The following links are recordings of interviews that were conducted with experts in the field of Ethanol, its production, and the implications of expanding this industry.


Ms. Barbara Goodman

Director- Center for Transportation Technologies and Systems

National Renewable Energy Labs (NREL)

Full interview can be seen at the below link

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqXr-sKBD16o1

Dr. Robert Wooley 

VP of Process Development - Gevo 

Previous Employment

Abengoa Bioenergy

2007 – 2011 (4 years)

Full interview can be seen at the below link

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqXr-sKBD6o

John Sheehan

University of Minnesota

Initiative for Renewable Energy & the Environment
Global Landscapes Initiative

Full interview can be seen at the below link

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqXr1-sKBD6o

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFyHnUU56_s

Dr. Robert Wooley V.P. , Director of  process engineering, Gevo

This is a clip of Dr. Wooley when he was called to congress to inform members of the committee about the current state of Ethanol production in the United States. Dr. Wooley informs them that it is a very doable process that will need continued research. The research that needs to be conducted is to refine the production process to help the U.S. become less dependent on foreign oil.

About Us

We are a collective group of three students with the shared interest for the future of America's fuel economy. As college students, we are at the forefront in terms of future innovation in our economy and job market. Our group is composed of Joey Wooley, Benny Lu, and Danny Nguyen. Coming from various backgrounds of studies, we are united by a common passion for renewable resources. Without significant change to our current fuel industry, there is no doubt that natural fuels will become scarce resources in the near future.

Joey Wooley (center), our team leader, has been involved in the ethanol industry for years. He, along with his father, Dr. Robert Wooley of the renewable chemicals and advanced bio fuels company Gevo, worked to help inform the general public about the necessity for a reliable source for fuel. Both father and son have given us invaluable tools for our disposal.

Benny Lu (left), our hard working analyst, provides intuitive and in-depth explanations for the possibilities of renewable resources. Although not limited to ethanol, he has a great interest algae fuel and strongly supports the use of bio fuel as opposed to society's consistent use of fossil fuels. Through dedication and persistent effort, Benny provides informative benefits from alternative fuel on our current food and fuel economy.

Danny Nguyen (right), our other researcher, presents quantitative data on a macro and micro economic scale of the ethanol industry. During much of his time researching, there was much skewed and incorrectly information presented to the public. His desire for a larger bio fuel economy has helped to correct these unjustified claims with statistical data.

Throughout this project, each of us have become more knowledgeable about corn and its role as a fuel and a food. Discrepancies aside, our collective research aims to inform the population the true effects of ethanol as well as its impact on society. Not only have we grown as friends, but we have grown as academics. We hope that there will be a bright future for the bio fuel industry. Be it may food or fuel, may corn be with you. Cheerio.

Improvements on Corn Ethanol

A study on the life cycle energy efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) was conducted on corn ethanol by Adam J. Liska, Haishun S. Yang, Virgil R. Bremer, Terry J. Klopfenstein, Daniel T. Walters, Galen E. Erickson, and Kenneth G. Cassman. The paper was published in 2008 so it it fairly recent. The paper analyzes corn ethanol life cycle energy efficiency, similar to an output/input ratio, and also the reduction of GHG by corn ethanol production.

In the paper, the researchers look at various data and models including crop production data, ethanol biorefinery data, coproduct cattle feed, and GHG emissions. The findings are that due to recent improvements in technology, corn ethanol production has increased in efficiency and reduces even more GHG emissions. In previous studies, people found that corn ethanol had an output/input ratio of about 1.2-1.4 but this study finds it to have increased to about 1.5-1.8 and could improve to 2.2 in the near future. They also found that corn ethanol reduced 48-58% more GHG compared to gasoline.

The paper is pro corn ethanol and believes a cap and trade system for GHG emissions will lower costs for corn ethanol and increase its popularity. A cap and trade system is when the government sets a max amount that a firm can pollute GHG emissions and lets firms have the rights to trade/sell their rights to pollute to other firms that have high costs of cleanup or reducing GHG emissions. Because of this, corn ethanol producers can sell their rights to pollute increasing revenue and lowering costs and at the same time reducing GHG emissions.

Although this paper is fairly recent (2008), the data used and analyzed is still older. This comes back to the topic that we need an update on the efficiency and GHG reductions of corn ethanol. To help support corn ethanol, start by learning more about corn ethanol by reading this blog as well being more active. You can start by writing a letter to congress.

