E85: explained the power of corn Supplying our own energy needs. Lowering greenhouse gas emissions. Using a homegrown, renewable fuel. Supporting U.S. farmers. Energy from the sun is absorbed by corn plants through photosynthesis. FlexFuel Vehicles burn the fuel, releasing carbon dioxide. The Corn grown to produce the E85 ethanol takes in the carbon dioxide and releases oxygen. Domestically grown corn is used to make E85 ethanol a renewable, domestic fuel that burns cleaner than gasoline and can enhance the nation s economy and energy independence. The starch, or energy, from the corn is refined into liquid ethanol. 85% liquid ethanol is blended with 15% gasoline to fuel FlexFuel Vehicles vehicles that can run on E85 ethanol, gasoline or any combination of the two. That s the powe r of corn. The power of living green and going yellow. Help turn your world yellow. Learn more about E85 ethanol, FlexFuel Vehicles and how you can make a difference at LiveGreenGoYellow.com. Recycling Bug Logo In General Motors continued effort toward conservation, this document was printed using post-consumer recycled content paper.
E85: explained the power of corn S u p p l y i n g o u r o w n e n e r g y n e e d s. L o w e r i n g g re e n h o u s e g a s e m i s s i o n s. U s i n g a h o m e g ro w n, re n e w a b l e f u e l. Supporting U. S. farmers. That s the power of corn. The power of living green and going yellow. Use this topical curriculum to teach your students about E85 ethanol a renewable, domestic fuel that burns cleaner than gasoline and can enhance the nation s economy and energy independence.
Target Audience: Grades 5-8 Program Components This teacher s guide Four student activity masters A classroom wall poster Four bundles of take-home pamphlets (200 total) to share with parents and other family members An educator survey An educator reply card Program Objectives Introduce students to E85 ethanol and how it will change society in positive ways by reducing our dependence on petroleum and positively impacting the environment. Demonstrate the process by which E85 ethanol is produced from domestic corn. Explore the economic, agricultural and environmental impact of using E85 ethanol as a fuel source. Consider the current availability of E85 ethanol, its potential within the U.S. as a fuel source, as well as successful examples of ethanol use in other countries. Promote parent involvement and awareness of what children are learning in school, and encourage parents to learn more about E85 ethanol. National Education Standards Links Science Relationships among organisms and their physical environment Structure and properties of matter Sources and properties of energy Geography How human actions modify the physical environment How physical systems affect human systems Changes that occur in the meaning, use, distribution and importance of resources Global development and environmental issues Technology Relationships among science, technology, society and the individual Mathematics Strategies in the problem-solving process Properties of the concepts of numbers Procedures while performing the processes of computation Civics Impact of significant political and nonpolitical developments on the United States and other nations Economics Basic concepts about international economics Using the Poster To introduce this unit, hang the wall poster in a highly visible area of your classroom. Discuss what it means to live green and be environmentally responsible. With the dominant attention on energy in recent months, ask students what they have heard about alternative, renewable energy in the news lately. Have they heard about ethanol and E85 ethanol fuel? Talk about the benefits of E85 ethanol highlighted on the poster, and then review the environmental cycle illustrated. Explain to students that they will be studying these economic, societal and environmental advantages more in depth, and will learn about the process by which corn is refined into fuel. Activity One An A-maizing Fuel for Today This activity introduces students to ethanol and the many advantages of using E85 ethanol as fuel. Ethanol has been used for fuel for many years. Start the lesson by discussing its development with your class. A Brief History of Ethanol: In the 1800s, ethanol was a major source of lighting fuel. During the Civil War, a liquor tax was placed on ethanol, reducing its use greatly until the tax was lifted in 1906. Early automobiles of the 1920s were created to run on alcohol fuels. During Prohibition, ethanol could only be sold when it was mixed with petroleum (it was banned otherwise because it was considered a liquor). Ethanol was used to power