When you pull up to a fuel pump, you may notice that ethanol
blends are friendlier to your wallet, but the benefits of ethanol go beyond
your pocketbook. American Ethanol makes an important contribution to our
environment, public health, economy and agricultural industry.
Public Health &
Environment
Ethanol is a non-toxic, cleaner-burning octane booster that
combusts fuel more completely in the engine. Higher blends of ethanol dilute
the level of toxic additives in our fuel, which helps reduce pollution. This is
good for our health and the environment!
Oil companies use a combination of toxic carcinogens known
as BTX (benzene, toluene, xylene). These carcinogens don’t completely combust
in the engine. As a result, fine and ultrafine particulates leave the tailpipe
and enter the air we breathe. These particles are linked to serious health
problems including asthma, lung and brain cancer, and heart disease.
As technology becomes more efficient, farmers produce more
crops with less resources. This reduces our carbon footprint and our impact on
the environment.
Today
more energy is being produced from ethanol than is used to produce it, by
factors of 2 to 1 nationally and by 4 to 1 in the Midwest, according to the 2015 Energy Balance
for the Corn-Ethanol Industry done by the U.S. Department
of Agriculture’s Office of the Chief Economist.
Economy &
Agriculture
A recent study
by University of Nebraska-Lincoln economists reveals Nebraska’s value of
production for ethanol and dried distillers grain (DDGs) is approximately $5
billion annually.
Nebraskans grow and process their corn into ethanol within
the state, which keeps more money in the local economy. Nebraska ethanol production
results in a net positive of both ethanol and its co-products, which brings new
money into the state economy.
The ethanol industry creates a substantial annual impact on
the Nebraska labor market by supporting approximately 4,500 jobs with average annual
earnings (wages, salaries and benefits) of $72,000. The average earnings
include direct jobs in the ethanol industry as well as jobs throughout the
state, which are primarily created in rural Nebraska.
Additionally, the
increased use of ethanol helps reduce the need for agricultural subsidies — and
America’s energy dollars will go to domestic producers rather than members of
foreign oil cartels.
Make the CleanAir® Choice
When you fill up, consider the many benefits of ethanol:
- Renewable fuel made here in Nebraska
- Reduces toxic exhaust emissions, which reduces air pollution and its effect on human health
- Provides consumers a wider choice of high-quality fuels
- Lowers the cost of filling up at the pump
- Burns cleaner and cooler, helping extend engine life
This post was submitted by the Nebraska Ethanol Board. The Nebraska Corn Board and Nebraska Ethanol Board continue to work together to establish procedures and processes necessary to the manufacturing and marketing of ethanol fuel.
No comments:
Post a Comment