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A Necessary Blend
Natural petroleum has a life-span which is limited and, whether we like it or not, that time is creeping up on us. As a technological civilization, the energy supplied by fossil fuels is not only necessary for the continuation of society as we know it, but required for our survival. With current reserves at the level they are, it is speculated that, while not in our lifetime, eventually supplies will disappear and humanity will be forced to find a new supply of fuel to power life. But if this inevitability is so far off, why should we worry now? Well, aside from the fact that if we conserve now, the dwindling supply lasts longer, ethanol and other bio fuels can also save you a little bit of money at the gas pump. Only through the co-existence of the Oil Industry and bio fuels can, we as a nation, extend the life of fossil fuel reserves around the world, become less dependent on foreign oil, and even do less damage to the planet. The need for natural and refined petroleum will never go away, not anytime soon at least, so we need to find a way to help.
Beginning in 2011, the National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) adopted an ethanol blended fuel in its three major series: the Craftsman Truck Series, Nationwide Series, and Sprint Cup Series. And after a combined total of over one million miles raced in competitive events, the blended Sonoco Green E15, a 15% ethanol – 85% gas mixture, has proven that it can endure in automobile engines. And it did not just endure, but excelled, providing six to eight more horsepower according to NASCAR drivers and teams. However, the biggest fact proven by NASCARs usage of E15 is how under the toughest of conditions and with the smallest of adjustments, the use of corn-based ethanol mixed with petroleum refined gasoline can be good enough to fuel teams in one of the largest racing organizations in the world. Even the IZOD Indy Car Series uses E85—an 85% ethanol mixture with 15% high-octane racing fuel. If ethanol based fuels can deliver similar power, efficiency, and mileage at 9,800 plus rpms and at speeds of over 200 miles an hour, it is good enough for me on the highway in my passenger car.
Other benefits from renewable fuels become very apparent with a simple glance. According to a recent study from the Center for Agriculture and Rural Development, “the use of 13.9 billion gallons of ethanol in 2011 lowered average gasoline prices by $1.09 per gallon nationally and by $1.69 per gallon in Midwestern states such as Kansas,” (Renewable Fuel Association) Kansas being one of the states selling E15 fuels during this study. This is due to the fact that E15’s retail cost at the pump is roughly 10 to 15 cents cheaper per gallon than normal gasoline. This means just a bit more money in the consumer’s pocketbook with a percentage less of our natural resources used in the process.
Currently, E15 ethanol blends have been approved by the Environmental Protection Agency for sale and use in light duty vehicles made since 2001. That accounts for two out of every three cars on the road today. Just imagine what every vehicle running on a blend using 15% less gasoline would do for petroleum reserves in just a few years. Combine that with the fuel consumption of the travel and shipping industries and the ability to stretch fossil fuel supplies by decades, even centuries, seems like a realistic possibility. And with domestic production in a steady decline over the past 30 years and domestic demand increasing from double our production in 1973 to quadruple our production in 2010 (Bureau), it is necessary for our nation to look into alternative sources of fuel and energy. In contrast, ethanol production in 2010 had grown by 46 times the 1985 amount, keeping steady with consumption.
Even a small percentage of an ethanol mixture makes big differences. As stated in an article by ABC News, “NASCAR goes through about 450,000 gallons of E15 each season.” (FARNHAM) Over the course of one year, approximately 67,500 gallons of ethanol is used in the yearly total. That is equivalent to over one million gallons saved in under 15 years. As shown by the Federal Highway Administration highway statistics, in 2007, Americans drove approximately three trillion, 49 billion, 27 million miles of highway throughout the US and Puerto Rico. (Federal Highway Administration)
Even a small percentage of an ethanol mixture makes big differences. As stated in an article by ABC News, “NASCAR goes through about 450,000 gallons of E15 each season.” (FARNHAM) Over the course of one year, approximately 67,500 gallons of ethanol is used in the yearly total. That is equivalent to over one million gallons saved in under 15 years. As shown by the Federal Highway Administration highway statistics, in 2007, Americans drove approximately three trillion, 49 billion, 27 million miles of highway throughout the US and Puerto Rico. (Federal Highway Administration)
At an average of 20 miles per gallon fuel consumption, this results in approximately 152 billion, 451 million gallons of gasoline. If those numbers were to represent miles driven on E15 ethanol-gasoline mixture fuels, the amount of refined oil for gasoline would be offset by over 22 billion gallons that year.
