Are Biofuels Good or Bad?

Most of the world’s industries are run by fuel. One of the popular sources of fuel is the fossil fuels which is a form of non-renewable energy. Fossil fuels are carbon-based fuels formed from the plants and animals that lived over 300 million years ago and deposited underneath the earth’s surface. The fuels are burned in order to release the stored chemical energy. Over 85 percent of our energy needs are met by combusting fossil fuels. Energy is important in the contemporary society as it enable us to perform the functions of the industries.

Despite the importance of the fossil fuels, environmental advocates discourage citizens to significantly decrease the use of fossil fuels because it is a non-renewable source of energy and the combustion of fossil fuels emits noxious greenhouse gases and worsen the state of global warming. Scientists look for alternative sources of energy, one of which is the use of biofuels. Recently, Earthrace, a bio-fueled powerboat, circumnavigated the earth in just 60 days, 23 hours and 49 minutes and broke the existing world record. The boat was powered by biofuel throughout its voyage (NPR, 2008).

Biofuel: An Alternative Source of Energy Biofuel is a form of renewable energy source derived from biomass which includes crops, animal wastes and other forms of trash converted into fuel. There are various types of biofuel such as bioethanol, biodiesel and biogas. Bioethanol is a substitute for gasoline that is derived from cereal-based crops. Biodiesel is an alternative to diesel and derived from oilseed based crops. These two are the first generation of biofuels as they are derived from materials also used for food production.

Biogas, on the other hand, is a substitute for natural gas that is derived from organic waste materials which include animal and human waste (“Biofuels”, 2007). Many countries are starting to invest and utilize biofuels and ending their reliance on carbon-based fuels. The United States are significantly decreasing their consumption of fossil fuels. Nobel Prize winner Al Gore challenge the United States government to commit on the use of fossil fuels and to start investing on clean, renewable sources of energy and build competitive industries to produce more jobs at home (Neumann, 2008).

Good vs Bad Biofuel The use of biofuel renders many benefits and advantages one of which is their ability to be utilize along with the fossil fuels within the existing energy systems such as car engines. Biofuels in place of fossil fuels have two main environmental benefits. First, biofuels are renewable source of energy and offer a long-term, cheap and security on energy supply. Second, biofuels largely contribute on less emission of greenhouse gases (“Biofuels”, 2007). It is clear that biofuel is the key to our problem in our energy source and to sustain the industries that needed energy in the future.

Biofuel can tender ten times of the energy output than the fossil fuels and release only 25 percent of greenhouse gases compared to fossil fuels. The ethanol produced from sugar cane in Brazil is often tagged as good biofuel. Brazil already reduced their dependence on fossil fuels replacing 50 percent of petrol with ethanol and significantly reduced the oil prices. The ethanol in Brazil also helped in the development of flex fuel cars, which can run on any combination of ethanol and conventional petrol (Duffy, 2008).

On the other hand, there are also some biofuel that are harmful to man and the environment. Worst performing biofuels deliver significantly less energy and largely contribute on the emission of greenhouse gases. The increased emissions are often to be indirect of use but rather on the process of production. For example, induced forest fires and clearing operations are employed to make way of the plantations for the raw materials for the biofuels. The biodiesel produced from palm oil in Indonesia is often cited as a bad biofuel.

Another effect of the biofuel is that crops that are for food are now utilized for the production of biofuel. People need to replace the crops to supply and sustain food for the people. Some farmers already grow crops for biofuel production on places where they used to plant food limiting the places for agriculture. They tend to drive and expand the agricultural places in other parts of the world. The means are detrimental to the people and to the environment. This is done by burning down the forests and plowing up the grasslands that tend to release a great deal of carbon dioxide.

Those actions are speculated to end up releasing huge amounts of carbon dioxide and in a 30-year span, biofuel will contribute on carbon dioxide emission twice compared to gasoline if you will add the global environmental effects (Harris, 2008). Conclusion Personally, I think biofuel is good and beneficial discovery not only for humans but for the environment as well. It is good for humans as it emits gases with lesser harmful substances that may be detrimental to human health.

It also creates jobs for people who needed it. Farmers have an alternative source of income by selling their cops to the producers of biofuel. It is beneficial to household and industries as it produces energy source that is renewable and relatively cheaper than the conventional fossil fuels as energy source which is affordable and efficient. It is also tender benefits to the environment as it emits lower levels of greenhouse gases that worsen the current situation of global warming, a pressing environmental dilemma.

It is a better energy source to help resolve the various problems of people in the different facets of life. References Biofuels. (2007, June 4). IGD. Retrieved April 6, 2009, from http://www. igd. com/index. asp? id=1&fid=1&sid=5&tid=48&cid=183. Duffy, G. (2008, July 28). Brazil defends Biofuel’s Merits. BBC News. Retrieved April 6, 2009, from http://news. bbc. co. uk/1/hi/business/7528323. stm. Harris, R. (2008, February 7). Study: Ethanol Worse for Climate than Gasoline. NPR. Retrieved April 6, 2009, from http://www. npr.

org/templates/story/story. php? storyId=18784732. Neumann, S. (2008, July 17). Gore: Reliance on Fossil Fuels poses Threats to U. S. NPR. Retrieved April 6, 2009, from http://www. npr. org/templates/story/story. php? storyId=92635699. NPR. (2008, July 18). Biofueled Powerboat Breaks World Record. Retrieved April 6, 2009, from http://www. npr. org/templates/story/story. php? storyId=92677191. Quotes 1. Late last month, a bio-fueled powerboat named Earthrace broke a world record, circumnavigating the globe in just 60 days, 23 hours and 49 minutes.

Recently, Earthrace, a bio-fueled powerboat, circumnavigated the earth in just 60 days, 23 hours and 49 minutes and broke the existing world record. The boat was powered by biofuel throughout its voyage. 2. In our case we have replaced 50% of petrol with ethanol and also it was possible to have reduced the price of fossil fuels because of the competition with ethanol. Ethanol’s strength in Brazil has undoubtedly been helped by the development of flex fuel cars, which can run on any combination of ethanol or conventional petrol.

Brazil already reduced their dependence on fossil fuels replacing 50 percent of petrol with ethanol and significantly reduced the oil prices. The ethanol in Brazil also helped in the development of flex fuel cars, which can run on any combination of ethanol and conventional petrol. 3. The simplest explanation is that when we divert our corn or soybeans to fuel, if people around the world are going to continue to eat the same amount that they’re already eating, you have to replace that food somewhere else,

That’s done in a significant part by burning down forests, plowing up grasslands. That releases a great deal of carbon dioxide …shows those actions end up releasing huge amounts of carbon dioxide. The study finds that over a 30-year span, biofuels end up contributing twice as much carbon dioxide to the air as that amount of gasoline would, when you add in the global effects. People need to replace the crops to supply and sustain food for the people. Some farmers already grow crops for biofuel production on places where they used to plant food limiting the places for agriculture.

They tend to drive and expand the agricultural places in other parts of the world. The means are detrimental to the people and to the environment. This is done by burning down the forests and plowing up the grasslands that tend to release a great deal of carbon dioxide. Those actions are speculated to end up releasing huge amounts of carbon dioxide and in a 30-year span, biofuel will contribute on carbon dioxide emission twice compared to gasoline if you will add the global environmental effects

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