Carbon footprint of biofuelsA relatively new article on the carbon footprint of biofuels and the potential to offer not only reductions in harm but benefit for the environment: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090115164641.htm
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Bio-fuels are very, very tricky
The field of biofuels is so large and confusing it is almost like we need a whole new nomenclature to even know which variant we are talking about. On the good end of the spectrum we have waste materials that are little processed, used locally, and fairly clean in nature and on the other end we have torn down forests, converted to some crop with heavy inputs that needs a bunch of processing and are shipped great distances before they are used. Yet we talk about them like they are all the same and end up confusing the public who are looking for solutions and whipsawed back and forth by reasonable and needed debates.
I am hoping that we can do a little better job of more clearly defining the types of biofuels that we are discussing and also educating the media about the subtleties. There is some environmental value in certain biofuel approaches as long as we see them as realistically and not as an excuse to delay conservation and a change in lifestyles.
Just my confusing two cents.
Bob Ferris
Re: very tricky biofuels
Bob,
Your comments are right on, I am happy to see the complexities of this topic coming out early. It is one of the trickiest alternatives and that is why it is so important that there is discussion around it. Ethanol from corn, biodiesel, waste derived fuels, advanced feedstocks, these are all very different topics and maybe it should be opened up and broadened out as separate forums but I would like to see continued discussion before we decide how to move forward with this group.
Keep it up!
-Troy
Carbon footprint of biofuels
The biggest problem with biofuels is that they are all lumped under the one title of "biofuels" for there are many types and each has its own problem.
Bob made very good points there and puts the problems into perspective. In one case you have biofuels made from waste materials, whether wood into cellulose ethanol, methane from the sewage system or even fuel from plastics being recycled to create those.
On the other hand you have ethanol and biodiesel produced from food crops and other crops which require large tracts of land on which to grown, mostly also lots of water input and – probably – fertilizers. They grow on land created by destroying forests or on land much better used for growing food.
Studies have shown that biofuels, especially biodiesel and some ethanols, have a bigger carbon footprint than the current petroleum products. The biggest problem is that it is still the ICE, the infernal (yes, I know it is “internal”) combustion engine that is being used and, so it would appear, the burning of those fuels creates more problem than our current diesel and gasoline. And yes, engines probably can be tuned to have less of such problems but...
It is primarily our love affair with the ICE that has lead us here and also now, if we have a closer look, who are the companies that are going to go into biofuel production.. the very same that have a vested interest in petroleum (but we are running out of oil so another source has to be found) and the ICE. How long will it be before the governments also find that biofuels are something that they can tax and will makek the production of biofuels at home, or the use of farmyard manure to create methane on which to run a tractor or car illegal.
We must change our lifestyle, as Bob indicates, and not just find new fuels with which to run the motorcar but that is what those with a vested interest are trying to do. Or, so at least it appears to me.
Michael
Green (Living) Review
http://greenreview.blogspot.com/
Part of Tatchipen Media, The Romani Publishing & Media Company
Re: Veshengro
It seems to me that we cannot deny the current demand for energy. Of course, conservation and efficiency should be the primary concern. Just to be clear, as with biofuels will take time to develop so does the change in people's understanding of energy and the technologies that can create reductions from efficiencies, which have diminishing returns.
It seems that there should be someone looking deeply into each and every alternative, to push it towards sustainable production and use. That being said, do require money and time to develop a process by which they could be considered sustainable, either environmentally or economically. They simply aren't scalable as soon a process is identified.
The importance of the localization of energy and relocalization in general cannot be overemphasized in my opinion.
I like the discussion so far, but rather than dismiss the topic at hand all together I would like to be able to focus on particular issues concerning either the measurement of a particular biofuel's carbon footprint, or methods of carbon reduction through biofuels.
Feel free to suggest other topics to add to the forum.
-Troy
Visit Steel City Biofuels at http://www.steelcitybiofuels.psu.edu