TPO 22 Integrated Essay

In this set of materials, the article posits that ethanol fuel is not as good as some people believe it is, and provides three reasons to show the disadvantages of this fuel. However, the lecturer raises questions on the ideas and presents some evidence to refute them all.

First, the author of the reading passage states that the process of burning ethanol will release carbon dioxide to the air, which results to the global warming. In contrary, the professor cast doubt on this point by saying that planting plants, such as crops, in order to make the ethanol, will absorb the carbon dioxide from air. According to the professor, the amount of the carbon dioxide which can be removed from air during this process is considerable than carbon dioxide which will be released when ethanol burns.

The next explanation which is uttered in the reading passage is that assigning significant amount of plants to producing the ethanol will deprive people from foods. On the contrast, the lecturer explains that ethanol can be achieved by some parts of plants which is not use able for eating. So, making ethanol doesn't reduce the source of foods for people.

Finally, the article asserts that ethanol fuel can't compete with gasoline in terms of financial concerns, due to the same price that it has in comparison with gas, while government is paying tax for it. Conversely, the speaker finds this idea dubious and indicates that ethanol will able to compete with gasoline in the future. The professor implies that if government supports this fuel, more people will use ethanol, and this increase in the usage of ethanol culminates in reducing its price. He mentions that in the future ethanol's price will be three times lower than now.