2.

ENVIRONMENTAL CONSTRAINTS AND ANALYSIS

Corn is widely cultivated throughout the globe. As one of the most important crops used

in the food, cosmetics and textile industry, its production is growing every year. With its

increasing manufacture yearly, the amount of its by-products such as Corn Stover also increases.

Due to lack of utilization, processing and post-harvest technology, these are eventually converted

to organic wastes. Through the action of microbe methanogens, these wastes emits methane

which is found to be 25 times more destructive greenhouse gas compared to carbon dioxide.

Methane emission can be reduced if organic wastes will be minimized. One good way of helping

in the reduction of emission is to utilize surplus by-products such as Corn Stover into beneficial

goods like ethanol.

Bioethanol is an environment friendly renewable energy source of fuels. As compared to

gasoline, the best ethanol has lower lifecycle global warming pollution. Ethanol represents

closed carbon dioxide cycle. After burning of ethanol, the release carbon dioxide is recycled

back into plant material because plants use carbon dioxide to synthesize cellulose during

photosynthesis. Furthermore, it only uses energy from renewable energy sources and no net

carbon dioxide is added to the atmosphere making it environmentally beneficial energy source.

Ethanol derived from biomass is the only liquid transportation fuel that does not contribute to the

greenhouse gas effect.