vehicles for both the U.S. and Germany armies during World War II, when oil resources were limited. Oil embargoes in the 1970s renewed interest in ethanol. In 1988, ethanol was blended with gasoline in order to reduce carbon monoxide emissions. Today, ethanol is also used as a solvent for paints, varnishes and perfumes. Before distributing the activity to students, review what they know about renewable and nonrenewable resources: renewable resources are those that can be replenished in a short period of time; nonrenewable resources can t be replaced in a short amount of time their supply is limited. After students read the activity, discuss why it is important to explore and develop alternative, renewable fuel sources. Talk about the prediction that the world s demand for energy is expected to double by the year 2050. Answers The following are possible details and benefits about E85 ethanol fuel that students may include: is made from renewable resources is made from products grown in the U.S. helps lessen our dependence on oil helps lessen our dependence on foreign countries to meet our energy needs raises crop values adds value and income to farming industry provides more horsepower to vehicles boosts vehicle s engine performance has high oxygen content burns cleaner than gasoline reduces greenhouse gas emissions, carbon dioxide emissions and smog-forming emissions is nontoxic and biodegradable does not contaminate water Since 1978, U.S. ethanol production has replaced over 14 billion gallons of imported gasoline or crude oil. 1
Also share with students that the cost of E85 ethanol is comparable to gasoline. The only disadvantage of E85 ethanol is that it contains less energy per gallon than gasoline. That means a vehicle can go slightly further on a gallon of gasoline than it could on a gallon of E85 ethanol. Considering the prospect of energy independence and the environmental advantages, do students think this disadvantage is enough to make people not use E85 ethanol as a fuel? Activity Two Growing in Our Backyard This activity explains the fermentation process by which ethanol is produced from corn using dry milling. Review the following information with students before distributing the activity: An organic compound is one produced by living things. Fermentation is a chemical reaction. It has been used for thousands of years to produce alcoholic drinks, such as fermenting grapes into wine. In the past, there has been some debate about the energy efficiency of producing ethanol. According to a U.S. Department of Agriculture study, each unit of energy input used to produce ethanol leads to an average 1.67 units of energy generated in the form of ethanol. That means ethanol production results in 67% more energy than it takes to produce it. You may want to discuss this concept with students. Answers 1. No, there will not be less corn for human consumption because field, or dent, corn is used to make ethanol; not sweet corn, which is the kind of corn people eat. 2. Yeast causes fermentation by feeding on the sugar, thereby converting the sugar into ethanol and carbon dioxide. 3. The endosperm, or starch, of the kernel is used to make ethanol. 4. Dry milling also creates carbon dioxide and stillage, which is used to make livestock feed. 5. Energy from the sun splits water into hydrogen and oxygen. The carbon dioxide taken in by the plant combines with the hydrogen from the water to form glucose. As an extension, ask students to examine which states grow the most corn in the United States, and then chart how much corn was produced over the past several years and what it was used for (e.g., ethanol, feedstock). Chemical Properties of Ethanol clear liquid boiling point: 78 C (172 F) freezing point: -112 C (-170 F) no basic or acidic properties when burned, produces a pale blue flame with no residue and considerable energy Activity Three Give Them an Ear, They Get a Mile This activity conveys information related to the benefits of E85 ethanol use and production through mathematical word problems. Answers Students will need to use a calculator for some of the answers. 1. Produced from One Acre of Corn 399.3 gallons of ethanol 3,253.8 lbs. of livestock feed 103.5 lbs. of corn oil 2,514.3 lbs. of carbon dioxide 1,479 one-lb. boxes of cereal 2,218.5 lbs. of brewer grits 1,479 eight-oz. packages of cheese curls 147.9 lbs. of pancake mix 2. 399.3 x 46 = 18,367.8 gallons 3. 4,000,000,000 2.7 = 1,481,481,481.5 bushels; 4,000,000,000 399.3 = 10,017,530.7 acres 4. 4,000,000,000 42 x 1.2 = 114,285,714.3 barrels of petroleum 5. from 2000 to 2005: 4,000 1,630 1,630 x 100 = 145%; from 2003 to 2005: 4,000 2,810 2,810 x 100 = 42% Tell students that besides using corn to produce ethanol for fuel, corn is also being used as a replacement for petroleum in the plastics industry. A corn-derived polymer called PLA (polylactic acid) is being used to create fibers and plastics (including food packaging, clothing, bedding, dishes, cutlery and carpeting) that are biodegradable and 100% renewable. The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that ethanol production adds 30 cents to the value of a bushel of corn. 2 Live Green, Go Yellow: The Power of Corn
