Ethanol Smog Could Be Worse Than Gasoline Emissions

The law of unintended consequences strikes again (from Special Report):

An atmospheric chemist at Stanford University says pollution from ethanol could end up being more dangerous than pollution from gasoline. The study by Professor Mark Jacobson, detailed in an online environmental science publication, shows a 85-15 mixture of ethanol and gasoline could yield emissions that would be especially harmful for people with asthma and other respiratory problems.

It says ethanol-burning cars could boost levels of toxic ozone gas in urban areas. Jacobson says that could result in 185 more deaths per year across the U.S. — with 125 of those in Los Angeles.

I can remember as a kid growing up in Orange County there would be days when the sky would be absolutely brown, the mountains invisible, and breathing tough - especially when running around the school playground. I'd rather not see those days return.