Spring Break
The disadvantages of ethanol
Adam Testa/Online News Editor
Issue date: 10/19/06 Section: News
Other environmental damages stem from ethanol production from corn, including pollution, Pimentel said.
"It uses more nitrogen fertilizer than any other crop in the nation," he said. "About 25 percent of that nitrogen leaks off into our streams and lakes."
Farmers do use nitrogen-based fertilizer to grow corn, but if handled properly, the chemical is not dangerous, Phelan said.
"It's a harmless nutrient when handled properly," he said. "Farmers have to be trained and certified to handle that."
Other chemicals used to grow corn also affect the environment, Pimentel said.
"Corn uses more herbicides and pesticides than any other crop grown in the nation, and these pesticides are causing major problems in polluting our streams and lakes," he said.
Pimentel said that the nitrogen runoff is the prime cause of the "dead zone" in the Gulf of Mexico.
"Seventy percent of the nitrogen delivered to the Gulf came from above the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers," according to a 1995 study by the World Wildlife Fund.
A 2001 study from the Environmental Protection Agency estimated that 90 percent came from non-point sources, primarily agricultural runoff and atmospheric deposition.
Another effect that ethanol production has on the environment is its impact on global warming, Pimentel said. Ethanol production affects global warming in three ways.
First, the claim that ethanol requires more fossil energy to produce than it produces contributes to global warming.
Also, when corn is fermented in the ethanol production process, the yeasts release large amounts of carbon dioxide into the environment, Pimentel said.
The third contributor to global warming is that every gallon of ethanol produced causes 12 gallons of sewage effluent that then is dumped into sewage system, he said.
Converting coal would be a much better option environmentally, Pimentel said.
"In converting coal, if it was done soundly, it would reduce the amount of environmental pollutants by about 10-fold," he said.
"It uses more nitrogen fertilizer than any other crop in the nation," he said. "About 25 percent of that nitrogen leaks off into our streams and lakes."
Farmers do use nitrogen-based fertilizer to grow corn, but if handled properly, the chemical is not dangerous, Phelan said.
"It's a harmless nutrient when handled properly," he said. "Farmers have to be trained and certified to handle that."
Other chemicals used to grow corn also affect the environment, Pimentel said.
"Corn uses more herbicides and pesticides than any other crop grown in the nation, and these pesticides are causing major problems in polluting our streams and lakes," he said.
Pimentel said that the nitrogen runoff is the prime cause of the "dead zone" in the Gulf of Mexico.
"Seventy percent of the nitrogen delivered to the Gulf came from above the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers," according to a 1995 study by the World Wildlife Fund.
A 2001 study from the Environmental Protection Agency estimated that 90 percent came from non-point sources, primarily agricultural runoff and atmospheric deposition.
Another effect that ethanol production has on the environment is its impact on global warming, Pimentel said. Ethanol production affects global warming in three ways.
First, the claim that ethanol requires more fossil energy to produce than it produces contributes to global warming.
Also, when corn is fermented in the ethanol production process, the yeasts release large amounts of carbon dioxide into the environment, Pimentel said.
The third contributor to global warming is that every gallon of ethanol produced causes 12 gallons of sewage effluent that then is dumped into sewage system, he said.
Converting coal would be a much better option environmentally, Pimentel said.
"In converting coal, if it was done soundly, it would reduce the amount of environmental pollutants by about 10-fold," he said.
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Viewing Comments 1 - 8 of 11
Brian Peppers
posted 1/15/08 @ 1:25 PM CST
Ethanol is the Devlil
Mike
posted 1/18/08 @ 11:59 AM CST
Not to mention the amount of corn required to make the stuff! Food prices are rocketing because of increased ethanol production; food costs in sub-Saharan Africa have risen 110% because of the worldwide market price for corn, which has been driven up due to ethanol producers buying massive amounts of the crop. (Continued…)
UR MOM
posted 3/10/08 @ 5:11 PM CST
Ethanol is so bad. There is very few things good about it!!!
Bob Johnson
posted 3/13/08 @ 7:29 AM CST
ethanol is terrible for the enviorment and whoever uses it should stop because it is just so bad for the eniviorment
Danton McMullin
posted 4/08/08 @ 7:27 PM CST
ehtanol is a bad alternative to fossile fuels but it is better then nothing. There are lots of problemes with the whole idea of using corn as an alternative fuel but it is one of the only things we have to use with our tecnology at this point, so it is not all bad, but not even close to being all good either. (Continued…)
Zacharys Mom
posted 5/23/08 @ 10:38 AM CST
I had a dream that ethanol plants was the devil!!!!!!!
sandy
posted 11/23/08 @ 7:52 PM CST
ethanol is awesome,,, i eat it for breakfast.
moppey
posted 11/24/08 @ 4:18 PM CST
i love ethanol,, i think that this sandy kid could be my hero,
did you know i even wrote a comic strip about ethaboy and ethaman.
its pretty damn cool. (Continued…)
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