This has really been a great opportunity for me to learn how to do long format. As always there are things that I know I could have done better, but again, as always, it was really the experience that mattered to me anyway.My story was about whether or not ethanol is really as good as everyone makes it out to be. The answer: I don't know. And apparently neither does anyone else--or at least no one agrees about it.
What they do seem to agree on is that, as it stands, ethanol is better for the environment in terms of emissions, but worse for the environment in terms of how much energy it takes to make it. Several of my sources agreed that it helped end America's dependence on foreign oil.
| ETHANOL FINAL.mp3 |
I collected an abundance of information about ethanol and other alternative energies, but in the end, four minutes (or in my case four and a half minutes) isn't as long as it seems, so I had to find a direction and take it.
Among other things not included, Sal Graven told me all about Spitzer's 15 by 15 plan, in which he wants to reduce electricity consumption by 15 percent by the year 2015.
As far as the direction I took, however, I really wish I could have included more information about different types of ethanol, specifically Fieschko's whey ethanol.
Like I said in the story, Fieschko received a $400,000 grant to study ethanol made from cheese whey. He said it was an ideal source to work with. What I didn't have time to explain was why he thought it was so great.
He said that it's a great material because unlike corn or cellulose, it's the waste product of another operation. He said usually cheese manufacturers throw out whey, even though it is a very expensive material of which to dispose.
He further thought it was great because, unlike cellulose, it was very simple to use to make ethanol. Cellulose has to go through several complicated steps to be broken down into sugars that can be digested by yeast to make ethanol.
Whey is made of only protein and lactose. Cheese companies extract the protein to sell it as powder for protein shakes leaving only concentrated lactose, or milk sugar. He said it only needs to be fermented and concentrated, and then it's ready to be used as fuel.
Unfortunately, Pimentel said the concentration takes a ton of energy to do. He also said the yeast can only handle certain levels (12 percent) of concentrated sugars before they die of intoxication. He reminded me that making ethanol uses a very similar process as making beer--they are both fermented using yeast. Furthermore, ethanol is basically the same thing as grain alcohol.
Among other things not included, Sal Graven told me all about Spitzer's 15 by 15 plan, in which he wants to reduce electricity consumption by 15 percent by the year 2015.
As far as the direction I took, however, I really wish I could have included more information about different types of ethanol, specifically Fieschko's whey ethanol.
Like I said in the story, Fieschko received a $400,000 grant to study ethanol made from cheese whey. He said it was an ideal source to work with. What I didn't have time to explain was why he thought it was so great.
He said that it's a great material because unlike corn or cellulose, it's the waste product of another operation. He said usually cheese manufacturers throw out whey, even though it is a very expensive material of which to dispose.
He further thought it was great because, unlike cellulose, it was very simple to use to make ethanol. Cellulose has to go through several complicated steps to be broken down into sugars that can be digested by yeast to make ethanol.
Whey is made of only protein and lactose. Cheese companies extract the protein to sell it as powder for protein shakes leaving only concentrated lactose, or milk sugar. He said it only needs to be fermented and concentrated, and then it's ready to be used as fuel.
Unfortunately, Pimentel said the concentration takes a ton of energy to do. He also said the yeast can only handle certain levels (12 percent) of concentrated sugars before they die of intoxication. He reminded me that making ethanol uses a very similar process as making beer--they are both fermented using yeast. Furthermore, ethanol is basically the same thing as grain alcohol.
1 comment:
Hi Katie, I just wanted point out a fact that may help you find the answer as to weather ethanol is cleaner better or not for the environment. Well the answer depends on where that ethanol is coming from. If it comes from sugar cane, as the case is in Brazil, the answer is definetly yes! That's the reason why cane based ethanol has proven so successful in brazil and now up to 80% of new vehicules in brazil come out of the factory with flex-fuel engines built-in. Not only it's cleaner, but much cheaper in the majority of states in Brazil - the difference btw ethanol and gas prices are much greater here as well. Now as for corn based ethanol, the answers may vary depending on the scientist and on his political interest also. Cleaner or not, corn based ethanol in my view is not helping u.s consumers. Ethanol makers are greatly subsidised, it has diverted corn planting that used to be used for food thus greatly increasing food prices for the american consumers - just look at the recent inflation numbers and to me that's no coincidence. I think the u.s should forget about corn based ethanol and in the meantime import cane based ethanol from brasil or other countries while it develops its wood based ethanol programe - that in my opinion has a lot of potential.
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