We get energy from sunlight, wind, nuclear plants, and damns... However, most of the energy that we use comes from fossil fuels. There are three major fossil fuels: Coal, oil and natural gas. These are composed of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen and sulfur. Carbon is the major element in fossil fuels. We obtain energy from fossil fuels by burning them. Coal is the most abundant fossil fuel in the U.S. Yet it has a major disadvantage. It is a strong pollutant. When it is burned, it releases impurities like nitrogen and sulfur, which combine with water vapor to create "acid rain". Also, coal is a major contributor to the imbalance of the carbon cycle. When coal burns, it forms carbon dioxide. Scientists believe that carbon dioxide traps the earth'
Ethanol is a fuel that is manufactured by distilling crops like corn and sugarcane. Ethanol is typically mixed with gasoline to produce a fuel known as gasohol. However, ethanol constitutes only 5 to 10 percent of gasohol. Scientists hope to increase the energy potential of ethanol, and develop engines and machines able to run mostly on ethanol. This would be a breakthrough in the field of fuels. An engine that runs on distilled grains and crops sounds like an unimaginable invention from a science-fiction movie. Ethanol has many advantages: For one thing, ethanol is renewable, and importantly, is an inexhaustible resource. As opposed to fossil fuels, ethanol will never run out. Secondly, Ethanol is relatively safe and non-toxic.
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