Originally published November 15 2005
New research suggests ethanol is an ineffective fuel
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Berkeley researcher Tad Patzek has concluded a study that suggests ethanol requires more energy to produce than it can generate, fueling the debate about crop conversion as a possible fuel source.
"Ethanol production using corn grain required 29 percent more fossil energy than the ethanol fuel produced," reported Patzek in the journal Natural Resources Research last winter.
He added that ethanol produced from other common sources, such as biomass (wood products and agricultural waste), requires 50 percent or more fossil fuel derived energy than the ethanol that results can produce.
"People tend to think of ethanol and see an endless cycle: Corn is used to produce ethanol, ethanol is burned and gives off carbon dioxide, and corn uses the carbon dioxide as it grows," says Patzek.
Critics point out that his findings are based on farming and production practices that are fast becoming obsolete, and that newer techniques and machinery can make the ethanol production process much more energy efficient.
Doubts about ethanol underscore a fundamental problem in getting many types of renewable energy sources, including hydrogen, into mainstream usage: Until fuel sources like solar or wind power can provide clean ways to make clean fuel, the processes must rely on coal, oil, gas and nuclear energy.
Dear EarthTalk: How can I find information on toxic spills and major polluters in another part of the country where I am considering moving?
Passage of the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act in 1986 ensured that the public could access information on "chemical releases," but did not provide a very easy way to filter through data tucked away in vast government databases.
Envirofacts incorporates the federal Toxic Release Inventory (a database of annual toxic spills and releases), lists hazardous waste sites on the "Superfund" list (those slated for cleanup), and tracks violations of the Clean Water and Clean Air acts.
While RTK NET still provides up-to-date, zip-code-based information on toxic releases, its founders focus most of their attention these days on advising organizations and professionals who work on environmental, health and safety issues.
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