Corn for Your Car

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Corn for Your Car

• An analysis of ethanol production, efficiency,
  and the future of American corn farmers
  
• By Christina Cornett

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Outline

• History of ethanol
• Production process
• Benefits for farmers
• Environmental considerations
• Future of ethanol

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History
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Henry Ford intended to use ethanol in the
Model-Tuntil gasoline prices proved to be more
economical
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The 1973 oil crisis led researchers to
investigate the potential for ethanol as a
gasoline additive or substitute.
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Introduction of Ethanol into State Markets

• Many Midwestern states offer an ethanol
  alternative with several mandating it offered.
  
• The 2004 energy bill looks to outlaw MTBE, a
  current gasoline additive. Ethanol would be the
  likely substitute.

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Production Process
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Harvesting
Planting
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tml
Transporting
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st01.jpg
Milling Facility
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uck-1024.jpg
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missions-Controls3oct02b.jpg
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Ethanol Production Process
http//www.tallcornethanol.com/process.htm
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Finished product ready for distribution
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anol2.jpg
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Benefits of Ethanol
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solution/by_row_corn_l.jpg
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• Potential to generate over 100 billion in
  revenue to farmers.
  
• Reduce amount of subsidy, as the current surplus
  problems will be managed with an increased demand
  for corn.
  
• Creation of new jobs for processing plants and
  distributors.
  
• Research and technology will work to create more
  efficient corn varieties.

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Corn production contributes enormously to Corn
Belt state economies Illinois, Indiana, Iowa,
Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, and
South Dakota.
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rosion/images/usamap.gif
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http//www.iowacorn.org/images/graph_uscorn.gif
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80 million U.S acres currently in corn
production.
Approximately three percent of Americas
farmland grows corn.
Economic Research Service U.S. Department of
Agriculture. (2000, Nov. 20). Corn
Background. Retrieved November 11, 2003 from
http//www.ers.usda.gov/Briefing/Corn/background.h
tm.
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Costs
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• Energy output less than energy input.
• Ethanol cannot be transported in existing oil
  pipelines. New lines must be built if ethanol is
  to become the nationwide gasoline additive.
  
• One gallon of ethanol costs 1.74 to produce
  while gasoline costs just .95.
  
• Ethanol is exempt from many federal fuel taxes
  and receives additional tax breaks.

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Environmental Considerations
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90 of carbon dioxide emissions reduced using
biofuels. Using four billion gallons of
ethanol each year will reduce carbon dioxide
emissions by 26 metric tons.
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arth.jpg
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ml
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missions-Controls3oct02b.jpg
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Ethanol for the future
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Corn stover in ethanol production is a method
that would increase energy efficiency.
Studies incorporating corn stover found that u
sing stover would decrease foreign oil imports
approximately four percent.
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iomass/cornstoveharvester02268.jpg
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E85 fuel
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2002_GMC_Yukon.jpg
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images/suburban.gif
www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/photos/
2002_GMC_Sonoma.jpg
E85 fuel contains 85 ethanol and just 15
gasoline. GMC constructed all 2002 full-size
SUVs with E85 capacity. Currently 19 states
have E85 stations.
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Old Technology
New Technology
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p.jpg
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son20gas20pump201.jpg
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s00/mar00/images/farmer_jpg.html
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cs/ss9.jpg
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e/cropsa1.html
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Ethanol

• Addresses reductions in both emissions and
  foreign oil imports.
  
• Produces fewer combustion by-products.
• A product of one of Americas largest
  commodities.
  
• Requires further study and research to develop a
  more energy efficient process.
  
• Current technology disparities deem ethanol an
  exchange of one form of energy for a more
  desirable one.

