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Fossil Fuel Versus Biofuel: Is Corn the Best Alternative?

The current debate in the United States over replacing nonrewable fossil fuel (gasoline) with renewable biofuel made from corn (ethanol) involves several issues. On the surface, the advantages to this switch might seem like the solution to the problems we face with fossil fuel, such as our dependency on the Middle East, carbon dioxide emissions, and the global diminishing supply.

A closer look however, reveals that the replacement of fossil fuel with ethanol (the alcohol produced from corn kernels) would be more costly to the environment than the fossil fuel it replaces. There may still be hope though, of a biofuel dream, with other biological alternatives to corn.

This essay covers the debate on this issue, the facts, and some possible alternatives to fossil fuel and corn as an energy source.

The Debate

The pros and cons to the ethanol switch, from the perspective of those who are for and against the idea, follow.

Pros- Supporters of the replacement of gasoline with ethanol claim that the advantages would include

the boosting of the rural economy.
the alleviation of the dependence on Middle East fossil fuels.
the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions.
the reduction of fuel retail price, since ethanol is $2.80 per gallon, and gasoline is $3.20 per gallon.

Cons- Those who are against the replacement of gasoline with ethanol claim that the disadvantages would include

a substantially higher amount of herbicides and nitrogen fertilizers being released into the environment, since corn requires lots of both of them.
more soil erosion, since corn causes more than other crops.
that corn ethanol consumes almost as much fossil fuel as it replaces.
that it could cause farmers to use up tremendous amounts of land to plant corn on that has been set aside for soil and wildlife preservation.
that the use of corn would only replace 12 percent of our gasoline.
that the use of corn would reduce the amount of corn available for human and livestock consumption.
that ethanol gives 30 percent fewer miles to the gallon than gasoline.
that transport of ethanol drives the price higher, since there are no major pipelines for it in the US.
that the ethanol distillation process itself produces large amounts of carbon dioxide.
that it would reduce food security and drive up food prices.

Some Facts about Ethanol
Production costs are currently $1.09 per gallon in the US.
Retail price is $2.62

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