Could the U.S. run on biofuel? Even if 100% of soybeans and corn were turned into fuel, it would be enough to offset just 20% of on-road fuel consumption.
Yes - biofuels are cleaner than gasoline. However, the improvements are only about 20% for corn ethanol because of tractor use, fertilizers, and distillers. The gains approach 90% for more efficient fuels such as grasses and sugar cane.
However, there is one flaw in the calculation. Biofuels are only greener if the crops grown for biofuels do not replace vegetation and soils that soak up carbon. Deforestation in Indonesia and Brazil shows that the carbon released into the atmosphere, and loss of carbon capture, overwhelms the gains from cleaner burning fuels. Estimates are that it will take between 150 and 400 years to pay back the carbon emitted by directly clearing land for the biofuel crops.
Lastly, the demand for crops for biofuels has driven up the crop costs for food, impacting each and every one of us. While America used to feed the world, now we are feeding a false premise that biofuels will replace petroleum based gasoline, at the cost of feeding those in poverty. The amount of corn used to produce one tankful of ethanol can feed a child in Africa for 365 days.
Do your part, slow down while driving, turn down your thermostat, recycle, buy energy efficient devices and light bulbs, and stay educated. Do not fall for the sexy promises.
3 comments:
Very good entry. Thanks for keeping this information on our minds.
Joyce
I've had some growing (so to speak) concerns about biofuels. It seems to be an easy answer, but one that a little research shows isn't a very good one.
Beth
I was glad to see a smart posting on the "biofuel" issue -- which in my mind also includes the "bio-diesel" fuels, since the fat fryers that produce the waste oil for that process rely mostly on vegetable oils -- which, as you pointed out so astutely, is a limited resource which can only be produced by negative impacts on both the environment AND food prices. A lot of people don't realize the insanity of converting your food stuffs to fuel your transportation and energy producing plants, nor just how far up and down the financial chain (eg. higher meat costs due to higher feed costs due to less food and more demand for the foodstuffs) -- and what looks like a 'magic' formula for success is instead a recipe for us to continue the disastrous swath we've cut across the global environment.
Good work, glad to see you have the insight to "see it" and the ability to put it down in a form that folks can understand.
Post a Comment