To read the full research paper:
http://www.ethanol.org/pdf/contentmgmt/Improvements_in_Life_Cycle_Energy_Efficiency_and_Greenhouse_Gas_Emissions_of_CornEthanol.pdf

To write a letter to congress:
http://letter2congress.rallycongress.com/698/

Corn Corn Corn

Interesting depiction of anti-corn ethanol. Go to link for full size image.

http://www.motherjones.com/files/images/the-ethanol-effect-630.jpg

Corn Ethanol GHG Update?

The Renewable Fuels Association on Dec 3, 2012, announced that they had sent a letter to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) asking the EPA to review the corn and sugarcane greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). They claim that the current estimates for how much the lifecycle of corn and sugarcane ethanol production reduces GHG is understated. This is due to increasing technological advances which better measures and reduces GHG and also that no update has been issued in the past three years.

According to letter, there have been dozens of studies since the three years that show improvements with corn ethanol production. Most studies suggest that corn ethanol is more efficient these days and reduces even more GHG than previously thought to. On the other hand, the studies suggets Brazil's sugarcane ethanol is worse than previously predicted. They argue that is is important to update GHG to better inform the public and help in policy decision making.

To read the full letter:
http://ethanolrfa.3cdn.net/1224de70600ff74bb1_elm6ib8fp.pdf

Cuban Marabu Weeds

All around the globe, alternative fuels are becoming more and more important. Recently, in Cuba, a new type of biomass is being used as renewable energy. The new biomass is marabu weeds, these weeds grow quickly and are invasive to Cuba's sugarcane. A British company, Havana Energy, has recently invested in building a power plant that will use renewable energy from the marabu weed.

This shows that corn ethanol is not the only kind of biofuel out there. People are constantly looking for the next best biofuel but this is dependent on the country. For the U.S. which is the major producer of corn, corn ethanol makes sense whereas Cuba has the fast-growing marabu weed which makes it suitable as a renewable energy source.

To learn more about Cuba's marabu plant as a renewable energy source, visit these links:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-20641433
http://www.havana-energy.com/

Special thanks to Angela for showing this to us.

Click the link to learn how to write a letter "2" congress!

http://letter2congress.rallycongress.com/698/

This is how you can get involved!!! Click the link to write to congress.

http://www.writeexpress.com/Write-Congress.html

Corn as a Food

King Corn is a 2007 documentary that follows two college graduates on their journey to explore the agricultural backbone of America's economy. In the film, Ian Cheney and Curtis Ellis set out for Greene, Iowa to learn about the origins of corn. The two college friends decide to cultivate and farm an acre of corn for a full year. During the year in Iowa, Cheney and Ellis learn first hand how farmers raise bushels of corn to meet the nation's high demand of corn. Although the film is largely about the transitioning image of America's corn industry and the nation's high demand for corn as a food, the documentary also discusses the importance of corn to America's economy. This documentary is worth noting for its perspective of corn in the food industry. According to King Corn, if all of this corn is influencing obesity, why do we not invest a larger portion of corn into ethanol rather than corn syrup? Who knows.

Excerpt from King Corn

Ian Cheney and Curtis Ellis predict where portions of their harvest will go towards

Excerpt from King Corn

Ian Cheney and Curtis Ellis discuss with farmers to see their perspective of corn and the agriculture industry

More Info: http://www.kingcorn.net/

E85 Pros & Cons

Although most gasoline has some blend of ethanol in it, usually 5-10% there is one type of fuel that has 85% ethanol, E85. In the U.S. there are over 2,200 E85 gas stations but most are focused in corn growing states or where its highly subsidized. Looking at E85 availability globally, there are not very many countries that use the biofuel. Finding countries other than the U.S. that use E85 is difficult but one country that does is Sweden. In an article by Ryan C. Christiansen, in 2009 Sweden took measures to ensure that there would be over 2,000 E85 gas stations by the end of that year. This would be comparable to the U.S. There have been many studies on E85 vs gasoline in fuel performance and costs. In most studies, these are the pros and cons.

E85 Pros:

• Renewable fuel, only uses 15% gasoline
• Price per gallon costs less than gasoline, varies from state to state
• Energy security
• Environmental benefits (less air pollution etc.)

