[Raptor235]

Though backyard stills have been in existence since Prohibition, it seemed unlikely that any of the underground operations would ever be condoned by the President of the United States of America. A few years ago, however, George W. Bush did just that when he announced that his White House was looking into a number of alternative fuel sources for the automotive addicted population of America. All of a sudden, the closet moonshiners are being celebrated for their forward thinking.

Ethanol is also known as ethyl alcohol and grain alcohol. According to the US Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory, it can be defined as a "clear, colorless liquid with a characteristic, agreeable odour". It is also a high-performance motor fuel that produces far cleaning burning exhaust emissions than standard gasoline or diesel fuelled engines. In yet another example of his forward thinking (he also pioneered soy as a sustainable fibre for clothing), Henry Ford designed the first version of his Model T Ford to run on ethanol.

Though oil and gas interests defeated Ford’s proposal to make ethanol “the fuel of the future” its use has never totally disappeared in our society. Countries like Brazil and South Africa rely heavily on it for their fuel needs and even in the oil hungry United States, the total usage has increased to over 15 billion gallons per year. You can find the entire article here http://aboutmyplanet.com/alternative...y/make-ethanol