According to scientific American, only two out of ten ears of corn are used as human food. The rest (8) are used as a source of ethanol and as animal feeds. They share the percentage of the remainder in half. In the past one year, five billion bushels have been used for human and animal consumption, while 5.5 billion other bushels were used for fuel. They continue by clarifying that the American farmers are now using little amount of corn on animal feed while the US bio fuel industry has increased its use of corn as a source of energy. This is a very significant change in the industry and signifies that there could be a conflict between corn as a source of food and corn as a source of energy. The government has realized that bio fuels are a cheaper source of energy (Demirbas, 2008). This advancement in technology has made true the dreams of early technological visionaries Rudolf Diesel and Henry Ford.
Since the early times, there has been conflict between crude oil as the source of energy for vehicles and bio fuels. This is because the crude oils were very cheap then and the environmental risks and geopolitical risks had not been exposed by then. Nowadays, the environmental risks are well known and every government is looking for better ways to help in reduction of pollution from crude oils.
In search of replacements, bio fuels that are renewable and non-pollutants like the crude oils have gathered great political momentum all over the world. This is because the bio fuels promise better markets for the farm products produced. In the United States, the congress have advised, mandated, and subsidized in bid to help in promotion of the bio fuel industry. This has also been the trend in other countries.
Through conducted experiments, corn has proven itself as a very effective source of energy. Basically an alternative energy source from the coal wood and gas. It is an excellent energy source since its cob is slow burning and energy dense. It has the capability to produce and generate more heat energy at affordable lower costs when burnt in heating system when compared to other conventional furnaces. The reason behind this is that the corn source cost is way below that of the electricity and running gas. On top of that, the amount of heat produced by this corn is extremely high. In the country, many homes have adopted corn friendly heating systems. They include the corn furnaces, corn burning stoves. The corn furnaces do not need any changes from the way they look when using wood. Comparing between the wood and the corn leaves one in no doubt about how advantageous the corn is. The corn has fewer emissions and produces great amount of heat compared to wood (Demirbas, 2008). For this reason, it has become the most efficient heat source used in most homes in the United States. The husks since they are not used by many after harvest is purchasable from the farm supply companies and the farmers. The cornhusks can be purchased in bulk and stored. This is because they are cleaner and do not carry spiders and termites into homes like the wood.
Availability of many types of stoves that have been modified and to reduce energy loss. They are sold at reasonable prices and affordable prices thus making it a reality for everyone to adopt and corn energy as an alternative in their homes. Their management is easy compared to the other conventional furnaces and stoves. They also have the capability to produce and generate heat at very fast rates.
Ethanol production is carried out in the wet mill. During the process many byproducts are produced which have different uses. Corn steep liquor is one of the many byproducts produced during the process of ethanol production (Demirbas, 2008). The corn steep liquor is the water that is used in soaking of various components which is reused in various stages of ethanol production. The steep liquor contains gluten, acids, and lots of nitrogen and is often partially fermented as it leaves mills. Before 1940s, the corn steep liquor was discarded but scientists discovered a new use for it. It is now used as a perfect medium in growing of very large quantities of penicillin.
Cornstarch, which is generally made from corn endosperm, is used as a thickening agent in manufacture of liquid food. It is also used as an alternative for talc in manufacture of body powder. It is also mixed with sugar in making of sugar confectioners and was also used in making of clothing keep. The corn starch is also a very important ingredient in manufacture of biodegradable plastic. Corn starch is also used in making of corn syrup. Since starch is a sugar, enzymes are added and breaks the chains into simple sugars. Continued processing changes the sugars to High Fructose Corn Syrup which is used as a sweetener. It is used to sweeten many products especially the soft drinks. It is even sweeter than cane sugar and way cheaper. This HFCS has been recently linked to increased rates of obesity in the United States but the studies are ongoing to prove it a fact or just a myth. Obesity is still a possibility in cases where it is taken in very large amounts. This is however not an exception when compared to other sugar sources.
Corn silk has medicinal properties although they have not yet been proven medically. Research is ongoing on the way to confirm or dispute the claims (Chen, 2011). Tea brewed with corn silk has been used in remedying urinary tract infections since it has some diuretic properties. The marketers of the tea claim that it helps to solve bed wetting complications and diabetes cases. They go ahead and claim it helps to slow cancer progression.
Corncobs have been used traditionally as toilet paper substitute, animal bedding, and fuel and in making of corncob jelly. Presently, in industries, corncobs are used in manufacture of oil absorbents, fertilizers grit for blasting and tumbling and as insecticides. The sobs uses are diversifying since they are now used in production of ethanol. Pipes are now made from the corncob (Demirbas, 2008).
In production of industrial glue, corn germ, which is a waste product during the separation of components of corn helps in reduction of the amount of resin in the glue formulae. This reduces the cost of production and essentially reduces the price of the glue for the customers.
In conclusion, corn has come to the rescue of the energy and fuel industry. This is because it is capable of providing energy more efficiently and at cheaper costs. It also has a niche over the fossil fuels since it is renewable after every year. It also does not pollute the atmosphere while during its growth and germination it contributes by increasing the oxygen levels in the atmosphere. By using corn as the energy option homes are able to save on the energy bills in the common economic crisis.
The reason the congress is pushing for corn to be a fuel source is to increase the competition against Brazil which major ethanol source is sugarcane. Increased use of corn as a source of fuel is conflicting with corn being used as a food source. This is because most of the farmers are willing to sell the corn to the fuel markets which pay well rather than selling it to the food markets. This is causing an increase in food prices intern affecting the household budgets. To help fight this occurring food calamity, researchers are still looking for better sources of renewable energy. This will help reduce the amount of pressure mounted on the corn.
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Gupta, R. B., & Demirbas, A. (2010). Gasoline, diesel, and ethanol biofuels from grasses and plants. New York: Cambridge University Press.
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Chen, X., & National Bureau of Economic Research. (2011). Meeting the mandate for biofuels: Implications for land use, food and fuel prices. Cambridge, Mass: National Bureau of Economic Research.
Chen, X., Huang, H., Khanna, M., Ã-nal, H., & National Bureau of Economic Research. (2011). Meeting the Mandate for Biofuels: Implications for Land Use, Food and Fuel Prices. Cambridge, Mass: National Bureau of Economic Research.
