Are Biofuels Really Green?
A wide variety of fuels which, in one way or another, are derived from biomass, are classified as biofuels. It is a vast term which comprises liquid fuels, solid biomass and biogases. The idea of using biofuels for engines is not new. Rudolf Diesel, the inventor of diesel engine, had conceived of using vegetable oil to power his engine. He ran his engine at the 1900 World Exhibition, France on peanut oil. The idea was later dropped in favor of fossil fuels which were more readily available and cheaper to use at the time.
After the oil crisis of the 1970s, the Brazilian government decided to fund a program, namely Programa Nacional do Alcohol, to lessen its dependence on Middle Eastern oil and make Brazil self sufficient in energy. The government carried out several studies to find out if it was economically feasible to have such a program on a grand scale. The government not only offered technology but also subsidized many steps in the chain to make ‘ethanol’ (a biofuel) less expensive and more competitive as compared to petrol. The idea was to phase out fossil fuels, although it hasn’t yet been established, Brazil still leads the world when it comes to using biofuels in automobiles.
The rationale behind using biofuels is that plants grow up taking in carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and when the fuel extracted from them is burnt, only the carbon oxide which was previously in the atmosphere is released. Thus, using biofuels doesn’t add up more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Because biofuels are derived from renewable sources, they can serve as an inexhaustible source of energy. Biofuels aren’t without their own critics, who claim the purpose of the fields is not to run cars but to feed humans and bringing more and more land under biofuels will lead to higher food prices and malnourishment among the poorest sections of our society.
Is it wise to use arable land to produce biofuels, which are still an untested technology or should we continue investigating other forms of renewable energy instead of biofuels?
Pro-biofuels
According to The Globalist, an online daily magazine, forty seven poorest countries in the world are net importers of oil and the demand in twenty five of them is virtually met by imports alone. Investments in biofuels will not only save these poor nations precious foreign reserves but will also create jobs in these countries thus uplifting the standards of living.
If the data compiled by the Institute for the Analysis of Global Security is to be believed 66% of proven oil reserves are controlled by the regimes in the Middle East. It is a part of the world which is plagued by conflict and suppressive regimes. Any unwanted incident in the region can not only raise oil prices but also disrupt supply. This is less of a problem with the biofuels because these fuels can always be grown in the fields.
Using biofuels doesn’t require any radical changes in the current system but only a few modifications and produce far less carbon dioxide than conventional fuels. According to US Department of Energy, corn ethanol has the capacity to cut down greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 52% compared to petroleum based fuels and the emissions can be trimmed down to as much as 86% if ethanol from agriculture residue is used.
Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva gave a speech on 16 April 2008 at the Thirtieth Regional Conference for the Caribbean and Latin America organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations that biofuels won’t result in the shortage of food if developed with care, taking into account the conditions of a country. The president of the National Farmers’ Union, Peter Kendall, told the BBC in October 2006 that the agriculture was capable of filling both our stomachs and the fuel tanks.
Unlike fossil fuels, biofuels are biodegradable and this fact makes them far safer to handle. This property would make biofuels less dangerous and harmful to environment should a spill were to occur.
There is another economic factor working in favor of biofuels: because they can be produced locally, transportation costs are reduced significantly making biofuels cheaper than conventional fossil fuels.
Biofuels are not only made from crops but from agricultural waste too. This is an excellent way of recycling things. Add to this is the advantage that by-products produced during the manufacture of biofuels can be used as manure and it’s not difficult to see biofuels in a ‘win-win’ situation.
Against biofuels
It is only a presumption that there is no need to make significant modifications in current engines so that they can run on biofuels. Laurence O’Sullivan, an Irish article writer, claimed in his article Problems with Biofuels (April 2008) that because both water and gasoline can dissolve alcohol in it, biofuels would absorb moisture and this would lead to the corrosion of the engine and higher maintenance costs.
A report published by UN Energy warns of “serious consequences” if rainforests are razed for clearing land for biofuel plantations. The report cited a research which concluded that it’s better to use biofuels for heating purposes than as a fuel for vehicles.
A study published by Nobel Laureate profession Paul Crutzen and other scientists from Austria, Britain, Germany and the US reported that the nitrous oxide emissions by biofuels will undermine any gains from fossil fuel savings. It is because the greenhouse effect of nitrous oxide is 296 times greater than carbon dioxide.
Another study in the US indicated biofuels produced would not even meet 15% of demand even if the entire US cropland were to be brought under biofuel cultivation.
Conclusion
Biofuels are an excellent way to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and thus limit our greenhouse gases’ emissions. Our experience with biofuels also tells that these can’t be adopted in each and every country around the world on a large scale. Therefore, as the UN advises, it is better to use land which hasn’t been in use for quite long a time to produce biofuels. Biofuels aren’t the answer to our energy needs but they can be used in tandem with other renewable sources such as wind power and solar power to slowly phase out fossil fuels.