Activity Four Saying Yes to Yellow This activity explores the current availability of E85 ethanol, as well as the future potential that exists if consumers and decision makers support the use of E85 ethanol. After students read the activity, you may want them to work in groups to complete the research and tasks at the bottom of the page. Students can visit www.gmaltfuel.com or www. E85fuel.com to locate fueling stations that offer E85 ethanol and other mixtures of alternative fuels. Have students chart the nearest locations on a map. When students are done with their projects, have them present their campaigns about E85 ethanol and its advantages to other classes or parents. Discuss the trend of ethanol fuel production in the U.S. as described in the activity and in the graph from Activity Three. Based on the information, do students think we will meet the goal set forth by the Energy Policy Act (EPAct) of 2005 to have 7.5 billion gallons of renewable fuels such as ethanol in our nation s fuel supply by 2012? Have students research other mandates set forth by EPAct. Tell students that other proposed legislation would require that all vehicles sold in the U.S. be FlexFuel Vehicles within the next 10 years. A 40-million-gallon ethanol plant can create 42 jobs and $56 million in annual investment. 3 Extension Activities Encourage students to explore other alternative energy sources being used, tested or researched. Have groups prepare presentations of their findings, including advantages and disadvantages of the fuel source. Organize a Renewable Energy Fair at your school to share the results. Ask students to think about and research other uses for ethanol. One possible use is for hydrogen to be extracted from ethanol for fueling hydrogen-powered fuel cells. Fuel cells can power vehicles, homes, factories and anything that runs on batteries and the only emission is water vapor. Explain to students that Brazil also exports ethanol to other countries. Have students consider what opportunities this opens up for the U.S. and other countries. How does this compare to the current global energy distribution system? Resources & Bibliography Live Green, Go Yellow www.livegreengoyellow.com General Motors Education website www.gmability.com/education U.S. Department of Energy: Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy: Ethanol www.eere.energy.gov/ethanol Clean Cities www.eere.energy.gov/cleancities National Corn Growers Association www.ncga.com Energy Information Administration s Energy Kid s Page www.eia.doe.gov/kids National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition www.e85fuel.com Renewable Fuels Association www.ethanolrfa.org Clean Fuels Development Coalition www.cleanfuelsdc.org Ethanol Across America www.ethanolacrossamerica.net Governors Ethanol Coalition www.ethanol-gec.org National Renewable Energy Laboratory www.nrel.gov U.S. Department of Agriculture www.usda.gov Argonne National Laboratory s Transportation Technology R&D Center www.transportation.anl.gov Challoner, Jack. Energy (DK Eyewitness Books). New York: Dorling Kindersley, 2000. Recycle Bug Logo Here. In General Motors continued effort toward conservation, this document was printed using post-consumer recycled content paper.
the power of corn Supplying our own energy needs. Lowering greenhouse gas emissions. Using a homegrown, renewable fuel. Supporting U.S. farmers. That s The Power of Cor n. The power of living green and going yellow. Domestically grown corn is used to make E85 ethanol a renewable, domestic fuel that burns cleaner than gasoline and can enhance the nation s economy and energy independence.
What if a solution to our dependence on oil was growing right in front of us? Today, over 90% of our energy needs are met by fossil fuels nonrenewable resources. Over half of the petroleum we use is imported from foreign countries. For every 37 gallons of E85 ethanol used, you re saving one barrel (42 gallons) of oil reducing our dependence on petroleum. By 2010, U.S. ethanol production could displace the equivalent of 311,000 barrels of imported oil a day more than one large oil tanker a week.
