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Biofuels
Advantages and Disadvantages of Biofuels
By Jared Skye
BA Environmental Science
Since
the term "biofuel" first entered the energy lexicon of the average
consumer, there has been a steady stream of advancements to this technology.
While
public perceptions on biofuels may have changed over the years, quite a lot of
interest in the pros and cons of this fuel source still remain.
It
is important for all consumers to seriously consider both the positive and
negative aspects of this still-emerging technology.
Advantages of Biofuels
Biofuel
advocates frequently point out the advantages of these plant- and animal-based
fuels.
No
fuel source is completely positive or completely negative.
Consumers
need to weigh the pros and cons of biofuels to determine whether they feel
comfortable with this resource as an alternative to traditional fuels.
Low Cost of Biofuels
Biofuels
prices have been falling and have the potential to be significantly less
expensive than gasoline and other fossil fuels.
In
fact, ethanol is already cheaper than diesel and gasoline.
This
is particularly true as worldwide demand for oil increases, oil supplies
dwindle, and more sources of biofuels become apparent.
According
to RFA (Renewable Fuels Association) February 2019 Ethanol Industry Outlook report,
2018 was a record breaker for ethanol production, reaching 16.1 billion gallons
of renewable ethanol.
This report states, "Ethanol remains the
highest-octane, lowest-cost motor fuel on the planet."
Additionally,
in 2019, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) allocated
$73 million for 35 bioenergy research and development (R&D) projects. Goals
for the project are:
·
To reduce drop-in
biofuel costs
·
To "enable
high-value products from biomass or waste resources"
·
To reduce the cost of
producing biopower
Former Secretary Rick Perry said the overall R&D goal is
to "produce affordable biofuels that are compatible with existing
fueling infrastructure and vehicles across a range of transportation modes,
including renewable-gasoline, -diesel, and -jet fuels."
Even
U.S. production of 1 billion tons (dry tons) of non-food biomass won't cause a
problem in food and agricultural marketplace.
Source Material
According
to RFA, the DOE funded R&D projects include, the cultivation
intensification processes for algae as biofuel, systems research of advanced
hydrocarbon biofuel technologies and renewable energy from urban and suburban
wastes - wet waste methane.
Whereas
oil is a limited resource that comes from specific materials, biofuels can be
manufactured from a wide range of materials including crop waste, manure, other
byproducts, and algae. This makes it an efficient step in recycling.
Security
Biofuels
can be produced locally, which decreases the nation's dependence upon
foreign energy.
By
reducing dependence on foreign fuel sources, countries can protect the
integrity of their energy resources and make them safe from outside influences.
In
addition, biofuels can shift dependency on fossil fuels to a large extent since
most fuel
Economic Stimulation
Because
biofuels are produced locally, biofuel manufacturing plants can employ hundreds
or thousands of workers, creating new jobs in rural areas.
Biofuel
production increases the demand for suitable biofuel crops, providing economic
stimulation to the agriculture industry.
Fueling
homes, businesses and vehicles with biofuels are less expensive than fossil
fuels.
Lower Carbon Emissions
When
biofuels are burned, they produce significantly less carbon output and fewer
toxins than carbon fuels. Lower carbon emissions make them a safer alternative
to preserve atmospheric quality and lower air pollution.
Renewability Is an Advantage
It
takes a very long time for fossil fuels to be produced.
However,
biofuels are easier to produce and are renewable as new crops are grown and
waste material is collected.
Many
waste materials of food crops can be used in creating biofuels.
The
residue from the agriculture production of fruits and
grains includes, straw and bagasse (sugar cane fiber) that are easily
accessible to generate biomass.
First Generation Biofuels
The
EPA states several first generation resources are used to create biofuels, such
as sugarcane and sugar beet known as sugar crops.
Another
biofuel is made using soybean and canola, known as oilseed crops. Starch crops
are corn and sorghum.
Animal
fats and oils are processed to make biodiesel. The bioalcohols these crops
produce include, ethanol, propanol and butanol.
Second Generation Biofuels
The Encyclopedia Britannica discusses second
generation biofuels as having a smaller impact on the environment since unlike
first generation biofuels, the raw materials are from nonedible plants, some of
these plants that humans don't eat, include bamboo, grasses,
various woods (sawdust) and plants.
