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Nathan Garrido English III 12/06/12 An Alternative Future The world has been continuously troubled by its climatic state. The abundant amount of greenhouse gases has disrupted the ozone layer, and countless people are debating over a beneficial solution. One of the biggest changes in America, they argue, would have to come from the automobile industry. Since the 20th Century, car manufacturers have continuously created cars with various designs and improved mechanics. There were then modifications regarding miles per gallon, in which vehicles began to become less wasteful. Today, the auto industry is undergoing another phase: the biofuel era. An alternative fuel source that did not consist of fossil fuel materials such as coal and petroleum was considered the best way to start reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The product was ethanol; a biofuel composed of fermented and distilled starch crops such as corn - blended with gasoline (U.S. Dept. of Energy). Ethanol can be a great alternative for gasoline under the right circumstances, but it has been proven that there are much better alternatives. Ethanols content is rather innovative, yet it is not produced and exported as easily as gasoline, nor does it work the same. Ethanol fuel is made up of materials such as corn and alcohol, and it is blended with gasoline. There are two types of this blended fuel: E10 and E85. E10 fuel, also known as Gasohol, is a mixture of ten percent ethanol and ninety-five percent gasoline. E85 is eighty-five percent ethanol and fifteen percent gasoline and can only be used by flexible fuel vehicles, also known as flexfuel vehicles or FFVs. E10 can be used by normal vehicles, yet it is slightly more expensive than gasoline. In fact, ethanol was increasing gas

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prices instead of bringing them down due to a high demand (Halperin). Apart from increasing gas prices, transporting ethanol is another problem. It is argued that ethanol takes less energy to produce than gasoline, and this is actually true. Alex Halperin wrote that Michael Wang, a scientist at the Dept.-funded Argonne National Laboratory for Transportation Research, says the energy used for each unit of ethanol produced has been reduced by about half *since 1980+ (Halperin). Although the production of ethanol is less consuming than that of gasoline, the amount of ethanol used to fill up a gas tank once takes enough grain that could feed one person for an entire year (Addison). Gasoline is transported through pipelines, but ethanol cannot be transported in the same way because it will mix excessively with water and other impurities. This means that the only other way that ethanol can be transported is by trucks and trains, which would waste more gasoline. Another inconvenience specifically regarding E85 fuel is efficiency. The fueleconomy.govs report on ethanol states that FFVs operating on E85 usually experience a 25-30% drop in miles per gallon due to ethanols lower energy content (U.S. Dept. of Energy). This problem in particular has only seemed to occur within the United States and not in countries like Brazil, where ethanol is being widely used and produced. The only difference is that Brazil has FFVs with better miles per gallon. John Addison, author of the article Ethanol-the Good, the Bad, the Ugly, the Beautiful states that American manufacturers GM and Ford used their flex-fuel strategy as an easy way out, instead of making the tougher choices to truly embrace hybrids and real fuel efficiency (Addison). In other words, if the American auto industry made a real effort to cut emissions, then they could manufacture flexfuel vehicles with a higher MPG.

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Biofuels composed of cellulosic materials are a newer and more prosperous source of fuel that potentially surpasses ethanol. Addison states that Materials such as timber harvesting residues, corn stover, sawdust, paper pulp, hog manure, and municipal garbage can be used to make cellulosic ethanol (Addison). These cellulosic materials, also known as biomass, go through a process called thermo-chemical conversion; a two-step process in which the biomass is turned into a synthesis gas and then into ethanol (Addison). Range Fuels, a portfolio company of Khosla Ventures has become the first company in the United States to have built a commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol plant. Apart from the biomass, other natural resources such as grasses, energy crops, and hybrid poplar trees are also found to be an even greater alternative for biofuels. These plants absorb CO2 and sequester it in the soil with their deep root systems. They grow in areas that do not require much irrigation or fertilizing. These plants are very beneficial and are a potential zero-emission fuel source. The chances of these biofuels being used are getting closer to becoming a reality. The United States must begin producing a higher rate of hybrid cars and continue to venture on the concept of electric drive systems. This means electric vehicles such as plug-in hybrids, electric buses, and high speed rails. Once the use of alternative energy grows, then the use of combustion engines will begin to decline. Even the use of non-electric methods of transportation such as bicycle riding, walking, and bigger use of public transportation can contribute greatly to the end of dependence on gasoline. This will also be a big step in the fight against global warming, since the government will be able to focus more on renewable energy, such as wind, solar, geothermal, and other renewable sources.

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Companies with new, beneficial technologies should be funded in order to continue the process of reducing the need for fossil fuels. Virent is a great example, as this company produces a synthetic fuel called biogasoline. Biogasoline is created by simply converting biomass into gasoline. Not only does it preserve natural resources, but biogasoline has the same energy content as gasoline, something ethanol was not able to successfully match as E85 lowered a cars miles per gallon rate. The most remarkable thing about Virents success is its procedure. The same bioforming process that they used in order to create the biogasoline also allows them to create hydrogen, biodiesel, and even bio jet fuel (Addison). Soon, through government funding and public support, companies like Virent will emerge all throughout the world. Ethanol has been seen as a great source to replace gasoline, yet there are too many drawbacks that prevent ethanol from being a successful counterpart. Alternatives such as cellulosic biofuels composed of biomass and the use of public transportation can successfully reduce dependence on gasoline, which would conserve fossil fuels, as well as reduce the amount of overly abundant greenhouse gas emissions that are harming our environment. Finally, one of the biggest factors of global warming will no longer exist.

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Works Cited
Addison, John. "Ethanol - the Good, the Bad, the Ugly, the Beautiful." Cleantechblog.com. Cleantech Blog, 6 Mar. 2009. Web. 27 Nov. 2012. <http://www.cleantechblog.com/2009/03/ethanol-good-bad-ugly-beautiful.html>. "Ethanol." Ethanol. U.S. Department of Energy, n.d. Web. 19 Nov. 2012. <http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/ethanol.shtml>. Halperin, Alex. "Ethanol: Myths and Realities." Businessweek.com. Bloomberg Businessweek, 18 May 2006. Web. 19 Nov. 2012. <http://www.businessweek.com/stories/2006-0518/ethanol-myths-and-realities>.