Lifecycle analysis is the main tool used to do this. An increase in trade in biofuels would imply crop expansion in several countries. Using biodiesel as a vehicle fuel increases energy security, improves air quality and the environment, and provides safety benefits. Bioethanolis water soluble, non toxic and biodegradable.
Beneficial biofuelsthe food, energy, and environment trilemma. Donnisonandjohn cliftonbrown 1institute of biological, environmental and rural sciences ibers, aberystwyth university, gogerddan, aberystwyth. Graph of uk figures for the carbon intensity of biodiesels and fossil fuels. Their use would also reduce import bills for energydeficient countries and offer improved balance of trade and balance of payments. Especially when considering the fact that few people take these problems into account when touting how ecofriendly biofuels really are. Biodiesel is a domestically produced, cleanburning, renewable substitute for petroleum diesel. Economics of biofuels replacing fossil fuels with biofuelsfuels produced from renewable organic materialhas the potential to reduce some undesirable aspects of fossil fuel production and use, including conventional and greenhouse gas ghg pollutant emissions, exhaustible resource depletion, and dependence on unstable foreign suppliers. The productivity of the land and crops, improved farming techniques and increases in yields also have an effect of the benefits of biofuel production. To assess the net effect on greenhouse gas emissions of replacing fossil fuels by biofuels, we need to analyse emissions throughout the whole process of producing, transporting and using the fuel. To meet the demand and provide fuels that are competitive with petroleum fuels, national research focuses on improving technology for converting biomass to fuels. Environmental, economic, and energetic costs and benefits of biodiesel and ethanol biofuels jason hill, erik nelson, david tilman, stephen polasky, and douglas tiffany departments of ecology, evolution, and behavior and applied economics, university of minnesota, st. Global social and economic impact on the use of biofuels and.
Environmental benefits biofuels can provide a number of environmental advantages over conventional fossil fuelsmost notably a reduction in greenhouse gas ghg emissions. Jul 25, 2006 biofuels such as synfuel hydrocarbons or cellulosic ethanol that can be produced on agriculturally marginal lands with minimal fertilizer, pesticide, and fossil energy inputs, or produced with agricultural residues, have potential to provide fuel supplies with greater environmental benefits than either petroleum or current foodbased biofuels. Even solar energy, the longtouted saviour of the ever expanding human appetite for energy is decades away from being feasible on a large scale and without the impact that comes from manipulating toxic chemicals into pv panels. In addition, biofuels act as carbon sinks while they grow they capture carbon. The environmental impacts of growing crops for use as biofuels are varied and widespread. Environmental, economic, and energetic costs and benefits. When you factor both the reduced emissions and the carbon capture factor, biofuels come out on top. Donnisonandjohn cliftonbrown 1institute of biological, environmental and rural sciences ibers, aberystwyth university, gogerddan, aberystwyth, wales. Environmental, economic, and energetic costs and benefits of. Biofuels offer greater energy security, reduced emissions of greenhouse gases and particulates, rural development, better vehicle performance, and.
Another benefit to biofuels is the reduced danger of an environmental disaster. Global social and economic impact on the use of biofuels. Department of energy doe biomass programs national algal biofuels technology roadmap. In addition, increased blending mandates will stimulate demand and encourage international trade. Jun 15, 2006 biofuels have the potential to truly benefit not only the environment, but developing nations as well. Ethanol can replace 10% of the worlds gasoline without clearing more rainforests and by doing less harm to the. Therefore, the aim of the study is to investigate the present situation and trends regarding biofuel. Biofuels have the potential to truly benefit not only the environment, but developing nations as well. Jeremy woods, mireille rack and alexandre strapasson.
Recent analyses of the energy and greenhousegas performance of alternative biofuels have ignited a controversy that may be best resolved by applying two simple principles. Biofuels offer huge potential, but pose challenges best countered with strong and coherent development policies, says s. Environmental benefits biofuels, when blended with conventional fuels, reduce air pollutant emissions such as sulfur, particulates, carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons. Prepared with the input of more than 200 scientists, engineers, industry representatives, research managers, and other stakeholders, this document represents the synthesis of the biomass programs national algal. Biofuel is advocated as a costeffective and environmentally benign alternative to petroleum and other fossil fuels. Biofuels such as synfuel hydrocarbons or cellulosic ethanol that can be produced on agriculturally marginal lands with minimal fertilizer, pesticide, and fossil energy inputs, or produced with agricultural residues, have potential to provide fuel supplies with greater environmental benefits than either petroleum or current foodbased biofuels. In 2010, an underwater oil well burst in the gulf of mexico. To be a viable alternative, a biofuel should provide a net energy gain, have environmental benefits, be economically competitive, and be producible in large quantities without reducing food supplies.
