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Indy 500 Drives Green Forward

It’s been around as long as the Model T, but ethanol – an alternative fuel made from corn and other starches – is only now starting to gain acceptance among consumers.

Thanks to the Indy 500, it could soon become downright cool. The famous auto race required drivers to use a 10 percent blend of ethanol fuel this year, and will move to a 100 percent ethanol fuel requirement next year.

Many believe ethanol is the wave of the future, because it burns cleanly and derives from crops we can readily grow, such as corn, sugar cane, wheat and barley. As pressure mounts to reduce our nation’s dependence upon foreign oil, home-grown fuels grow increasingly attractive.

The growing demand for ethanol has also spurred jobs in the Midwest, where new ethanol plants are cropping up and keeping unemployment down.

Ethanol blends are readily available at many gas stations across the United States, and nearly all cars, trucks and even small-engine machines (such as boats and lawn mowers) can use the 10 percent product. A growing number of vehicles are now built to run on higher percentage blends, as well.

Since ethanol burns cleanly, choosing the corn-based fuel over regular gasoline also reduces carbon dioxide emissions, which will help slow global warming.

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To read more about this and other environmental health issues, go to: www.environmentalhealthnews.org, www.ourstolenfuture.org, or www.healthandenvironment.org