How the Ethanol Crisis Affects You:
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Ethanol and the Environment
Overview
Though originally touted as an environmentally friendly alternative to gasoline,
increased ethanol production actually has led to unexpected environmental problems.
Air pollution and water usage are among these concerns. The EPA relaxed clean air
regulations on ethanol production facilities in order to meet congressional mandates,
allowing 250 tons of emissions per year, instead of the 100 tons required for other
types of facilities. These issues, among others, are leading scientific researchers
to question and recalculate ethanol's benefits.
Quick Facts
- With oil prices at an all-time high and the U.S. government subsidizing farmers
to grow crops for energy, U.S. farmers have massively shifted their cultivation
toward biofuel feedstocks, especially corn.
Joachim von Braun, Testimony to the United States Senate Committee
on Energy and Natural Resources, June 12, 2008
- No conclusive evidence supports claims that ethanol use helps the environment by
reducing air pollutants.
"The Energy Report", Susan Combs, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts,
5/6/2008
- Ethanol releases high levels of nitrogen oxide, one of the principal ingredients
of smog, when burned.
"UC Scientist says ethanol uses more energy than it makes", San
Francisco Chronicle, 6/27/2005
- Ethanol production: 1) places extremely high demands on our water resources by depleting
aquifers; 2) creates heavy truck traffic; 3) poses safety concerns; and, 4) contributes
to air pollution.
"Ethanol Reaps a Backlash In Small Midwestern Towns", Wall Street Journal, 3/3/2007
- The United States does not have enough acres of farmland to grow the amount of corn
needed to produce the ethanol that could satiate our demand for gasoline.
"The Energy Report", Susan Combs, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts,
5/6/2008
- Thousands of farmers are taking their fields out of the government's biggest land
conservation program, which pays them not to cultivate, for a chance to cash in
on the boom in wheat, soybeans, corn and other crops. Last fall, they took back
as many acres as are in Rhode Island and Delaware combined.
"As Prices Rise, Farmers Spurn Conservation Program",The New York
Times, 4/9/2008
Studies, Testimony and Reports
Articles of Interest
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