In a world seeking solutions to its energy, environmental, and food challenges, society cannot afford to miss out on the global greenhousegas emission reductions and the local environmental and societal benefits when. Biofuels, or combustible materials recently derived from biomass and considered renewable over short time scales, are often viewed as a renewable resource that potentially can replace fossil fuels. Environmental benefits biofuels benefit environmental by reducing ghgsand reducing local pollution. The worldwide use of liquid biofuels has grown rapidly over the past few decades, the major producers being brazil, the usa, china and the eu, and may double over the. Environmental costs and benefits of growing miscanthus for. Increased use of biofuels can boost local economies, reduce environmental problems, and decrease dependence on foreign petroleum. Calculation of carbon intensity of soy biodiesel grown in the us and burnt in the uk, using figures calculated by the uk government for the purposes of the renewable transport fuel obligation. For more information on the economic benefits of biofuels for kansas. Jul 17, 2009 recent analyses of the energy and greenhousegas performance of alternative biofuels have ignited a controversy that may be best resolved by applying two simple principles. Energy efficiency, environmental benefits and cost. Introduction to biofuel university of california, berkeley. On the one hand, biofuels could lead to greater economic gains, rural.
Economics of biofuels environmental economics us epa. Optimizing the global environmental benefits of transport. Positive economic impact top 10 advantages of biofuels. Chapter 8, constraints, impacts, and benefits of lignocellulose conversion pathways to liquid biofuels and biochemicals, focuses on the investigation of the. In august 2015 i covered the top 3 reasons why biofuels are better for the u. In a world seeking solutions to its energy, environmental, and food challenges, society cannot afford to miss out on the global greenhousegas emission reductions and the local environmental and. The united states environmental protection agency, under the energy independence and security act of 2007, is responsible for. To meet the demand and provide fuels that are competitive with petroleum fuels, national research focuses on improving technology. Growing plants for fuel is a controversial topic because some people believe the land, fertilizers, and energy used to grow biofuel crops should be used to grow food. Environmental benefits plant breeding and genetics section. Environmental and socioeconomic benefits of swedish. Biofuels reduce harmful emissions, lowering impact on the environment ethanol reduces greenhouse gas emissions by about 34% in comparison to gasoline.
The most comprehensive, accurate and uptodate lifecycle analysis of u. Department of energy, office of energy efficiency and renewable energy, biomass program. Ethanol and biodiesel are also less of a hazard if they spill or leak, since they are rapidly biodegradeable in water. Biofuels production, trade and sustainable development. Biofuel, renewable energy source that is derived from plant, algal, or animal biomass. Negative environmental consequences of fossil fuels and concerns about petroleum supplies have spurred the search for renewable transportation biofuels. Media coverage is often driven by vigorous campaigns by groups who are broadly against the use of biomass feedstocks particularly crops to produce transport fuels. In part two of our series, we present the effects biofuels can have on a global scale as gathered by the biofuels for transportation project of the worldwatch institute, german agencies for technical cooperation gtz, and renewable resources fnr. On the other hand, secondgeneration biofuel systems require more sophisticated processing equipment, more investment per unit of production, and largerscale facilities to capture capitalcost scale economies than firstgeneration biofuels. The scientific community recently begun to focus on this issue in terms of environmental costbenefit analyses, and the most recent findings indicate a variety of environmental concerns, as well as benefits, and also point out that the environmental costs and benefits vary among biofuels, the biomass sources, and technologies that are used to. In recent years, much media coverage of the biofuels industry in europe has focused on the environmental impacts of some types of biofuels.
Substituting biofuels for one gallon of gasoline or diesel. In addition to the impacts of feedstock production on greenhouse gas emissions, biofuel processing and distribution can also have other environmental impacts. Learn more about the types and manufacture of biofuels as well as their economic and environmental considerations. The country strategy on biofuels should be based on a. There are various social, economic, environmental and technical issues with biofuel production and use, which have been discussed in the popular media and scientific journals. Biodiesel production in the united states increased from 500,000 gallons 1. Since the transportation sector accounts for about a third of total u. Environmental benefits and costs cornell university. Advantages of biofuels that has yet to be an energy source that comes without some drawback. The effect that increased ethanol use has on net co2 emissions depends on how ethanol is made and whether or not indirect impacts on land use are included in the calculations. All these developments would unfreeze scarce resources for other pressing needs.
This would have implications for sustainable development that would need to be investigated. By reducing demand for petroleum, biofuels could make energy supply more secure. Determining whether alternative fuels provide benefits over the fossil fuels they displace requires thorough accounting of the direct and indirect inputs and outputs for their full production and use life cycles. Environmental advantages of biofuels the main environmental advantage of biofuels stems from the fact that they are carbonneutral. Jul 25, 2006 negative environmental consequences of fossil fuels and concerns about petroleum supplies have spurred the search for renewable transportation biofuels. With limited fossil fuel reserves of its own, idaho can expand its production of biofuels to. Isbn 9789533074795, pdf isbn 9789535160359, published 20110906. The level of pollution and habitat destruction directly resulting from biofuel production is alarmingly high. For instance, biodiesel production has had a positive impact on the economy. Chapter 8, constraints, impacts, and benefits of lignocellulose conversion pathways to liquid biofuels and biochemicals, focuses on the investigation of the physical and environmental constraints.
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