Ethanol Fuel (www.energyrefuge.com)Ethanol Issues (www.energyrefuge.com)Ethanol Fuel (www.energyrefuge.com)Ethanol fuel is a gasoline alternative that is manufactured from the conversion of carbon based feed stocks such as sugar cane, sugar beets, switch grass, corn, and barley. It is an alternative from petroleum based fuels and it is said to be better for the environment. Ethanol fuel can be combined with gasoline at different percentages, or can be used in its pure form as E100. Not every vehicle can run on 100% ethanol, but most run on small percentages of ethanol blends which are common at most gas stations. Ethanol has become more common because it is currently being used as an oxygenate additive for gasoline. It is a replacement for MTBE which was responsible for the contamination of soil and groundwater. Ethanol fuel is a sustainable energy resource that is intended to provide a more environmentally and economically friendly alternative to fossil fuels such as diesel and gasoline. There are many debates surrounding the environmental friendliness of ethanol, and the production viability. Ethanol as an energy alternative discusses some of the drawbacks of ethanol fuel and this article says that ethanol is not the answer yet. So where does the future of ethanol stand? Many proponents argue that it will bring us to a point of not depending on oil imported from other countries, and that we can produce all the ethanol that we need to be independent of the oil crisis. Opponents say that ethanol is touted as the answer, when it really will only slightly relieve our oil dependence issues. There are questions surrounding ethanol fuel that need to be answered before our country can say for sure what the future holds. If we continue to argue and debate instead of looking for answers or other fuel alternatives, we may find ourselves back at the drawing board...smarting from yet another slap from the oil industry. Written by Ethan K.Ethanol Issues (www.energyrefuge.com)Ethanol is the most used and subsidized type of biofuel in the world, particularly in the U.S. and Brazil. Supporters claim it is a clean alternative to fossil fuels. However, there are several ethanol issues that detractors tend to point out to counter thesupposed benefits of using ethanol as fuel.One of the most hotly debated ethanol issues is the threat it may pose against foodsecurity, as food crops are replaced with fuel crops. Organizations have warned against higher food prices impacting the world’s poorest. The use of cereals for industrial purposes may tighten the link between food and energy markets, increasing food prices.Other ethanol issues that have been taken into account include deforestation, especially in Brazil, where sugarcane ethanol is widely popular, and air pollution. The latter is controversial because while ethanol-blended gasoline emits less carbon dioxide, ethanol production is more energy intensive than refining gasoline, thus generating emissions from burning fossil fuels during the distilling process. However, a USDA studyclaims that ethanol contains 34% more energy than it takes to grow and harvest corn and then distill it into ethanol.It is possible that all ethanol issues could be resolved with the development of ethanol made out of non-food materials such as switchgrass, prairie grasses and woody plants, which could be converted into so-called cellulosic ethanol. There is considerable research in this field and Brazil recently opened a dedicated laboratory. Cellulosic ethanolis said to have a greater energy output and lower environmental impact, and it doesn’t compete with food