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Renewable Energy

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Cellulose Ethanol as Alternative to Fossil Fuels

Saint Leo University

Today people are dependant almost entirely on fossil fuels as a form of energy and fuel. There is a very finite amount of fossil fuels in the grounds and it in inevitable that we will run out. For a time we thought ethanol from corn would be what took us away from our dependence on fossil fuels. Scientists are now looking into various options for alternative sources of fuel such as solar power, wind and biomass. Biomass in the form of cellulosic ethanol seems to hold the most promise as an alternative to fossil fuels for several reasons.
Cellulosic ethanol is a completely renewable resource, unlike fossil fuels, and can be converted from plants, wood clippings and tree branches, even human waste in some cases (Khemani, 2008). The primary source of cellulosic ethanol is from tree harvesting and leftovers from paper mills. All of these resources can and are replaced or produced daily. The use of human waste and garbage would also alleviate some of the pollution problems of the world.
There are other sources of energy that are more popular or have gotten more attention in the last few years such as wind and solar power. Wind power is feasible for farmland because it only requires a small portion of land and does not interfere with the everyday on goings of the farm; it is not feasible as a source of energy for the mass populous. There is also the fact that the wind isn’t constantly blowing to turn the wind turbine, which in itself creates a problem. Solar energy has the same drawbacks. It can be used to power a home but it cannot feasible be used on a large city or even a small town as the cost to the consumer would be too high for the average consumer to accept as 1 MW output would cost as much as 10 MW by way of coal. (Deodhar, 2011)
While there are alternatives on a smaller scale for the individual to power a home, they are not alternatives to one of the biggest problems we have, vehicles. Cellulosic ethanol burn 85% cleaner than gasoline and is cheaper. After Katrina in 2005 we all saw the flaws in using corn as a primary source of fuel. Corn can only be grown in certain places and in amounts too small to make a difference. We also learned that ethanol from corn in cars is not as fuel efficient as we once thought. (Goodman, 2011) President Obama set a mandate to produce 16 Billion gallons of cellulosic ethanol by 2022 (Motavelli, 2010).
As you can see Cellulose Ethanol, or Biofuel, is the most cost effective, environmentally friendly and most sensible way to go in terms of alternatives to fossil fuels. It is completely renewable as an energy source, produces fewer emissions when used as vehicle fuel and burns more efficiently than corn ethanol used today.
Works Cited
Deodhar, P. (2011, July 6). Multi-MW Solar PV Plants: More Problem Than Solution . Retrieved October 10, 2011, from Renewable Energy World: http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2011/07/multi-mw-size-solar-pv-plants-more-problem-than-solution
Goodman, J. (2011, March 7). The Cellulosic Ethanol Boom that Never Happened. Retrieved October 13, 2011, from Stateline: http://www.stateline.org/live/details/story?contentId=556119
Hybrid Cars. (2006, September 27). Retrieved October 10, 2011, from Pros and Cons of Hybrid Cars: http://www.hybridcars.com/ethanol/benefits-drawbacks.html
Khemani, H. (2008, September 4). BrightHub. Retrieved 10 08, 2011, from Sources of BioMass Materials: http://www.brighthub.com/engineering/mechanical/articles/6362.aspx
Motavalli, J. (2010, February 19). Cellulosic ethanol fuel breakthrough: 85% cleaner and only $2 a gallon. Retrieved 10 10, 2011, from Mother Nature Network: http://www.mnn.com/green-tech/transportation/blogs/cellulosic-ethanol-fuel-breakthrough-85-cleaner-and-only-2-a-gallon
Newman, R. (2008, January 11). Cellulosic Ethanol. Retrieved October 09, 2011, from U.S.News & World Report : http://money.usnews.com/money/personal-finance/articles/2008/01/11/cellulosic-ethanol

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