Ecological Impact

Within the scientific community, there is still considerable debate over the ecological advantages of ethanol versus gasoline, with proponents of both sides citing various environmental models and other arguments in favor of their respective positions. While the complexities of such arguments and scientific models fall far outside the purview of our present discussion, we nevertheless believe that a meaningful dialogue can begin by examining the two subjects at the heart of the debate: the real-world application of a biofuels program, and the biofuel itself.

As mentioned elsewhere, the nation of Brazil enacted a comprehensive biofuels program in the mid-1970s in response to rising gasoline prices and the energy crisis, and today remains the worldwide leader in ethanol production and consumption (nearly two-thirds of the world’s ethanol is consumed by Brazil). In 2005, ethanol accounted for 41 percent of all non-diesel motor vehicle fuel sold, and so-called “flex fuel” vehicles (automobiles that run on gasoline, ethanol, or any blend of the two) reached a 70-percent share of the non-diesel vehicle market. Although far from being entirely oil-independent, Brazil has nevertheless achieved two of the program’s most important goals in the 30 years since its inception: providing citizens with an alternative fuel that is cheaper than gasoline on a per-unit basis; and reducing CO2 emissions to 20 percent of what they would have been had the biofuels program never been adopted. As many countries regularly cite reducing harmful emissions as one of their greatest environmental challenges, this latter statistic is especially important – and promising.

Regarding the biofuel itself, ethanol is a clean-burning, high-octane fuel that is produced from renewable resources – in the case of Stratos Renewables, from sugarcane that can be grown and harvested in Peru year-round. Sugarcane contains the highest starch content of any plant stock which, compared to U.S. corn, enables nearly three times the ethanol yields, helping to drive down costs and achieve parity between supply and demand. Sugar-based ethanol produces 80 percent less net greenhouse gases than gasoline, and boasts an estimated “energy balance” (i.e., the ratio between energy produced by a fuel and the energy needed to manufacture it) of just over 8:1 – measurably higher than other ethanol sources. Most important, because sugarcane is a renewable resource, ethanol fuel produced from it can not only satisfy short-term needs, but ultimately offer the long-term sustainability that is the foundation for responsible environmental stewardship.