Green For Stop

An article from Scientific American explores the problems with so-called biofuels, stating:

Environmental engineer Mark Jacobson of Stanford University used a computer
model to assess how the air pollution in the U.S. would react if vehicles
remained primarily fueled by gasoline in 2020 or if the fleet transferred to a
fuel that was a blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline, so-called
E85. Under the latter scenario, levels of the cancer-causing agents benzene and
butadiene dropped while those of formaldehyde and acetaldehyde rose: In other
words, a wash.

And from LiveScience:

Studies hint, for instance, that ethanol might guzzle more energy during its
manufacture than it provides, and that it might strain valuable water resources. Recent findings also suggest fuels high in ethanol may pose an equal or greater risk to public health than regular gasoline.

So it's basically out of the frying pan and into the other frying pan.

There is a cut in greenhouse gasses by switching to ethanol, which is good for the global warming issue, but there are many health risks, plus the other destruction to the environment by growing so many corn, surgarcane and switchgrass fields. Although Brazil denies destruction to the environment, the AP reports, "Environmentalists fear that land currently dedicated to soy and cattle will be converted to sugar cane, forcing cattle and soy farmers to deforest other land." I know that if Jeb Bush is involved in these talks with Brazil, it must be bad news.

The Amazon Rainforest destruction means the end of a great source of oxygen, but also a release of high levels of carbon dioxide from the burning of the forests.

And what of corn and the effect on the environment in general?

Yeah, the cons, the cons, the cons. So where are the pros?

And remember, just switching to an electric car does not mean you aren't poluting. If the powerplant that gives you the juice has to work harder to power your car, they are poluting more for your need - unless they use solar, wind or geothermal sources for power.

Getting green for real is confusing sometimes, but my Molly had a few ideas recently. Check out the link.