Drivers may have noticed that some gas stations offer gasoline that is 10 percent ethanol, which is an organic compound derived from corn. In a few years scientists hope to offer fuels that are completely derived from such renewable sources. That research is being spearheaded by UW scientists whose studies of so-called biofuels may lead to environmentally friendly options that decrease our dependency on foreign oil.
Doug Reinemann, UW-Madison professor of biological systems engineering, believes \in the long term, the place biomass fits in is ... as a substitution for liquid fuels."" Biomass is organic matter such as trees, plants or certain industrial wastes that can ultimately be converted to fuel.
Ethanol and biofuels can be produced locally, and produce waste that can be recycled and reused. For example, there are biofuels called biodiesels that, despite the term ""diesel"" in their name, are made entirely from vegetable oils. Similarly, scientists can make ethanol from natural sources such as prairie switchgrass and corn, and even paper waste.
Another benefit to using biofuels is that they release less of certain pollutants. A Hawaiian biofuel company called Pacific Biodiesel estimated that switching to gasoline containing 20 percent biodiesel would reduces hydrocarbon emissions by 47 percent and particulates by 31 percent. According to the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, a non-profit research organization in Washington, D.C., using ethanol reduces the release of pollutants such as greenhouse gases and the cancer-causing benzene.
However, not all scientists agree ethanol is the panacea some claim it is.
""Ethanol is highly controversial,"" said UW Extension assistant professor Laura Paine. She said many environmental organizations are concerned that ethanol actually increases smog formation, and scientists disagree on the energy efficiency of ethanol production.
""There are a lot of different ways of producing an acre of corn, and you can either use a huge amount of fossil fuels or you can use a lot less ... it's not a black-and-white issue,"" Paine said.
Growing ""energy crops"" such as corn and soybeans could affect Midwestern ecosystems. Paine said removal of corn stalks from fields ""removes organic matter from the soil ... opening it up to more erosion."" She found that when grassy areas are replanted with fast-growing hybrid poplar, another energy crop, prairie species were displaced. The solution, she said, is to ""match the [energy crop] to the habitat that it is most suited to.""
Money has also been a factor, said Reinemann. In order to make ethanol production economically viable, the U.S. Department of Energy recommends the industry switch from corn to lower-cost biomass during the next decade.
