Despite the growing market for corn ethanol, there are great environmental concerns about the fuel source. Some of those concerns include runoff, air quality, greenhouse gases, and land usage.
Runoff in the production of corn ethanol usually occurs in the fields when nitrogen-rich fertilizer washes off into nearby rivers and lakes. Due to the fact that most of the corn is grown in the Midwest, the contaminated water usually ends up in the Dead Zone at the mouth of the Mississippi River and the entrance of the Gulf of Mexico. In addition to contributing to the Dead Zone, carcinogenic fertilizer can also make its way into the drinking water of 11.7 million Americans. The phosphorus in the fertilizer can create a radioactive trail of waste, contaminating soil and water. Other chemicals in the fertilizer put more pressure on our water supply. Production indirectly adds 50% more greenhouse gases. The fossil fuels used to grow and convert the corn into ethanol release new carbon dioxide that wasn't used in the growing of the plants.
Burning ethanol can release excess carbon monoxide into the air that isn't equated in the production of the corn ethanol. The fossil fuels used to grow and convert the corn into ethanol release new carbon dioxide that wasn't equated with in the growing of the corn. Ethanol, despite beliefs otherwise, creates more smog than gasoline and biodiesel. It also increases atmospheric gases, only 15% less than emission by gasoline. Production indirectly adds 50% more greenhouse gases.
Growing enough corn to meet the demand for ethanol requires large amounts of land. Farmers around the world are cutting down forests to make way for new cornfields, plantations, and processing plants. The use of large scale cropping can lead to deprivation of biodiversity, soil erosion, and nutrient leaching. Last year alone, 10 million acres were cleared to meet the booming demand for ethanol. As the United States competes for ethanol power, Brazil clears more and more rainforests to catch up with the US, killing many undiscovered plant and animal species. After the land is deprived of its basic nutrients, the land can't be used to plant corn anymore. The corn has be grown somewhere else, where the soil is rich and can support the corn and the demand for ethanol.
Runoff in the production of corn ethanol usually occurs in the fields when nitrogen-rich fertilizer washes off into nearby rivers and lakes. Due to the fact that most of the corn is grown in the Midwest, the contaminated water usually ends up in the Dead Zone at the mouth of the Mississippi River and the entrance of the Gulf of Mexico. In addition to contributing to the Dead Zone, carcinogenic fertilizer can also make its way into the drinking water of 11.7 million Americans. The phosphorus in the fertilizer can create a radioactive trail of waste, contaminating soil and water. Other chemicals in the fertilizer put more pressure on our water supply. Production indirectly adds 50% more greenhouse gases. The fossil fuels used to grow and convert the corn into ethanol release new carbon dioxide that wasn't used in the growing of the plants.
Burning ethanol can release excess carbon monoxide into the air that isn't equated in the production of the corn ethanol. The fossil fuels used to grow and convert the corn into ethanol release new carbon dioxide that wasn't equated with in the growing of the corn. Ethanol, despite beliefs otherwise, creates more smog than gasoline and biodiesel. It also increases atmospheric gases, only 15% less than emission by gasoline. Production indirectly adds 50% more greenhouse gases.
Growing enough corn to meet the demand for ethanol requires large amounts of land. Farmers around the world are cutting down forests to make way for new cornfields, plantations, and processing plants. The use of large scale cropping can lead to deprivation of biodiversity, soil erosion, and nutrient leaching. Last year alone, 10 million acres were cleared to meet the booming demand for ethanol. As the United States competes for ethanol power, Brazil clears more and more rainforests to catch up with the US, killing many undiscovered plant and animal species. After the land is deprived of its basic nutrients, the land can't be used to plant corn anymore. The corn has be grown somewhere else, where the soil is rich and can support the corn and the demand for ethanol.