It'll pickle yer liver, and it's apparently not quite the Terra-saving gift of Gaia the Greens make it out to be, either. Study: Ethanol may cause more smog, deaths
By SETH BORENSTEIN
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — Switching from gasoline to ethanol — touted as a green alternative at the pump — may create dirtier air, causing slightly more smog-related deaths, a new study says.
Nearly 200 more people would die yearly from respiratory problems if all vehicles in the United States ran on a mostly ethanol fuel blend by 2020, the research concludes. Of course, the study author acknowledges that such a quick and monumental shift to plant-based fuels is next to impossible.
Each year, about 4,700 people, according to the study's author, die from respiratory problems from ozone, the unseen component of smog along with small particles. Ethanol would raise ozone levels, particularly in certain regions of the country, including the Northeast and Los Angeles.
"It's not green in terms of air pollution," said study author Mark Jacobson, a Stanford University civil and environmental engineering professor. "If you want to use ethanol, fine, but don't do it based on health grounds. It's no better than gasoline, apparently slightly worse."
His study, based on a computer model, is published in Wednesday's online edition of the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Science and Technology and adds to the messy debate over ethanol. [...]
Anyway, just as with all the global warming hysteria, I'm not quite convinced this is legit either, being that it's based on supposition and assumptions that might not be accurate. GIGO and all. But it does go so show there are all sorts of possible unintended consequences when people start mucking around with markets and commodities to push a particular political agenda. I'm all for trying to find ways to reduce our dependence on purchasing petroleum products from Allah's Little Helpers, but it's worth remembering there's more to the equation than simply shutting off the tap.
Posted by Terry Oglesby at April 18, 2007 09:19 AMOne of the benefits of insuring my boat with BoatUS is the quarterly magazine full of pictures of burned, destroyed or sunk boats, with case histories.
The last issue warned of a future atrocity: ethanol in Diesel fuel. Diesel is orinarily fairly inert, so Diesel powered boats are not required to have powered engine space ventilation, nor ignition protected starters and alternators. Apparently with ethanol mixed in, this will all change.
BTW, the current atrocity (for gas boats) is that ethanol melts fiberglass fuel tanks, and the crud gets into carburetors.
Posted by: steevil (Dr Weevil's bro Steve) at April 18, 2007 10:00 AMAlky is some pretty wicked stuff. Although it's not really pertinent to passenger cars (or pleasure boats), there's probably a lot of drag racers and Champ Car enthusiasts who can vouch for the nose-hair-singeing qualities of methanol exhaust that rivals nitromethane in pungency. Ethanol fuels aren't as corrosive as methanol, but nonetheless they aren't kind to older car components--as you note, you could wind up with a fuel feed full of goo if you feed it to an engine not made for alcohol. Alcohol is also highly hydrophilic, which seems kind of an odd thing to want in a boat fuel.
Posted by: Terry Oglesby at April 18, 2007 10:27 AMJust the wonder chemical--nothing but bad features.
The first time around, (1980s), ethanol was found to melt fuel hoses. Hose standards have been upgraded, so this isn't a current problem.
Posted by: steevil (Dr Weevil's bro Steve) at April 18, 2007 10:55 AMEven still it seems like not the best thing to use for boat fuel. Then again, it IS easier to shovel than coal.
Posted by: Terry Oglesby at April 18, 2007 11:30 AM