E85 Cons:

• Less fuel performace/economy compared to gasoline (less mpg)
• Less mpg offsets lower price (have to fill up more often)
• Not readily available everywhere (only >2,200 states in all of U.S.)
• Food vs. Fuel debate

http://www.examiner.com/images/blog/wysiwyg/image/e85elkriver2.jpg

To read more on the comparison in E85 and gasoline: 

http://www.edmunds.com/fuel-economy/e85-vs-gasoline-comparison-test.html

http://www.cars.com/go/advice/Story.jsp?section=fuel&subject=fuelAlt&story=e85

To read more about Sweden on E85:
http://www.ethanolproducer.com/articles/5737/swedens-drive-for-e85 

Problems for Algae Fuel

So if algae fuel is so great, why isn't it out in the market? Well, the main reason that it all leads back to is money. Although algae fuel has been in R&D for over 50 years, many of the programs have been shut down. The ones still operating have low funding and aren't supported by the government unlike corn ethanol. According to some reports, algae fuel currently would cost from $10.66-19.89 per gallon which is not even close to competing with ethanol or fossil fuel. Currently, the main costs holding back algae fuel are capital costs and the extracting of oil from algae. Part of the costs of capital would be infrastructure but the main capital cost is photobioreactors. Photobioreactors are closed chamber systems to grow algae at optimal conditions instead of using open waters. The following chart shows just how expensive photobioreactors make algae fuel.

 

Use of photobioreactors causes price of algae fuel to almost double compared to use of open ponds. In open pond systems, algae fuel would cost about $10.66/gallon but using photobioreactors raises prices up to $19.89/gallon. Note that the majority of the cost associated with algae fuel is capital.

http://www.consumerenergyreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Current-Algal-Fuel-Costs.png

http://fitsnews.files.wordpress.com/2007/12/algae-fuel.jpg

To read more about the costs of algae fuel:
http://www.consumerenergyreport.com/2012/05/07/current-and-projected-costs-for-biofuels-from-algae-and-pyrolysis/
http://alternativefuels.about.com/od/researchdevelopment/a/Costs-Can-Hinder-Algae-Development.htm
http://www.triplepundit.com/2012/04/algae-based-biofuel-pros-cons/

An Alternative to Ethanol: Algae Fuel?

The debate over whether corn should be used to make ethanol has been going on for quite some time now. There have been pros and cons to each side. Whether corn affects food prices, whether its efficient, there have been many questions and the answers seem to be still unclear. The United States government seems to still support corn ethanol but has slowly weaned away from it, turning its attention to other biofuels. This past drought of 2012 has affected the world supply of corn and gained attention to corn ethanol production.

An alternative to corn ethanol production in the U.S. is another biofuel, algae fuel. Recently (2012), president Barack Obama has shown support for the biofuel. Sources say that Obama's administration is spending about $14 million to help develop algae fuel. Algae fuel isn't something new, its been in research and development for over 50 years but the programs that largely do the R&D have low funding or have been shut down. This support from the president may spark a new future in biofuels for the U.S.

 http://energy.korea.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/obama_algae.jpg

There are many benefits to algae fuel that make it a perfect candidate as an alternative to corn ethanol. Several studies have shown that algae fuel is very efficient, producing oil in quantities many times that of other biofuels. Algae can be virtually grown anywhere and does not need freshwater or arable land to be grown. Other benefits to algae fuel are algae use doesn't affect food prices, its environmentally friendly, and of course reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Plus green fuel looks cool.

To learn more about algae fuel visit some of these websites:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/08/opinion/the-droughts-alert-for-corn.html
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-02-24/obama-promotes-pond-scum-as-renewable-fuel-source.html
http://oilprice.com/Alternative-Energy/Biofuels/Why-are-we-not-Drowning-in-Algae-Biofuel.html
http://www.energyrant.com/benefits-advantages-of-algae-oil-fuel/
http://algae.ucsd.edu/potential/economic-benefits.html

Ethanol Rap

This kid is really into ethanol...

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hZ87sxdoro

Corn Ethanol Cartoons

http://forests.org/shared/alerts/img/corn_ethanol_toon.jpg

 Sometimes people are so focused on global warming or greenhouse gas emissions that they lose sight of other important issues.

http://www.schillerinstitute.org/graphics/cartoons/ethanol_cartoon_shelbyv.jpg

http://turtlebella.files.wordpress.com/2007/04/ethanol.gif

Effects of U.S. Corn Ethanol on the Rest of the World

Corn ethanol production doesn't just affect the United States, it affects the whole world. According to an article by Timothy A. Wise, the U.S. production of corn ethanol has also impacted the rest of the world. Many know that corn is a staple food for many countries. The U.S. is the largest producer of corn and usually exports corn to other countries but recently, the high prices of corn have made it hard for poor countries to import U.S. corn. This leads us back to the debate over whether corn should be used as food or fuel. With the recent drought and unclear future, I believe it would be a wise choice to start looking into other biofuels more intensely and start growing more corn that's edible for humans and less for biofuels.

 http://www.thecropsite.com/news/contents/CornProductionByCountry.jpg

Timothy A. Wise states:

"Of course, poor consumers are the ones most hurt by ethanol-related price increases, especially those in urban areas. Even in a net corn exporting country like Uganda, domestic corn prices spiked as international prices transmitted to local markets. Ugandans spend on average 65 per cent of their cash income on food, with poor urban consumers getting 20 per cent of their calories from corn purchased in the marketplace. More than half of Ugandans were considered "food insecure" in 2007, and the price spikes have only made that worse."