A fuel that grows back every year? Well, turn my world yellow. E85 ethanol is a renewable fuel made from U.S. grown biomaterial, like corn or grain products. Today, most U.S. ethanol is made from corn. Increased demand for home-grown corn and grain raises crop values, adding value and income to the domestic farming industry. Lower greenhouse gas emissions? We re all ears. E85 ethanol helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions, carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and smog-forming emissions. In 2005, ethanol use in the U.S. reduced CO2-equivalent greenhouse gas emissions by about 7.8 million that s equal to removing the annual emissions of more than 1.18 million cars from the road.
In a FlexFuel Vehicle, Yellow Means Go. Can every vehicle in America run on yellow? Not yet. But, GM already has 1.5 million FlexFuel Vehicles on the road. FlexFuel Vehicles can run on E85 ethanol, gasoline or any combination of the two. E85 ethanol has a higher octane rating than premium gasoline, increasing horsepower for better engine performance. Help turn your world yellow at LiveGreenGoYellow.com. Learn more about E85 ethanol, which GM vehicles can run on it, where you can get it and how you can make a difference. Recycle Bug Logo Here. In General Motors continued effort toward conservation, this document was printed using post-consumer recycled content paper.
activity one an a-maizing fuel for today Name: We depend on energy for everything from running our mp3 players, computers and televisions, to powering cars, buses and airplanes. Over 90% of our energy needs today are met by fossil fuels, which are nonrenewable resources. Of those fossil fuels, petroleum supplies a majority of our energy. Over half of the petroleum we use is imported from foreign countries. To help meet our current and rising energy demands, alternative sources of energy that use renewable resources are being explored. For many reasons, an alternative fuel called ethanol is getting attention as a smart energy choice. What if a solution to our dependence on oil was growing right in front of us? Ethanol is an alcohol-based fuel that can be made from renewable products like corn, corn stalks, barley, wheat, rice straw, sugar cane, pulpwood, switchgrass and municipal solid waste. In the United States, ethanol is mostly produced from domestically grown corn. That means using ethanol can help us lessen our dependence on petroleum and foreign sources of fuel. The increased demand for home-grown corn also raises crop values, thereby adding value and income to the farming industry. Ethanol production is now the third largest use of U.S. corn. A fuel that grows back every year? Well, turn my world yellow. Vehicles can use ethanol for power in the form of E85 ethanol that s 85% ethanol combined with 15% gasoline. E85 ethanol fuel provides more horsepower (a measurement of the energy it takes to keep a vehicle moving) than standard gasoline. It also boosts the performance of a vehicle s engine. Vehicles that can use E85 ethanol are called FlexFuel Vehicles (FFVs) because they are flexible when it comes to fuel: they can run on E85 ethanol, gasoline or any combination of the two. Renewable Racing Starting in 2006, all vehicles in the IndyCar Series at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway will have 10% of ethanol added to their fuel. In 2007, all vehicles will run (and race!) on 100% ethanol! Lower greenhouse gas emissions? We re all ears. Ethanol contains 35% oxygen the highest percentage of any available fuel so it burns cleaner than gasoline. E85 ethanol helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions, carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and smog-forming emissions. In 2005, ethanol use in the U.S. reduced CO2-equivalent greenhouse gas emissions by about 7.8 million that s equal to removing the annual emissions of more than 1.18 million cars from the road!1 Ethanol is also nontoxic, biodegradable and does not contaminate water. In the chart below, list six details or benefits about E85 ethanol fuel. Then, choose another fuel source commonly used today (such as oil, coal or natural gas) and compare its qualities to E85 ethanol. Fuel: E85 Ethanol Fuel: 1. 1. 2. 2. 3. 3. 4. 4. 5. 5. 6. 6. Find out more about E85 ethanol and FlexFuel Vehicles at LiveGreenGoYellow.com.
