Ethanol Fuel, Lessening the Reliance on Gasoline

Ethanol Fuel, the Alternative Fuel for the Internal Combustion Engine

When we talk about ethanol fuel, we are talking about alternative fuel. The alternative fuel market is taking on a shape of its own. Ethanol as an alternative fuel is part of the field of biomass or renewable energy. We are moving in this direction out of necessity due to the unreliability of crude oil. Ethanol is a renewable energy resource whereas petroleum is finite. Although petroleum is finite, this doesn't mean we will all of a sudden run out. As the petroleum supplies get more and more limited, the costs associated with production will continue to rise. It is the time of alternative fuel.

We are going to take a quick look at one particular country and that country is Brazil. Brazil is a country that has taken serious steps in the use and development of alternative fuel and alternative energy. Since this article is relative to ethanol as an alternative fuel, we won't labor long on Brazil's other alternative energy sources except for a brief mention. Brazil is a world leader in the development of hydroelectric power as an alternative energy resource. Brazil supplies 80% of their electrical needs from hydroelectric power. Some critics express concerns that this is too much reliance on one resource and in particular, hydroelectric power is dependent on being free from drought conditions. You can read more about Brazil's dams at this website:
http://www.irn.org/programs/brazil_dams/

Here is an article related to the issues that Brazil faces regarding their heavy reliance on hydroelectric power, "Brazil Weighs Potential For Energy Evolution" (http://www.irn.org/pubs/wrr/issues/WRR.V17.N4-5.pdf) (Look for page 8 and continuing on page 15) This article moves into the direction of Brazil's upcoming alternative fuel industry.