Should we make ethanol from corn?

Ethanol, which is primarily made from corn, has been promoted by both government officials and private companies as a viable alternative to petroleum-based gasoline. Your task is to investigate the positive and negative implications of using corn for fuel. Make sure you are confident in your sources and cite them.

1. Find the answers to the following questions to see if it makes energetic sense. In other words, would we get more energy from using corn as food or as fuel?

a) When we eat corn, what is the useful caloric content?

b) How much ethanol do we get from corn?

c) What is the energy content of ethanol?

d) What’s your conclusion?

2. What are the social implications of using corn as fuel?

3. Answer the following questions to see if it makes environmental sense.

a) What environmental damage is caused by growing corn?

b) Burning gasoline?

c) Burning ethanol?

d) Which is best?