ARTICLE TITLE: The False Promise of Biofuels

AUTHOR/SOURCE: David Biello

MAIN POINTS:
Many companies have fallen short due to the fact that biofuels from plant matter is too expensive.
The failure is discouraging because biofuels seemed like an ideal solution to dependence on oil and
climate change.
Burning biofuels in theory would slow buildup of greenhouse gases
U.S production went from 50 million gallons to 13 billion from 1979 to 2010.
Ethanol yields little net savings in CO2 emissions. Making those 13 billion gallons consumed 40% of
nation's corn crop.
Ethanol can be brewed from sugar derived from husks of stalks of corn plants rather than the kernel.
Plant parts contain cellulose, which isn't used by humans and would not affect food prices.
Liquid fuel can be harvested from algae.
According to U.S EPA, by 2011 the U.S was supposed to be producing 100 million gallons of cellulosic
ethanol. Instead in the 2010 the EPA rolled back the 2011 goal to 6.5 million.
Scientific or industrial improvements needed to solve challenges to making advanced biofuels may be
difficult to attain.
Corn ethanol only biofuel to reach commercial scale in the U.S thanks to subsidies.
Fermentation is the core technology for making ethanol from corn.
Lots of energy is required to distill ethanol from the soup of water and yeast in which it has been
fermented.
A gallon of ethanol supplies a vehicle only 2/3 of energy in a gallon of gasoline; corn ethanol may never
compete on price with gasoline.
Research showed that ethanol would only replace 18% of gasoline consumption
Replacing all fuels with corn ethanol would require farm three times size of continental U.S
It can generate 1.4 billion tons of cellulosic material, displacing 30% of transportation fuel
Inspiration comes from cows crushing grass and leaf cutter ants.
Companies are investing ethanol from sugarcane, sugarcane delivers more energy and is easier to grow
and has existing production.
As alternative, scientists opted to work with algae. Algae can harness 3% of incoming sunlight to make
plant matter.
Corn and sugarcane provide bulk of any alternative to oil, straining agricultural system
Algae can be grown in the desert instead of on arable land, nourished with undrinkable water, so
approach doesn't displace food. Process promises 4,270 gallons of oil per acre depending on conditions
Disadvantages from algal biofuels: prevent organisms from falling prey to predators, disease and
contamination
Biggest challenge may be the fact that producing hydrocarbons is algae's defense against long periods
without sun to engineer them to respond to stress yet grow quickly
Institutes have turned E coli into an efficient biological factory that converts sunlight, CO2 and water
into hydrocarbons like biodiesel.
Problem: small genomes have hundreds of genes that scientists have no clue about function.
Viability will depend on cost of its food.
Breakthroughs remain possible and scientific quest for a better biofuel continues.

AUTHOR'S PURPOSE:
The authors purpose was to inform the readers about the different ways that biofuel can be created.
David Biello explains how there are companies that are investing ethanol from sugarcane, sugarcane
delivers more energy and is easier to grow and has existing production. There may be a problem with
these extensive fuels like finding an efficient way to get all the oil from the cellulose. A way to receive
fuels is through corn. Another way presented to get ethanol is to use plant cellulose. The last way to get
biofuel is from algae. Algae power promises 4,270 gallons of oil per acre.
MY THOUGHTS:
While reading this article I learned how many techniques there is for biofuels to be created. I wasnt
surprised that corn could help because we learned in class that corn is contained in almost everything,
so its very helpful. What I did find interesting is that Generating 1.4 billion tons of cellulosic material can
displace 30% of transportation fuel. I think we should use these fuels more efficiently because we use it
for things that are not that important, we should be using these crops for our food instead.
So what?
There are many ways to get biofuel, but most of
Says who?
David Biello
them have harmful disadvantages.
What if..?
What if we used these crops for more useful things
instead of biofuels?
What does this remind you of?
This reminded me of when we learned in class
about corn and algae. This also reminded me of
the different ways we receive our energy.