Thesis (M. Eng. in Logistics)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Engineering Systems Division, 2013. / Cataloged from PDF version of thesis. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 84-87). / This thesis is a comprehensive study that aggregates the key aspects of ethanol including its supply chain, government legislation that impacts the use of, and the inherent material characteristics of the fuel as well as its environmental impact. Based on existing research, this study suggests whether or not mandating biofuels in today's energy portfolio makes sense and if so, to what extent. The objective of this research was to compile and analyze the large body of existing working knowledge regarding ethanol and distill some key takeaways for actionable recommendations. The findings in this research may be useful to policy makers, and those unfamiliar with the industry and wanting to learn more about ethanol. The key takeaway is that ethanol does not provide a quick fix to the world's energy problems but when combined with improved energy conservation, continued research and development to improve ethanol's carbon footprint, it can provide some help to reducing the environmental impact along with other benefits such as energy independence and rural economic stimulation. / by Sarah L. Bruce. / M.Eng.in Logistics
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:MIT/oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/81095 |
| Date | January 2013 |
| Creators | Bruce, Sarah L |
| Contributors | Alexis Hickman Bateman and Edgar Blanco., Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Engineering Systems Division., Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Engineering Systems Division. |
| Publisher | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| Source Sets | M.I.T. Theses and Dissertation |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 87 p., application/pdf |
| Rights | M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission., http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582 |
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