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We have only scratched the surface of developing
farm-based sources of renewable
energyAgriculture is not just about food and
fiber. Anything we can produce from a barrel of
oil, we can also produce on our farms Senator
Tom Harkin of Iowa
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Works Cited Ames, J. Wener, C. Revitalizing th
e Farm Economy Via Renewable Energy Development.
Biocycle. (Oct. 2001) 27. Biofuels Research.
National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Retrieved
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s/biofuels.html. Chambers, R.S. Herendeen, R.A.
Joyce, J.J. Penner, P.S. Gasohol Does It or
Doesnt It Produce Positive Net Energy?
Science. 2064420 (Nov. 16, 1979) 789.
Commonly Available Ethanol and MTBE Gasoline
Blends Do Little to Reduce Smog. The National
Academies. (11 May 1999). Retrieved November
13, 2003 from http//www4.nationalacademies.org/ne
ws.nsf/isbn/0309064457?OpenDocument.
Cost of Senator Daschles Proposed Renewable
Content Standard. Retrieved November 11, 2003
from http//www. Methanol.org/reformgas/fact/dasch
le.htm. Economic Research Service U.S. Department
of Agriculture. (2000, Nov. 20). Corn
Background. Retrieved November 11, 2003 from
http//www.ers.usda.gov/Briefing/Corn/background.h
tm. Ehreman, G. Children of the Corn. Mechani
cal Engineering. 1251 (Jan. 2003) 40.
Eser, S. (2003, Nov.). Class Lecture.
Retrieved November 13, 2003 from
http//www.personal.psu.edu/users/c/b/cbl118/Novem
ber.htm. Ethanol Separating Fact from Fiction.
Biofuels Ethanol for Sustainable
Transportation. Retrieved November 2, 2003 from
http//www.ott.doc.gov//biofuels/pdfs/factfict.pdf
. Federal Register Environmental Documents. Reg
ulation of Fuel and Fuel Additives
Modifications to Standards and Requirements for
Reformulated and Conventional Gasoline Part 80.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Federal
Register December 31, 1997 (62250). Retrieved
November 11, 2003 from http//www.epa.gov/fedrgstr
/EPA-AIR/1997/December/Day-31/a34097.htm.
Gallagher, P. Johnson, D. Some New Ethanol
Technology Cost Competition and Adoption
Effects in the Petroleum Market. The Energy
Journal. 202 (1999) 89. Gelbein, A.P. Field
of Dreams? Chemtech. (July 1996) 1.
Lave, L.B. Griffin, M.W Maclean, H. The
Ethanol Answer to Carbon Emissions. Issues in
Science and Technology. 182 (Winter 2001-02)
73. Pimentel, D. Moran, M.A. Fast, S. Weber, G
. Bukantis, R. Balliett, L. Boveng, P.
Cleveland, C. Hindman, S. Young, M. Biomass
Energy from Crop and Forest Residues. Science.
(1981). 2124499 1110. Segelken, R. CU Scien
tist Terms Corn-Based Ethanol Subsidized Food
Burning. 23 Aug. 2001. Retrieved November 10,
2003 from http//www.news.cornell.edu/Chronicles/8
.23.01/Pimentel-ethanol.html. Senate Environmenta
l and Public Works Subcommittee on Clean Air.
Ethanol and the Clean Air Act. Washington
Government Printing Office, 14 June 2000.
Shapouri, H. Duffield, J.A. Graboski, M.S.
Estimating the Net Energy Balance of Corn
Ethanol. U.S. Department of Agriculture,
Economic Research Service, Office of Energy.
Agricultural Economic Report 721 (July 1995).
Tally, S. Making Biofuel From Corn Stover.
Biocycle. (Nov. 2002) 62. The Technical Potentia
l for Alcohol Fuels From Biomass Compendium of
papers submitted before the Subcommittee on
Energy of the Joint Economic Committee, United
States Congress. 96th Cong., 2nd sess. (1980).
Turnham, S. Barrett, T. Energy Bill Imperiled
Over Ethanol Provision. CNN Washington Bureau.
28 October 2003. Retrieved Oct. 29, 2003 from
http//cgi.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/10/28/ethanol/
.
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