One of the most significant benefits to our nation through these alternative energy solutions is the decrease in dependence on foreign oil. By increasing the production of domestically grown bio fuel sources such as corn and sugar, we lessen the amount of oil consumed and extend the lifespan of the oil industry. A wonderful side effect is that with the increased demand for corn, the nation’s agriculture industry will receive a well needed revitalization. Whereas the jobs in the oil industry should not see much an employment decline, if any, the farming industry will see a large demand for workers and thus create employment. Because bio fuels are processed from crops and even waste, there is no drilling needed and therefore a disaster such as the drilling incident in the Gulf of Mexico is not an issue.
Even though ethanol has so many benefits, with all energy technologies, there are the drawbacks. Most significant is the demand on the agriculture industry regarding the production of corn. The amount of farmable land will need to be increased by a large percent. As noted in a Popular Mechanics magazine article on bio fuels, “It would take 450 pounds of corn to yield enough ethanol to fill the tank of an SUV. Producing enough ethanol to replace America's imported oil alone would require putting nearly 900 million acres under cultivation—or roughly 95 percent of the active farmland in the country.” (Meigs) With all of that land being used for corn, we would suddenly be faced with an issue with growing of other necessary crops. The price of items such as animal feeds and sweetened items made with corn sugar with such a large portion of the yearly crops going to ethanol production. With the decreased land available, the production of other crops will drop also raising prices. Drought plays a big part in complicating the move to bio fuels. If an extended drought occurs in the regions this corn is grown in, crops will fail and we could experience a fuel shortage as a result. One solution to this issue is researching other bio fuel sources of stock, including sugarcane and beets, switch grass, palm oil, and algae. By utilizing other crop stocks for energy sources, the demand on corn production will ease.
According to the United States Senate, on average, the processing of ethanol requires between three to four and a half gallons of water consumed per gallon of ethanol processed. Crude petroleum, on the other hand, only consumes around two to two and a half gallons of water per gallon of gasoline, in some fuel products, even less. A way to reduce the amount of water consumed is by using alternative processing technologies, like prevaporation, which is a membrane separation technique, or by using forced-air fans for cooling instead of water. Using options like these, the amount of water needed per gallon is reduced, lessening the per gallon advantage of crude petroleum. (Aden)
Overall, many of the hurdles of implementing ethanol and other bio fuels can be overcome using similar conservation technologies we currently have in place. Utilizing other types of renewable energy, for example wind power and solar power, we can lessen the strain on ethanol usage. If we currently run gasoline-electric hybrids, why can we not use an ethanol-electric hybrid instead? Just because bio fuels are a source of renewable and biodegradable energy, it does not mean that we should not conserve anyways. Through conservation, we can lessen the demand on corn crops, and turn the few negatives into a positive and progressive solution.
The reason we need to conserve now is simple, we need natural petroleum. Not only to power our machines, but to survive. As we entered the mechanical age, we had no choices. The only option was sufficient, for the time. But time has moved on and it has become a mechanical world. For this reason alone, oil will always be a necessity. However, if we are able to supplement the resource with a renewable supply, then maybe our fossil fuels may last as long as we need them.
This debate will be a moot point if the resources run out. The bio fuel and oil industries need to co-exist not only for the cost, but for the future. Without the unified technologies, when the day the oil runs dry comes, and it will come someday, our nation and the world will not be prepared and we will find ourselves with a much bigger problem than oil consumption. We will find ourselves out of “juice.”
