Ethanol, Gasoline and the Environment

Dr. Dave: My state legislature (Montana) is currently debating a bill to mandate 10 percent ethanol in all gasoline. Is that a good idea? I’ve read that ethanol causes problems.

A. Montana is one of six states that has in place or is currently debating, an ethanol mandate. One state, Minnesota, has a mandate for the use of vegetable oil/diesel blends. To answer your question, let’s start, as we always do, with some basic background.

Ethanol is another name for pure alcohol. Anyone who has made beer or wine has taken the first step toward making ethanol. Microorganisms ferment sugars into ethanol (and carbon dioxide). Wine consists of about 10 percent alcohol (20 proof). To produce fuel or industrial ethanol (unlike beverage ethanol) the low content alcohol goes through a series of distillation phases to eliminate the water. The final product is 100 percent alcohol (200 proof). That is what is mixed into our gasoline.[1]