In the U.S., ethanol is being produced from much of our corn crop, at least for the initial supply. Brazil converts its sugar cane crop into this “moonshine fuel”.The question might quickly come to mind…is it wise to use a country’s major food crop for fuel to move our vehicles of transport ? Meanwhile, we are told that corn prices on the open market have risen some 50 % since just a year ago.

Ethanol From Corn, What Does This Mean ?

Will the average sugar consumption drop here in the U.S. and of course in most all of the other countries who now import sugar cane from Brazil, or corn from america, of which corn syrup is made from and is used to sweeten many of our cereals, pastries, etc..

Will The Electric Car Also Play A Role ?

With some major automobile companies ramping up to make a near future debut with a viable alternative to the ethanol fueled gasoline engine, some experts believe that with any big advancements in battery technology, we could see not only a low pollution vehicle on our roads in the near future, but also a very quit one. True, even the electric will at least in the early versions, require a small internal combustion engine to augment the battery power when they run low before a recharge, which will also be used to increase the vehicle’s running range, but this amount of liquid fuel use will be extremely small in comparison to the ethanol powered engine. Engine noise may even become a small deciding factor in the future engine or even the type of fuel we end up using. Marketing is a big factor in the final use of any product or the method of operation of any device. The outcome of surveys from the use of the new fuel or method of engine drive technology, be it from ethanol, a new battery/reciprocating assist engine, or even a totally battery powered engine will greatly be determined by this. Then, there is still the fuel cell powered car, which is being tested throughout the U.S.. This technology is now being evaluated in some buses and delivery trucks. There are still some problems with this technology, the main reason being the cost of producing the needed hydrogen by separating it from water through electrolysis. The process requires power to separate the hydrogen and is presently not cost effective. There is talk of using solar or wind power to lower cost, but this is still in the works.

The Most Promising Approach…

Ethanol is still the best technology being addressed as the way to solve our exorbitant use of fossil fuels and the immediate consequence of having to import so much of it because of our lack of oil resources here at home. Of course, we do have a lot of coal, enough to last many years, but the problem is still pollution and this is also the reason to rid ourselves of these dirty fuels. It is also very important to keep in mind that Ethanol is being subsidised by the government in the present amount of $ 0.51 and this alone is a big incentive. After all, if we do not at the same time reduce pollution, there will be no humans around to inhabit our then cooler planet.