Produce ethanol without using corn

To reduce dependence on foreign oil, government has promoted the use of corn-based ethanol. This goal is laudable, but has led to some unintended consequences. Higher demand for corn has increased the price of corn for human and animal consumption as well as increased the cost of corn-based ethanol. Higher prices and shortages have led to food riots and rationing in some Third World countries. Droughts and floods also affect the amount of corn available for processing into ethanol.

How about if government promotes ethanol not based on crops? One such alternative could be cow manure. A company in Texas, Panda Ethanol, is planning on processing 1 billion pounds of manure into 100 million gallons of ethanol. This sounds like a lot of manure, but consider a 100-cow herd will produce 2,190 tons of manure per year.

Something should be done with this potential source of energy. Some of this waste is already processed into fertilizer, but utilizing the potential as a fuel alternative/additive can help reduce our nation's dependence on foreign oil. Additionally, in the gasification process of producing the ethanol, methane is produced. Burning this methane can generate electricity to help power the same ethanol plant. If not managed properly, it poses a potential hazard as runoff from farms that can make its way into the waterways.

The cost of a plant like Panda Ethanol is not cheap. It's projected at $160 million. Alternative energy sources are worth the investment. Much as they do to help with clean coal technology and the corn-based ethanol industry, the federal government and state of Illinois should facilitate the development of this ethanol though incentives.

Dean Myles

Aurora