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"Green" fuel alternative may be bad for our health
Posted on Apr 18th 2007 1:00PM by Bethany SandersFiled Under: Sustainable Community, Diet & Weight Loss, Reviews & Products, Alternative & Green Health
Besides the thought of corn fields taking over our nation to feed our need for fuel, the health and safety of ethanol-based fuels have been a concern of mine since they started gaining popularity. Turns out, my worries haven't been unfounded; a new study has found that ethanol may not be a healthy alternative after all.
Though using the plant-based fuel, derived from crops like corn, sugar beets, and switchgrass, does eliminate two carcinogens that gasoline based fuels spew into the atmosphere, it replaces them with two other cancer-causing emissions: formaldehyde and acetaldehyde. Not only that, but based on computer projection models, ethanol-based fuels will actually add to the smog and ozone problems, increasing ozone-related deaths by 4-9%, depending on the area of the country. The added pollution will also increase asthma-related ER visits.
It's clear we need a green alternative to gasoline. It's also clear that the answer is not a simple one. Experts point to battery-electric cars and electric/hydrogen cell combos as a way to keep our cars and reduce toxic emissions. My hope is that we don't rush into a solution that's going to make things worse in the long run, and that we come up with a way to keep the Earth and ourselves healthy.
Though using the plant-based fuel, derived from crops like corn, sugar beets, and switchgrass, does eliminate two carcinogens that gasoline based fuels spew into the atmosphere, it replaces them with two other cancer-causing emissions: formaldehyde and acetaldehyde. Not only that, but based on computer projection models, ethanol-based fuels will actually add to the smog and ozone problems, increasing ozone-related deaths by 4-9%, depending on the area of the country. The added pollution will also increase asthma-related ER visits.
It's clear we need a green alternative to gasoline. It's also clear that the answer is not a simple one. Experts point to battery-electric cars and electric/hydrogen cell combos as a way to keep our cars and reduce toxic emissions. My hope is that we don't rush into a solution that's going to make things worse in the long run, and that we come up with a way to keep the Earth and ourselves healthy.
