Biofuel: Ethanol Alternative to Transportation Essay -- Politics Oil

Biofuel Ethanol Alternative to Transportation For the past three decades Oil dominates the agenda of political discussion. With scares over price volatility, sizes of reserves, international imports and least(prenominal) of which are the environmental impacts due to carbon dioxide and other emissions. Various speculations and educated guesses place our total depletion of crude oil within the next 50 years and there is a general consensus between environmentalists that we steer toward a heat content transportation system given the projected work and nonexistent carbon dioxide emissions (Environmental Technologies path lecture, Santa Clara University). However many barriers stand in the way of attaining such a goal, most of which pertaining to the conservative nature of society. Society works in intermediary changes, a series of steps that blend rather than abandon one method of living for another. The option 22 states have chosen, is fermentation alcohol a combustive liquefiable fuel that could progressively move the United States toward a clean and sustainable environment and economy.Ethanol is an alcohol molecule consisting of two carbon molecules and six hydrogen molecules. Ethanol production in the United States results as a chemical byproduct from our most abundant food stock corn. Through four well up known and commonly practiced chemical processes, Hydrolysis, Fermentation, Distillation and Dehydration. Hydrolysis is used to break down the corn into simple sugars which when added to yeast in the second processes of Fermentation produces ethanol and carbon dioxide (http//www.ott.doe.gov/biofuels/abc_biofuels.html). The final two processes of distillation and dehydration merely removes sediment and waters that result from production o... ...gy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. U.S. Department of Energy. http//www.eere.energy.gov/. 4/29/2004.7)Increasing Americas Use of Renewable and Alternative Energy. U.S. Department of Energy. Na tures Power Ch. 6 pp. 1-18.8)National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition. Purchasing hunt for Flexible-Fuel Vehicles. www.E85Fuel.com.9)Rezendes, Victor S. Gasohol Federal Agencies Use of Gasohol Limited by High Prices and Other Factors. United States General Accounting Office. Gaithersburg, MD. December 1994.10)Shapouri, Hosein Duffield, James A. Wang, Michael. The Energy Balance of corn whiskey Ethanol An Update. United States Printing Office. Washington, D.C. July 2002.11)Shapouri, Hosein Duffield, James A. Wang, Michael. USDAs 1998 U.S. Ethanol Cost-of-Production Survey. United States Printing Office. Washington D.C. January 2002.