To read the rest of Wises' article: http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2012/10/201210993632838545.html

Another article regarding rising food prices due to corn ethanol production: http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/20/opinion/mcdonald-corn-ethanol/index.html

Rising Corn Prices

Remember 10 years ago when corn was really cheap? I remember when corn was on sale, it was $1 for 12 ears of corn. Steadily over the years though, corn prices have risen. Nowadays its a bargain when corn is $1 for 4 ears of corn. And yes, there has been inflation over the years but it doesn't explain why the price of corn has risen that much.

The corn grown that is used for corn ethanol production cannot be used as food for humans. However, it can be used as feedstock and has been used as feedstock for many years by farmers. But due to rising prices of corn, farmers have found alternative ways to feeding their livestock. One such way is using high fructose corn syrup candy. Also, since its mandated by law by the United States that increasing levels of ethanol be produced every year, less and less land is being used to grow corn that's edible for humans. There is only so much arable land in the United States and by using more of it on corn, other crops suffer as well.

For years now, the debate Food vs. Fuel has calmed down but due to the recent drought it has revived the debate. Many people including the United Nations have started to look into the issue more closely as the debate goes on. Many cartoons like the ones below have surfaced over the years that usually have to do with the debate, Food vs. Fuel.

 http://www.theresilientearth.com/files/images-2011/corn_ethanol_color-mike_lester.jpg

 http://militantlibertarian.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/corn-ethanol.jpg

Food vs Fuel debate revived:
http://articles.marketwatch.com/2012-08-22/markets/33316971_1_ethanol-requirement-corn-crop-renewable-fuels-association

"Fresh" Food: Corn

Corn, and various corn products, found in your neighborhood grocery stores.

Sprouts

Viet Hoa Market

Corn Cob Bob

Excerpt from The Daily Show

Original Air Date: August 9th, 2005
To spread awareness of ethanol while the industry was still growing, Corn Cob Bob was created to inform the public about the importance of the bio fuel industry. A blog was created for Corn Cob Bob as he went on to handle ethanol affairs. He has since moved to FaceBook.

Corn Cob Bob's Blog: http://corncobbob.blogspot.com/

Renewable Fuels Association: http://www.ethanolrfa.org/

Benefits of Ethanol

Although the debate over corn ethanol, Food vs. Fuel is well recognized people rarely know the full details of corn ethanol production. Despite the negative things said about corn ethanol, there are benefits. Ethanol has many benefits, some of which are energy security, fuel economy and performance, job opportunities, lower emissions, and equipment and availability.

The most popularly known benefit for ethanol compared to gasoline is that ethanol produces lower emissions. Lower emissions means less greenhouse gases in the atmosphere slowing global warming. This benefits everyone, not just the U.S. because we all share the atmosphere.

 https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsg5nn4HkmDIsjlezvH5gyEL98r0h-rHkxxGJjaB45gdEqa_BsEeR7t0DM610wsGz7eIHdzgYy-QD_xlXx0oTAF-OOhj9_3lsC_9clWTlTzcOJIn1xkA0lSTEpXZiQXhSUgJH1Z2d-7qk/s1600/funny+animals+global+warming+sucks.jpg

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, ethanol has a higher octane level than gasoline therefore it creates higher power and performance. Although this comes at a trade-off, ethanol has less energy than gasoline.

 http://www.blogcdn.com/green.autoblog.com/media/2009/02/ethanol_hummer-greenlings.jpg

As many know, the U.S. reliance on foreign oils has been a major topic of debate in the media over the past decade. There have been wars and ongoing political debates over the issue. Ethanol production gives us some energy security for an unpredictable future.

With such a large amount of resources and subsidies devoted to corn ethanol production, it is not surprising that there is a large job market for corn ethanol production. In 2011, ethanol production supported more than 400,000 jobs.



To learn more about ethanol's benefits: http://www.afdc.energy.gov/fuels/ethanol_benefits.html

Corn Ethanol Humor

http://0.tqn.com/d/politicalhumor/1/0/M/4/2/enviro-suv-ethanol-hog.jpg

Candy for Cows?

So that's why my steak was so sweet.

At least its a balanced diet...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMcAtdholmM

Drought Causes Cows to Eat Candy

The drought in 2012 was so devastating to crops including corn that the United Nation's Food and Agricultural Organization has mandated the United States to cease in corn ethanol production until further notice. This is to avert a major food crisis due to corn being a major staple food for many cultures diets.