However,
cellulose biofuels currently have a lower conversion rate in production, making
them more suitable as fuel additives instead of a replacement for gasoline.
Third Generation Biofuels
Biofuels
made from algae are referred to as third generation biofuels.
Algae
is very promising as a biofuel since it generates a quality and diverse fuel.
Algae
produces an oil that is easy to refine into a diesel fuel.
However,
algae stability is less than other biofuels. The highly unsaturated oil is
volatile at high temperatures.
Example for Running a City on Biofuel
National Geographic features
Kristianstad, a Swedish city that runs on biogas.
The
city generates its electric and heating needs from the production of biogas.
Cars
are fueled along with city buses and garbage trucks.
The
city's two refineries produce enough biofuel to replace their annual gasoline
requirements of 1.1 million gallons.
Disadvantages of Biofuels
Despite
the many positive characteristics of biofuels, there are also many
disadvantages to these energy sources.
These
can be made as arguments against substituting biofuels for fossil fuels.
Energy Output
Biofuels
have a lower energy output than traditional fuels and therefore require greater
quantities to be consumed in order to produce the same energy level.
This
has led some noted energy analysts to believe that biofuels are not worth the
work to convert them to ethanol rather than electricity.
Production Carbon Emissions
Several studies have been conducted to analyze
the carbon footprint of biofuels, and while they be cleaner to burn there are
strong indications that the process to produce the fuel - including the
machinery necessary to cultivate the crops and the plants to produce the fuel -
has hefty carbon emissions.
In
addition, cutting forests to grow crops for
biofuels adds to carbon emissions.
High Cost
To
refine biofuels to more efficient energy outputs, and to build the necessary
manufacturing plants to increase biofuel quantities, a high initial investment is
often required, making its production currently more expensive than other ways
to fuel cars, even though this could change in the future.
Food Prices
As
the demand for food crops, such as corn grows for biofuel production, it raises prices for necessary staple food
crops.
According
to the University of Michigan, the increase in
biofuel feedstock meant a higher demand on corn, raising the price as much as
20% to 50%.
With
the conversion of land to biocrops, less crops for human consumption means
higher prices and in some cases could case food shortages
Food Shortages
There
is concern that using valuable cropland to
grow fuel crops could have an impact on the cost of food and could possibly
lead to food shortages.
Biocrops
may increase production costs through the increased use of land and demand of
water for crop irrigation.
Some
experts point to the 2008 world food crisis over rice as an
example of what could happen due to increases in biocrops, although the rice
crisis had nothing to do with biofuels and was caused by trade restrictions and
panic buying.
Still
it is the shortage that is used as an example of what could happen when not
enough food is produced and currently, biocrops compete with food crops.
Water Use
Massive
quantities of water are required for proper irrigation of
biofuel crops as well as to manufacture the fuel, which could strain local and
regional water resources.
A 2018 assessment on the water impact of U.S. biofuels also
looked at the impact of displace row crops by energy crops for biofuel and the
irrigation requirements.
It
was discovered that energy crops were larger than row crops, required a longer
growing season and reduced the flow of water.
The
transpiration (water movement in plants and evaporation) increased 15% to 30%
and in some cases, this rate of water consumption increased as much as 60% to
80%.
The Future of Biofuels
Biofuels
are not a silver bullet for the energy problems of the world.
To
solve the issue of dwindling fossil fuel reserves, all viable means of
harvesting energy should be pursued to their fullest.
However,
the fact remains that biofuels are a reliable alternative energy resource.
With
more development and research, it is possible to overcome the disadvantages of
biofuels and make them suitable for widespread consumer use.
When
the technology is available, many of the disadvantages will be minimized and
the market very clearly has potential.
Much
of this could rely on the ability of energy producers to discover better plants
to raise for fuel that use less water, less land, and grows quickly.
Jared Skye is an author and photographer in Eugene, Oregon. His
experiences in authorship allow him to write accurately about a broad range of
subjects, but his greatest strengths lay in environmental topics.
Do-It-Yourself Expertise
Jared is not only constantly
coming up with new projects for his own home to make it more sustainable, but
he has written about sustainable "DIY" projects for a number of
different blogs and websites. His specialties are construction projects and
gardening.
Environment Credentials
In college, Jared majored in
environmental science, and most of his non-writing professional career was
involved with biological field research studies. He has experience with writing
proposals, science education, and ecology.
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