Ethanol is not that green.
Nice report from the
Canadian Broadcasting Company on the environmental impacts of ethanol used as an automotive fuel:
Ethanol-blend auto emissions no greener than gasoline: study
An unpublished federal report appears to undermine the belief that commercially available ethanol-blended fuel produces cleaner emissions than regular gasoline.
Many Canadians believe filling up with ethanol-blended gasoline reduces the emission of greenhouse gases that damage the environment.
Advertising sponsored by the Canadian Renewable Fuels Association encourages the idea, telling Canadians renewable fuels are "good for the environment," and even some provincial governments, including Manitoba and Saskatchewan, say the fuel "burns cleaner" than gasoline.
The federal Conservative government committed $2 billion in incentives for ethanol, made from wheat and corn, and biodiesel in last week's budget.
But based on Ottawa's own research, critics say the investment is based more on myth than hard science.
Emphasis mine -- sounds like pure political enviro-think.
A bit more:
The study found no statistical difference between the greenhouse gas emissions of regular unleaded fuel and 10 per cent ethanol blended fuel.
Although the study found a reduction in carbon monoxide, a pollutant that forms smog, emissions of some other gases, such as hydrocarbons, actually increased under certain conditions.
Heh...
Posted by DaveH at March 31, 2007 8:06 PM