activity two growing in our backyard Name: Corn oh, how sweet it is! On the cob, off the cob, creamed however you like it, it s a favorite all right. In fact, it s the number one crop in America! The corn you eat is literally called sweet corn. But, the most abundant type of corn grown in the U.S. is field, or dent, corn. Dent corn has a hard outer portion that s about the thickness of a fingernail; while the inner portion is soft and floury. Dent corn is used to make starches, oils, feed for livestock, crayons, paints, paper, corn syrup sweeteners and many other products. One product that is made from dent corn is E85 ethanol fuel. Through the process of photosynthesis, energy from the sun is taken into the corn s plant cells and stored. This energy separates the oxygen from water (H2O), and the oxygen is released by the plant. The carbon dioxide (CO2) that is taken in by the plant combines with the hydrogen from water. The hydrogen and carbon dioxide join to form glucose (C6H12O6), a type of sugar that is the food for the plant. The corn kernel has four parts: the endosperm, which contains the starch or energy; the pericarp, or outer covering that protects it; the germ, which contains vitamins and minerals it is made up of about 25% corn oil; and the tip cap, where the kernel is attached to the cob and through which water and nutrients flow. The energy in the starch of the corn kernel is refined into liquid ethanol that can be used for fuel. An ear of corn has about 300 kernels! The Endosperm The Germ Ethanol (C2H5OH) is a member of a group of organic compounds called alcohols compounds that contain carbon, oxygen and hydrogen. While ethanol can be produced from corn using either a wet milling or dry milling process, most is made by dry milling. Here s how it works: 1. First, the entire kernel is ground into flour, called meal. 2. Then, the meal is mixed with water to form a mash. Enzymes (catalysts that speed up chemical reactions in living things) are added to the mash to turn the starch into a simple sugar. 3. The mash is put in a high temperature cooker to reduce bacteria. The Pericap 4. Next, the mash is cooled and put into fermenters where yeast is added. Yeast is a single-celled fungus that feeds on the sugar. 5. The yeast converts the sugar into ethanol and carbon dioxide. This process, called fermentation, takes about 40 to 50 hours. 6. The fermented mash is now transferred to distillation columns where the ethanol is separated from any residue called stillage. 7. The ethanol then goes through a dehydration process to remove any water, leaving it as pure The Tip Cap alcohol. 8. To make the ethanol undrinkable, a small amount of gasoline is added to it. No room for waste! Remember that left over stillage? It s sent through another process where it becomes nutritious feed for livestock. The reason it s nutritious is because only the starch of the corn kernel is used to produce ethanol. The remaining vitamins and minerals go into the livestock feed. The carbon dioxide created during fermentation is also captured. It is sold to be used for carbonating soft drinks and beverages, and for helping crops in greenhouses grow quicker. Answer the following questions based on the information you learned. 1. By using corn to produce ethanol, will there be less corn for people to eat? Why or why not? 2. What role does yeast play in producing ethanol? 3. Which part of the corn kernel is used to make ethanol? 4. Besides ethanol, what other products are created in the dry milling process? 5. How does a corn plant create its food, glucose? Find out more about E85 ethanol and FlexFuel Vehicles at LiveGreenGoYellow.com.
