The Pros And Cons Of Corn-Based Ethanol Energy

This renewable source of energy has acted as an advantage over the past years by providing an alternative to foreign oil. However, this renewable energy resource has also created numerous drawbacks including an extensive amount of environmental damage as well as an inflation in the food market costs (Brush, 2014). This extensive amount of damage has caused the Obama Administration to propose the reduction of ethanol usage. This proposal has caused a sudden outrage by farmers who make a living off of corn-based ethanol (Brush, 2014). Many are concerned that this sudden proposition could be a tremendous drawback in the alternative energy industry. However, with current technological advances the world of ethanol could significantly change and impact in the near future.
Instead of growing corn based ethanol, which causes negative effects to our economy and to the environment, researchers have discovered a new product, "cellulosic ethanol." Cellulosic ethanol is formed from waste plant material (cellulose) through a process called “thermo-chemical conversion”. Cellulosic ethanol plants are underway and the future of ethanol energy is making huge advancements. Unlike corn based ethanol, cellulosic ethanol will be less harmful to the environment and more economically