Biofuels And Its Related Issues.

Currently the global economy is said to be literally running on

energy which is derived from fossil fuels. However, Patil, Tran and
Giselrod (2008) mentioned the fact that since fossil fuels are finite
resources they are hence not sustainable. In the context of this scenario,
biofuels has been viewed as part of the solution to this crisis. According
to Miller (2008) biofuels comparatively have the potential to replace
fossil fuels because they are renewable and sustainable. But nevertheless
let us now take a look at what is the definition of biofuels and some of
its related issues.
What are biofuels? Patil et. al (2008) defined biofuels as “ solid,
liquid, or gas fuel consisting of , or derived from biomass”. Biodiesel
and bioethanol which are presently produced on an industrial scale are
examples of liquid fuels which are made from living organisms like
plants and animals and their by products. Miller (2008) mentioned that
agricultural crops are the main sources of most biofuels and that
different countries specialize in certain types of biofuels which are
basically influenced by their prevailing climate. While sugar cane is
harvested in Brazil for biofuel production, South East Asia on the other
hand is highly dependent on its palm oil with USA relying on its corn
and soyabeans and Europe on its rapeseed, wheat, and sugar beet.
However the production of agro-biofuels has raised issues regarding the
utilization of farmland to grow crops for fuels and the emission of
nitrous oxide which is said to have impact on the environment.
 Wolf (2008) in his article, “ Food vs. Fuel? ” strongly criticized that
food crops should not be used to produce bioethanol given the fact that
the world is still facing the problem of hunger and malnutrition and food
riots are an expression of such human necessities. In addition, Wolf
(2008) expressed his concern that biofuels could never be viewed as an
alternative solution to the energy crisis. He cited that “ it costs more than
a calorie of petroleum to produce a calorie of ethanol ” but later he
relented stating that cheaper food prices could be attained through
effective ethanol production; thereby reducing the cost of fuel. In
contrast, Cruzen, Mosier, Smith and Winiwarter (2008) raised the issue
of nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions when producing fuels from agricultural
crops. These researchers drew the attention that annual crops like
rapeseed and maize are said to demand significant inputs of nitrogen-
based fertilizers which in turn leads to much higher nitrous oxide
emissions. Such emissions are said to create a major greenhouse gas
(GHG) which persists much longer than carbon dioxide in the
atmosphere. Having said that, Cruzen et. al (2008) also indicated that the
issue of nitrous oxide emissions can be solved since not all biofuels are
similar in terms of N2O emissions. Cruzen et. al (2008) also put forward
that biofuels could still be produced through employing agricultural
strategies that could reduce the emission of nitrogen oxide into the
environment as well as improving the efficiency of nitrogen fertilizers.
To attain genuine greenhouse gas reduction, they suggested the planting
of other plants such as switch grass, elephant grass, lignocellulosic
plants.
 Given the backdrop of energy, food and environmental concerns
and issues, Miller (2008) and Patil et. al (2008) talked about second
generation biofuels which are said to be derived from non-food
feedstock and covering wider range of substances. According to Miller
(2008), chip fat, leftover sweets, chocolate, food waste, manure and
sewage can be broken down to create biofuels. Currently microalgae and
other microbial sources are looked upon as better options as sources of
biofuel production. Microalgae, either in fresh or marine water are said
to be able to complete an entire growing cycle every few days, thereby
avoiding the use land (Patil et. al, 2008). The fact that water covers two
thirds of earth’s surface, microalgae seems to hold the key towards a
more sustainable production of biofuels.
In conclusion, it can be said that although initially biofuel
production has raised a number of issues and concerns but nevertheless
biofuels would one day be a reality and a suitable alternative to fossil
fuels. Technological advancements in the sustainable production of
biofuels would indeed make biofuels commercially viable in the near
future.
REFERENCES
Cruzen, P.J., Mosier, A.R., Smith, K.A. and Winiwarter, W. (2008).
N2O release from agro-biofuel production negates global warming
reduction by replacing fossil fuels. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics,
8, 389-395.
Miller,V. What are biofuels? (2008, May 23). The Guardian.
Patil,V., Tran, K.Q. and Giselrod, H.R.(2008). Towards sustainable
production of biofuels from microalgae. International Journal of
Molecular Sciences, 9, 1188-119.
Wolf, C.(2008). Food vs. Fuel. Bioethics in Brief, 9(4).
Retrieved March 3, 2010 from
http://www.bioethics.iastate.edu/Bioethics_in_Brief/nov08.html