This drought has not only affected human consumption but also many livestock. One in particular is cattle. Corn is used as a feedstock for cattle but due to high prices many farmers have started to give candy as a substitute.

 

 http://blog.metrocandy.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/MetroCandyCowBlogPic1.png

Cows eating candy leads us back to the debate about corn, Food vs. Fuel. To many this may seem ridiculous or even humorous but the issue is real. Imagine going into a steakhouse and getting steak that came from a cow that was fed candy. Sounds good right?

Mitchell Corn Palace

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNz7MknlaPfKz-UHfmqdJ8hs8UvDc1u5bUxZ-71DKkmuxZzzuL_Imh9DcHg9tYtXMuBY3lA3nHmN-1wGiehFeHQ1EU-UiXSNppQZx0nQKwQaLccz60fDT3Zj8nQpb8OJ7K0Gxc5sC0EEo/s1600/Women+in+Blue+Jeans+2012+099.JPG

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRHoAr41m66TrnNoXmBVCC4ZZG47V7rSQh2cLOrM01qXznRaCpmhqA9Prjk-hYY4Ygw4S0-rpLdUG0xgGcZE1d1MbmQDzj59uRItCRaWFxWh0-qntbo-qd2hwZW0n9c_W03raMI2_JcM0/s1600/Women+in+Blue+Jeans+2012+100.JPG

http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/photos/medium/6663195.jpg

A Shucking Disaster

Nightmare at the Mitchell Corn Palace

Excerpt from The Colbert Report, October 10, 2012

A "The Colbert Report" Special Report
Stephen Colbert creates a documentary on the only corn palace in the world.

More Info at: http://www.cornpalace.org/

Misconstrued Information about Ethanol

Ethanol: The Truth About this ‘Alternative’ Fuel

This is a prime example of misrepresented information regarding corn and its role as a bio fuel. The report incorrectly presents corn as a scarce resource. The viewer is told that the increased usage of ethanol has directly increased price of corn. However, a farmer interviewed discusses that ethanol production has helped to feed his cattle which feed on corn and a byproduct of corn. In addition, the report does not factor in the macroeconomic effects of other goods and services. The reporter distinctively only talks about the division between food and fuel.

Rising Price of Corn

What is Driving Food Price Inflation?

Jason Henderson discusses the cause of raising corn and food prices.

Although many will assume that the rising price on corn is due to ethanol usage, the reality is that America is capable of supply the whole nation for 127 days. Now that's a lot of kernels of truth. Dependence on foreign oil is the true culprit. As the price per barrel of oil rises, as does the price per bushel of corn. Transportation of goods begins to take its toll on consumers as corn becomes more difficult to attain. In Jason Henderson's paper, he addresses how the increasing price of crude oil and other attributes indirectly result with the inflation of corn.

Excerpt from The Colbert Report, October 10, 2012

An astonishing truth about the corn and the agricultural industries reported by Stephen Colbert.

National Ethanol Conference 2012

United States Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack, gives a speech about the importance of the ethanol industry. His history with ethanol shows that he is very experienced in the industry. Due to his efforts in building the agriculture industry, Tom Vilsack was invited as the keynote speaker at the National Ethanol Conference. The Secretary of Agriculture advocates for the production of ethanol and discusses how the agriculture began to increase national employment during times of economic downturn. Throughout his speech, Tom Vilsack discusses the benefits of increased usage of ethanol. The secretary consistently encourages support for ethanol and expressed his optimism for the future as the industry expands.

Corn ethanol at the pump

Corn ethanol has been researched and used as a fuel for many years now. In the United States, more than 95% of all gasoline contains some amount of ethanol. Also in the United States, corn ethanol production is the most prominent biofuel in research and production. Corn ethanol has been a topic of the media and a major topic in presidential debates. The reliance of foreign oils has been a big topic in the news and debates for over a decade now. Corn ethanol may be a solution to gaining that independence.

Ethanol is readily used in 95% of all gasoline in the United States. A higher ethanol blend is also available, E85 (85% ethanol, 15% gasoline).

http://www.rodale.com/files/images/5833062_1.jpg

Food vs Fuel

There has been a long debate over the years over corn ethanol. One of the more popular and controversial debates for corn ethanol is the Food vs. Fuel argument. The main idea behind Food vs. Fuel is whether we should be investing our corn into the production of biofuels or food for food consumption.

 

http://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/iowastatedaily.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/41/741e98cc-7307-11e1-9a2e-0019bb2963f4/4f694da889be2.image.jpg