Benefits of Ethanol

Before we can tell what the benefits of ethanol are we should know what ethanol is. Ethanol is a gasoline additive made from plant life such as corn and switchgrass.  Ethanol was originally produced to help the environment since plants absorb CO2 and the use of ethanol returns the CO2 back into the atmosphere thus, reducing greenhouse gasses. This is one of the benefits of ethanol. In addition is produces the same or lower levels of hydrocarbon and nitrogen emissions. Adding ethanol to gasoline in low percentages lowers the carbon monoxide emitted from the gasoline and improves the octane.

Vehicles that are able to use more than one type of fuel are called flexible fuel vehicles. These flexible fuel vehicles are able to use ethanol in combination with gasoline or gasoline on its own  This gives the vehicle owner the choice of the type of fuel he wants to use or needs to use.

Another one of the benefits of ethanol is its effect on the economy. The use of ethanol is one way for the country to reduce its need for foreign oil. .The corn and switchgrass as well as other plants used to produce ethanol are grown domestically and thereby help the farmers because the more there is need for the plants the more the farmer can earn by producing it. Although the framer is growing these plants today as feed stock for animals ethanol would place a greater demand on these plants.

Ethanol is considered to be a bio fuel and can be made over and over again as long as we grow the plants needed to produce ethanol.  Presently we are using crude oil that is extracted from the crust of the earth and there is no way to replace what we use. With ethanol we will always have the amount of fuel we need and not have to ravage the earth to fuel our automobiles and machinery. The benefits of ethanol are many but most important is the fact that ethanol is safe for the environment. Our present fuels are known to pollute ground water wherein ethanol does not. Because of the way ethanol is chemically structured when ethanol comes into contact with water is separates. In addition, one of the economical benefits of ethanol is the cost. It is cheaper than gasoline to buy and cheaper than gasoline to produce.. 

Breaking down the benefits of ethanol we find it is easy to make by using domestically grown plant life, it cuts down greenhouse gasses and emissions caused by present day fuels, helps the farmer’s economy, costs less to produce and to use than petroleum based fuel, does not pollute ground water, and because it is made of plant life can be grown over and over again unlike crude oil which violates the crust of the earth. In short, ethanol, it seems is the answer to a safe and long lived environment and a better economical status for the country in general.