activity three give them an ear, they get a mile Name: Exactly what and how much do you get for an ear of corn? Work your way through these problems to find out. Round your answers to the nearest tenth. 1. The following table shows the amount of products that can be created by dry milling one bushel of corn. In 2005, an acre (about the size of a football field) of corn produced an average of 147.9 bushels of corn. 1 Fill in the table to show the amount of products that could be made from one acre of corn. Produced from One Bushel of Corn 2.7 gallons of ethanol 22 lbs. of livestock feed 0.7 lbs. of corn oil 17 lbs. of carbon dioxide 10 one-lb. boxes of cereal 15 lbs. of brewer grits 10 eight-oz. packages of cheese curls 1 lbs. of pancake mix Produced from One Acre of Corn gallons of ethanol lbs. of livestock feed lbs. of corn oil lbs. of carbon dioxide one-lb. boxes of cereal lbs. of brewer grits eight-oz. packages of cheese curls 147.9 lbs. of pancake mix 2. If one field had 46 acres of corn, how many gallons of ethanol could be produced from its corn? 3. If 4 billion gallons of ethanol were consumed annually, about 26 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions would be eliminated. 2 How many bushels of corn would need to be grown to produce 4 billion gallons of ethanol? How many acres would be needed? U.S. Fuel Ethanol Production MILLIONS OF GALLONS 4000 3500 3000 2500 2000 1500 Use the graph to answer the following questions. 4. For every barrel of ethanol produced, 1.2 barrels of petroleum are displaced or not needed. 4 How many barrels of petroleum were displaced in 2005? (A barrel contains 42 gallons.) 5. By what percentage did ethanol production increase from 2000 to 2005? From 2003 to 2005? 1000 500 0 2000 2001 2002 YEAR 2003 2004 2005 Find out more about E85 ethanol and FlexFuel Vehicles at LiveGreenGoYellow.com.
activity four Saying yes to yellow Name: Going Yellow The prospect of reducing our dependence on oil and improving the environment has put the spotlight on ethanol and prompted action to capitalize on its benefits. Most ethanol is produced in the corn-growing states in the Midwest, but other states are starting to build ethanol refineries as well. Across the U.S., there are more than 90 ethanol production facilities operating; and at least 20 more are planned to be running by the end of 2006. In 2005 alone, 43 ethanol refineries opened, began construction or were expanded. Currently, ethanol is sold across the country and is blended in 30% of the nation s gasoline. By the end of 2006, we will be able to produce about 5 billion gallons of ethanol a year. And further work is in progress to add over 2 billion gallons of ethanol annually. In the U.S., 39 million acres of cropland is available enough to produce 16 billion gallons of E85 ethanol fuel. A change in our energy infrastructure to take full advantage of this potential could only come from a combination of government support, industry cooperation and advancement, and public acceptance. One recent law that has been signed is the Energy Policy Act (EPAct) of 2005. It established a Renewable Fuels Standard calling for the annual use of 7.5 billion gallons of renewable fuels such as ethanol in our nation s fuel supply by 2012. Some state governments have already set laws that require the use of renewable fuels, and other states are considering doing the same. On the road today, there are about 4 million FlexFuel Vehicles that can run on E85 ethanol. There are over 500 E85 ethanol fueling stations more than 225 of which were established in 2005 alone. As you can see, a lot of work is being done very quickly to help make E85 ethanol fuel available for all Americans. Living Green Countries all over the world are developing programs to harness energy from renewable resources. Worldwide, more than 12 billion gallons of ethanol were produced in 2005. Brazil is the world s largest producer and consumer of ethanol made from sugar cane. The country started implementing a plan to use ethanol for fueling vehicles back in 1975. Today, over half of the cars there are FlexFuel Vehicles, and almost all of its fueling stations offer 100% pure ethanol as an option. In fact, Brazil requires that every gallon of gasoline sold have a mixture of at least 25% ethanol. Through its ethanol program, Brazil reduced the amount of oil it imported by almost 70% between 1979 and 1992. By 2010, U.S. ethanol production could displace the equivalent of 311,000 barrels of imported crude oil a day more than one large oil tanker a week. How Yellow Is Your State? 1. Research: What alternative fuel policies and energy laws does your state have? Is ethanol mixed with gasoline at local pumps? Where is the closest E85 ethanol fueling station? 2. Organize: Use the facts you know about the benefits of E85 ethanol to prepare letters to local government officials urging them to promote its use and develop any necessary infrastructure. Create posters and flyers convincing the public to buy FlexFuel Vehicles and use E85 ethanol. 3. Speak Up: Spread the word about living green and going YELLOW! Top 10 EthanoL- Producing Countries in 2005 1. United States 2. Brazil 3. China 4. India 5. France 6. Russia 7. Germany 8. South Africa 9. Spain 10. United Kingdom Find out more about E85 ethanol and FlexFuel Vehicles at LiveGreenGoYellow.com.