that’s a considerable increase.
Although, the shift to the use of ethanol as a fuel to replace gasoline is not likely to occur that quickly.
According to the study, about 4,700 people die each year due to respiratory problems from ozone. If ethanol increases the levels of ozone, even more people will by dying per year from respiratory problems because ozone is toxic in the lowest layer of the atmosphere. This new study shows that not only is ethanol no better than gas, it may even be a bit worse as far as air pollution.
Unsure what to think? Me too. Even the science books tell us that ethanol is a good alternative to gasoline – even though it may be more expensive, it burns more cleanly and would therefore help reduce the number of harmful and/or toxic chemicals that are released into the air from gasoline. This is just like the debate in my previous post – new information presented that conflicts with what scientists have thought for who knows how long! President Bush has even announced the reduction of gas usage by 20% over 10 years and using alternative fuels such as ethanol. Scientists believe that due to the switch this alternative, smog (mixture of smoke and fog) may go up by 1%.
However, many environmentalists have problems with this study, done by Mark Jacobson, Stanford University civil and environmental engineering professor. Ethanol is supposed to cut down on smog and reduce greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Scientists see no necessary reason to stop the usage of ethanol based on Jacobson’s study. Matt Hartwig of the Renewable Fuels Association said that actual data shows that ethanol is in fact ”greener” than gasoline, in other words, better for the environment. But according to Jacobson, ethanol being a better alternative depends on location. He says that ethanol use is a problem in areas where smog is already a considerable issue, such as in Los Angeles (where he believes most of the additional 200 deaths per year will take place) and the Northeastern states. Why would ethanol, a clean-burning fuel, produce more smog? Jacobson tells us that this is because: 1) ethanol produces more hydrocarbons than gas, and hydrocarbons are essential components in ozone production; 2) ethanol produces chemicals that turn into hydrocarbons, last a long time, and can spread over a pretty vast distance; 3) the lack of nitrogen oxide in the air due to ethanol can be a problem in places like Los Angeles, where smog dominates – excess nitrogen oxide would destroy the additional ozone being produced because of ethanol.
Well this is another interesting debate. Many environmentalists disagree with Jacobson, saying that the differences in his calculations are so small that they don’t really mean much at this point. It should also be noted that Jacobson, in his calculations, did not account for the fact that ethanol decreases the number of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, which cause global warming, a very critical issue that the world faces. Will Jacobson’s speculations prove to have some validity in the future, or will ethanol prove to be one solution to the problem of global warming?
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