Pros and Cons of Ethanol – Home Brewing
December 22nd, 2009 |
Home ethanol production is on the rise. With fuel prices topping out in excess of $7.00 a gallon in the past year, consumers are more frightened than ever before. Combine the history of these high fuel prices and add that stress to the high unemployment rates and workers start to feel as though they are in a lose, lose situation.
The cost of traditional fuel can be too much for the blue collar worker, but missing work is not an option with companies cutting employees all the time. Many families find themselves cutting food budgets in order to stay afloat and afford fuel costs. Biofuel can easily be produced at home, but the pros and cons of ethanol production can leave the consumer with more questions than answers.
The Good, The Bad and the Not So Ugly
Ethanol is easy and cheap to produce. This is a huge positive for the alternative fuel. However, many engines are not equipped to handle the biofuel and will shut down or require high priced repairs if the ethanol is run through the system.
Upgrading current vehicles and machines around the home can decrease the overall passion for biofuels. Even though the lower fuel costs are appealing, some people just don’t want to risk losing their vehicles to save a couple of bucks here and there.
Another pro is that ethanol is a renewable fuel, right now. As long as there are feedstocks to crush, ferment and distill, there will be ethanol. Weighing the pros and cons of ethanol, however, is an important part of choosing whether to produce your own alternative fuel or wait for it to be mass produced.
Read all the ethanol pros cons
