Ethanol Car Fuel
Ethanol is a form of alcohol that is the same as that used in alcoholic beverages; it can also be used as a source of fuel for cars. The most common use for ethanol is as an additive to regular gasoline. In most cases ethanol is mixed in to regular gasoline at a ratio of ten percent. In fact in many locations this is required by law. The big advantage of using ethanol is that it is a renewable source of fuel. It can also be made from crops grown almost anywhere, this is appealing to countries that have to import their oil from other places.
Unfortunately there are also a number of downsides to ethanol; the biggest is what it does to the world's food supply. Ethanol is made from crops that are grown on the same farm land that we use to grow our food. At a minimum an increased use of ethanol would drive up the cost of food. Even worse is the risk for people who don't currently have access to enough food as it is. There is a real danger that the crops that are used to make ethanol will become cash crops. This would be a disaster for people in third world countries who can't get enough food as it is. There is a good chance that the arable land in these countries would be used to grow crops for ethanol that can be imported to put money in the pockets of the land owners and the government and leave the majority of people without food.
The other major problem with ethanol is that it is very efficient. In order to make ethanol you need to plant, grow and harvest the crops. You then need to transport them to the facility that makes the ethanol and you then have to produce the end product. All of this takes energy. With current technology we use almost as many energy in the form of fossil fuels as we get out of the ethanol. Clearly major improvements are going to be necessary if we are going to use ethanol as a major fuel source.
Another issue that needs to be overcome with ethanol is air pollution. Currently ethanol puts more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than regular gas does. Add to this all of the fossil fuels that have to be used to make the ethanol and it is a major source of pollution, another issue that needs to be overcome.
As it currently stands the future of ethanol as an alternative car fuel source is very much up in the air. There are a lot of challenges that need to be overcome. Politically it is very popular since it helps increase farmer's incomes and helps reduce dependence on foreign oil. This is why there are laws in a lot of places requiring its use as an additive. However without government regulation requiring its use it is hard to see it ever being a major fuel source, there are too many challenges to be overcome.