Ethanol and Greenhouse Gases?

Question

Are the emissions of greenhouse gases when burning ethanol lower than when burning gasoline (considering the same amount of energy produccion)?

Answer 1

Ethanol is the latest fad in fashion fuels. It has less energy so you have to burn more to go the same distance, and still produces CO2.

It causes the price of foods to increase as corn is used in many products causing harm to the poor.

There are many ways that one can justify using plants instead of oil, but in the end, there is no impact on the reduction of carbon in the air by using ethanol instead of gas. It is a 'feel good' thing only.

Answer 2

Actually,Ethanol is a clean-burning, renewable, domestically produced product made from fermented agricultural products such as corn. Ethanol contains oxygen, which provides a cleaner and more efficient burning fuel. When used in vehicles, ethanol reduces carbon dioxide, a major contributor to global warming. Although burning ethanol still releases carbon dioxide during production and combustion, it is recycled by the crops that produce ethanol. This creates a cycle in which greenhouse gases are used instead of being emitted into the environment.

Gasoline on the other hand releases tons of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

Answer 3

To build on Lea's thought, gasoline is produced from oil sequestered within the earth's crust and when burned adds to the inventory of carbon (CO2) in the atmosphere. Ethanol may be produced from switch grass (etc.) that removed CO2 from the atmosphere while growing due to photosynthesis (which also releases oxygen). Burning ethanol merely returns the CO2 to the atmosphere (recycling it) and causes no net increase in CO2 inventory on a long term basis. If you grow trees and make wooden structures that would tie up carbon (for years) that would also cause a net decrease in carbon in the atmosphere.