Australian
Screen

Teacher’s notes

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This clip shows the USA and Brazil’s commitment to use ethanol to fuel motor vehicles. The clip opens with scenes in some US states where the addition of ethanol is mandatory, followed by 2006 footage of President Bush announcing increases in funding for ethanol research to the US Congress. The clip then switches to Brazil, the world leader in ethanol use. Brazilians are shown at local fuel stations choosing among various blends for their 1.3 million flex-fuel cars. The clip closes with a Brazilian motorist telling why he finally chose the all-ethanol fuel, Alcool.

Educational value points

• Alarmed by a 2003 media scare campaign about the safety of ethanol for car engines, Australians had been slow to accept biofuels, and this footage promoted ethanol to Australian audiences by showing everyday Brazilian motorists and environmental conservatives such as Bush committing to it. This ABC Landline special aimed to persuade Australians to reconsider their position on ethanol. Thus the program includes no negative voices.

• As seen in the clip, ethanol is a major component in the strategies of Brazil and the USA to diversify their energy sources and reduce their dependence on imported oil. Ethanol (ethyl alcohol) is a clear, colourless liquid, generally manufactured from grain or sugar. Ethanol is used to dissolve other substances and can be used as an automotive fuel by itself or blended with petrol. Fuel blends with as little as 10 per cent ethanol reduce greenhouse emissions.

• Beginning in the 1970s, as described in the clip, Brazil has maintained a commitment to sugar-based ethanol that has helped it move closer to energy independence and has led to huge increases in sugar-cane productivity. In 1975 Brazil made 2,000 L of ethanol from 1 ha of sugar cane. In 2007 it was nearly 6,000 L per ha. Brazil is the world’s largest exporter of ethanol, with the value of its exported ethanol expected to double between 2005 and 2010.

• One of the cornerstones of consumer acceptance of ethanol in Brazil has been flex-fuel technology that programs the car’s computer to calculate the mixture of ethanol and petrol in the tank and adjust the engine accordingly. The technology, which was developed in Brazil, enables consumers such as those seen in the clip to choose the blend of ethanol and petrol they want. Flex-fuel cars are now the best-selling cars in Brazil.

• Ethanol in motor vehicle fuel is becoming mandatory in the USA. In his 2006 State of the Union Address shown in the clip, President Bush announced the Advanced Energy Initiative (AEI), including funding to foster ethanol technologies. In 2007 Bush announced a mandatory fuels standard requiring 35 billion gallons (132.5 billion L) of renewable and alternative fuels to be produced annually by 2017 to help reduce US petrol consumption by 20 per cent in 10 years.

• The focus of the US ethanol strategy is cellulosic ethanol. While conventional ethanol is derived from sugar or corn starch, cellulosic ethanol is derived from the cellulose in abundant biomass such as corn stalks, switch grass and woodchip. The basic process of making ethanol is the same but cellulose is harder to break down into the glucose needed for fermentation. The thrust of US research is finding cost-competitive technologies to produce cellulosic ethanol.