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A Look At Ethanol And Biodiesel For Use Of Alternative Fuels

Speech to Inform
To inform the audience of the use of ethanol and biodiesel as alternative fuels.
Alternative fuels for cars are necessary to reduce foreign dependency on petroleum, gain more economic security, and ultimately reduce the effect of the greenhouse gases on the planet.
Introduction:
In 1973 OPEC held parts of the world hostage. They willfully put the world in a gasoline crisis causing many countries in the world to come to a complete standstill. Thirty-five years later, we are back in the same oil crisis situation, but now it is even more dangerous since the inevitability of running out of oil is approaching fast.
A. Petroleum also has negative effects on the environment.
B. Dependence on foreign oil is very high.
II. Many solutions to our oil predicament have been proposed over the years.
A. One of the most talked about solutions is to start using alternative fuel sources.
By the end of my speech you will be more knowledgeable about two types of alternative fuel sources being developed and marketed right now, ethanol and biodiesel.
Body:
I. Let’s start with ethanol.
A. Ethanol is a colorless, alcohol based fuel.
1. Produced domestically from starch crops.
2. Corn, potatoes, wheat, sugar cane, and even old newspapers!
B. Ethanol is made by
1. Fermenting and distilling crops that have been broken down to their simplest sugars.
II. According to the U.S. Dept. of Energy nearly 1/3 of the United States gasoline already contains ethanol in a low level blend to reduce air pollution.
A. When ethanol is blended with gasoline it produces a fuel which has environmental advantages compared with gasoline.
1. It oxygenates fuel so it burns more completely
2. reduces polluting emissions such as carbon monoxide.
B. Ethanol blends can be used in gasoline powered vehicles.
1. Most vehicles run on E-10, gas and 10% ethanol.
2. Other vehicles specially manufactured to run on E-85, 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline.
C. The Model T ran...