Graphic By: Julie Brennan

Ethanol is a type of fuel that runs in virtually any type of internal combustion engine, with the proper modifications. Ethanol is produced by fermenting and distilling starch crops that have been broken down into simple sugars. Common crops used to create ethanol include corn, barley and wheat. Corn is the leading ethanol producing crop, but ethanol can also be produced by "cellusosic biomass," or bioethanol, from trees and grasses. E85 ethanol is the most common form of ethanol used for fuel, and it is a mixture of 85 percent corn-based ethanol and 15 percent unleaded gasoline. There are other forms of ethanol in use, such as E10 (10 percent ethanol, 90 percent gasoline), E95 (95 percent ethanol and five percent gasoline) and even E100 (100 percent ethanol), but E85 is the most widespread and available ethanol substance.

This combination reduces a large amount of pollutants and greenhouse gases that normal cars release, and corn-based ethanol (which is the common derivation of ethanol) is a renewable energy source. Widespread use of E85 ethanol also has the potential to reduce our country's dependence on fossil fuels. Brazil and many European countries like Sweden are well on their way to using ethanol as an alternative fuel source.

GM is the leading vehicle manufacturer in the ethanol movement. GM claims to have over 1.5 million E85 ethanol ready vehicles on the road to date, known as FlexFuel vehicles (FFVs), and GM's slogan states "live green, go yellow!" Ford and Daimler-Chrysler also have sizeable lineups of E85 ready vehicles. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, there are over four million FFVs on the road today.

The major benefit of current FFVs is that they can run on either E85 or regular gasoline. This will allow consumers to fill up with E85 where available or use gasoline wherever they cannot locate an E85 gas station. GM states that there are currently over 600 E85 pump stations nationwide. Here is a link that provides a comprehensive list of ethanol gas stations across the U.S.

Current FFVs boast other benefits, such as: increased horsepower, due to the fact that E85 has a higher octane rating than gasoline (E85 ethanol is rated at 110 Octane), less engine wear and the growing support of U.S. agricultural ventures to produce corn. Pricing of E85 at the pumps also runs about 20-30 percent cheaper than gasoline. This is, in part, due to government subsidies and the elimination of state taxes for E85. The U.S. federal tax exemption that keeps ethanol at a competitive price is set to expire in 2007. However, the subsidy may be extended in the near future.

While the benefits are many, ethanol does have its downsides. At the present time, these downsides are significant enough to make a strong case for ethanol to never become a total replacement for gasoline, but rather a helpful transitioning tool to another, more efficient and more economically viable alternative fuel. A study done by Cornell University in 2001 cite multiple economic concerns with using ethanol, and Howstuffworks has a detailed breakdown of the results. The study is a bit dated, but the refining process and the economics of corn and ethanol have not changed significantly in the past few years.

To better understand why ethanol is not currently plausible as a primary fuel source, the economics of corn and the downsides of ethanol need to be taken into consideration. According to the Cornell study, to create one gallon of ethanol, it takes 21.6 pounds of corn, and one acre of land can yield a total of 7,100 pounds of corn. Corn is also grown on a yearly basis, so that equals out to about 328 gallons of corn for every acre grown per year. According to the Department of Energy, the United States currently demands around 9.2 million barrels of oil per day (just for gasoline), and a barrel holds about 42 gallons each, which means that the U.S. demands close to 378 million gallons of gasoline per day. If all cars ran on ethanol, which is not as efficient as gasoline, the U.S. would need around 567 million gallons of ethanol per day. Doing the math, the U.S. would have to grow close to 1.7 million acres of corn per day, or over 630 million acres of corn per year, just to produce enough ethanol to feed the yearly U.S consumption rate. For further comparison, one acre of land is equal to .004 kmē, so the U.S. would need to grow around 2.5 million kmē of corn per year to fuel its thirst. To put this in perspective, the U.S. land surface area is 9,161,923 km², only a small fraction of which can be farmed for agricultural use.

If you are still skeptical, you can check my math:

Facts:
One gallon of ethanol = 21.6 lbs of corn
The yield of one acre of corn = 7100 lbs of corn
Amount of gasoline that U.S. consumes in one day = 9,200,000 barrels
One barrel can hold 42 gallons
One gallon of gasoline = 1.5 gallons of ethanol
One acre of land = .004 km²
The surface land area of the U.S. = 9,161,923 km²
Arable land in the U.S. 18.01%

Math
One acre of corn production in gallons: 21.6 pounds / 7100 pounds = 328 gallons

U.S. daily consumption in gallons: 9,200,000 barrels / 42 gallons = 378,000,000 gallons

U.S. daily consumption need in ethanol: 378,000,000 gallons of gasoline * 1.5 = 567,000,000 gallons

U.S. corn acreage daily need to produce enough ethanol: 567,000,000 gallons / 328 gallons = 1,700,000 acres

U.S. corn acreage yearly need to produce enough ethanol: 1,700,000 acres * 365 days = 630,000,000 acres

Surface area required to meet the U.S. yearly need of corn to make ethanol: 630,000,000 acres * .004 km² = 2,520,000 km²

Arable land divided by total land surface in U.S.: 18.01% * 9,161,923 = 1,650,062.33 km²

So once we find enough land fit for cultivation, then the problem of processing and refining comes into consideration. To take corn from the stalk and transform it into a liquid suitable for internal combustion engines, the grain needs to be crushed, processed with various enzymes, mixed with yeast and fermented to make alcohol, and then the alcohol can be distilled to create E85 ethanol. A small amount of gasoline must also be added to the ethanol to make it suitable as a fuel. The problem with this processing is that many of the plants will utilize oil to power the processing. To put it in perspective, here are the Cornell findings:

As stated above, a downside for E85 is its efficiency. For ethanol to match gasoline's efficiency, 1.5 gallons of ethanol are needed to equal one gallon of gasoline. Also, on average, cars running on E85 will see a fuel economy reduction of around 20 percent.

Stored solar energy in gasoline and ethanol is what provides power for their respective uses. For ethanol, as corn grows, it absorbs the suns and stores its inside itself, much like a solar plant does. When it is converted into ethanol, this stored energy is burned. This process is extremely fast in a geologic time scale when compared to gasoline. For gasoline, which is derived from oil, the process takes thousands of years. Oil is formed from compressed and pressurized organic decomposition in the depths of the earth. Over thousands of years, the organic material is put under so much stress and pressure that it eventually transforms into what we know as oil. The process of compaction that oil undergoes produces an energy-rich substance.

Despite the downsides, E85 is looking to become a temporary replacement for gasoline to bridge the gap between current fuels and future possibilities. Consumers who wish to start using E85 don't have to go out and buy a car specifically made to run off of ethanol, they can also modify their current vehicle to run the alternative fuel. The conversion process can cost as little as $400-700 and generally takes under an hour to install. Installation is a fairly simple process, and most consumers will be able to install the necessary hardware themselves. XcelPlus has detailed information on how to tell if your current vehicle can run E85 ethanol and also has a how-to on converting your vehicle to run on E85. These aftermarket conversion kits are not, however, EPA certified, so almost all aftermarket kits are illegal in the U.S. The XcelPlus site states:

E85 ethanol is emerging as a powerful alternative to help stem the current gasoline crisis that many countries around the world find themselves in. Its future as a full gasoline replacement is, however, not feasible.

I'm seeing red.