All Biofuels Are Not Created Equal by David Tilman and Jason Hill

The current technology in it’s infant stage isn’t capable of clearing the blockage to clean sustainable energy. According to a study by University of California, it is estimated that it will take 131 years to replace gasoline and diesel fuel which leave 90 years energy gap between end of conventional oil and alternative energy. Even if we start aggressively replacing biofuel, it will take much longer than the expected 30 to 40 years of known oil left so it is reasonable to conclude that it’s unlikely we will stop drilling and mining for oil even with all its known environmental and health risks. We can’t stop drilling but we can try to minimize the cost to our environment and our health through technological innovations but it will required great pressure from the people. We can’t rely economic forces to drive for innovation in energy because economic forces don’t account for 20 or 30 years ahead or any environmental factors; it simply cares only for short term profits. As long as oil remains relatively low, it will be business as usual because unless alternative energy can competitive in the market, it’s advancement and breakthrough will not occur. Biofuel have the potential to replace some of our fuel needs but replacing fields for fuel crops is challenge to our food supplies especially the future food crisis is an equally challenging problem in itself.

“has been successfully used for many years to create bioethanol and biodiesel, is environmentally friendlier to produce than sugar beet, palm oil, corn or any of the crops mentioned in the report and can grow in practically any temperate to hot climate leaving the ground in better condition than when it was

To present a counter argument on this issue, there are various advantages of using biofuels as well such as preserving the natural environment and saving the planet from harmful gaseous omissions. Ethanol,

In other places around the globe such as Europe, leading organizations such as the European Union agree with the evidence that states biofuels compete with the food supply, leading to deforestation and hunger. As a result, they have put a cap of 7% of biofuels to be used towards total fuel used for transportation. With regulation in place, the European Union hopes to prevent an increase to food prices, deforestation, and land grabbing. However, these regulations work against the organization’s 10% renewable energy

Over the past decade the awareness of non-renewable resources has grown. A green energy moment has begun. People are more conscious of where things come from and how they impact the earth. Gasoline is a non-renewable resource and should be considered humanity’s most challenging problem because there is a limited amount of it on earth. Reducing the consumption of gasoline is important because humans are dependent on gasoline, it is becoming harder to harvest from the earth, and it is not a renewable resource meaning there is a finite supply of gasoline.

An advantage biofuel has which will benefit the society is it’s cost benefit. The current cost of biofuel is approximately the same amount for gasoline, however the overall benefits of using biofuel is much higher. Biofuels are cleaner fuels meaning that they produce fewer emissions when burning. The biofuel industry is expected to fuel economic development in poor rural countries, allowing these 3rd world countries to develop with more economic stability as it also creates room for employment. Also, biofuel will also increase the demand for suitable biofuel crops, which enables economic stimulation in the agriculture industry particularly in rural countries.

People like Robert Samuelson who wrote, “One estimate done by economists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology found that meeting most transportation needs in 2050 with locally produced biofuels would require ‘500 million acres of U.S. land--more than the total of currents U.S cropland.’” (Source D) What he says is true, however biofuels are only one way to go “green”. Hydrogen cars have already been being tested for a few years now. They are extremely effective and could work but if we were to use a combination of multiple clean fuel options they would add up. This way it would only take a little of each source to be efficient for the whole world. This would make the Earth live an easier and longer life. Once the Earth dies we die unless we can build a spaceship big enough to take us somewhere else. It is in our best interest to treat her right while we can.

Jevanni CousinsProfessor ReidSCC 101 Biofuel’s Future in the U.S. and the WorldOne of the major problems confronting the United States and the World today, is the growing lack of fossil fuels and the accrual emissions of carbon into the atmosphere. The United States is still dependent on fossil fuels today such as coal despite numerous efforts to decrease that dependency, and are also relying on imported oil from multiple foreign countries particularly in the Middle East. The use of fossil fuel has generated great anxiety in greenhouse gas emissions and governments from all over the world, including the United States which is leading the effort in combating this issue. The problems have grown so huge in this century that President Barack Obama made it a major initiative during his administration to overcome it. He once said “we cannot drill our way to energy but must fast-track investments in renewable sources of energy like solar power, wind power and advanced biofuels” (Obama). In this paper, I will discuss biofuels, the types biofuels, along with its potential and challenges that it may face in our growing society. In recognition of the issues that exist due to fossil fuels, the United States elective bodies has been preaching the encouragement for the uses of biofuels, which has prompt an increase in

The United States is the world’s largest producer of ethanol fuel, producing over 60% of the world’s ethanol in 2011, which correlates to the creation of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) in 2005. The RFS originated with the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and was expanded and extended by the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA). The RFS requires renewable fuel to be blended into transportation fuel more so every year until it is set to reach 36 billion gallons in 2022 (Renewable). The purpose of this has widely been seen as an effort to combat environmental damage such as climate change and oil spills in addition to being a political move to be independent in creating our means of energy production. Currently, ethanol is societally regarded as an environmentally friendly fuel, being that it is produced from plant material through a series of chemical reactions. One of the most controversial issues relating to ethanol is the "net energy" of ethanol production. In sum, more energy is used to grow and process raw material into ethanol than is can be released by the ethanol itself. The agricultural practices that are necessary to produce the biomaterials that are converted to ethanol include planting, fertilization, tilling, watering, and harvesting, while processing the biomaterials involve transportation, fermentation, and distillation (Energy). While these processes require more energy than is able to be harvested from the resulted ethanol, and thus ethanol fuel is

The possibility of our planet Earth coming to an end is coming faster than expected. There are theories, documents, and myths about this unrealistic phenomenon that can come true if actions aren’t being taken. According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, “The majority of American farmland in modern society is dominated by industrial agriculture – the system of chemically intensive food production developed in the decades after World War II, managing single-crop farms and animal production facilities”(1). The main source and reason why factory farms are active today is because the government’s permission to use corn to feed animals and produce crops. Subsiding corn came about two decades because the high demand for food was increasing and corn is cheaper to use to produce food such as meat and crops. With the practices of using corn in everything that we eat and make came with consequences. One of the consequences of factory farming is the endangerment of our environment. Our environment is very important to us because without it, our Earth will be nothing, but a planet of pure pollution. Society’s demands of food for affordable prices has taken a toll on the environment as we used fossil fuel, not becoming responsible for animal waste being dispose, and regulations not being implemented. However, solutions to saving our environment from the biggest problem of all, global warming, can be solve by eliminating fossil fuels, recycle the wastes and using it to make

Energy can be produced from electrical, mechanical, and some forms of living organisms, among others. Different types of energy production may have specific advantages and disadvantages, weather those concerns are environmental, economical, or political. While the function of biofuels has potential for abating some concerns, other concerns arise from the use of biofuels. Industrialized nations seem to be leading the production as well as the consumption of all energy resources, including biofuels.

Much like our universe, the problems caused by humans and their upsetting impact on the planet are exponentially growing. Their actions extinguishing the place they all call home; paying no attention to the problem dejectedly makes it so much worse. Humans consume large amounts of energy, this would be fine in a faultless world, however the side effects result in a polluted atmosphere. The habit of renewable energy has turned out to be a seemingly more popular resource in the worlds pocket. The use of biofuels instead of fossil fuels greatly reduce pollution by cleaning the useable waste and creating a stable, lasting power source.

There is no question that our world is changing, whether it be with technology, people, climate, or even the economy. With the constant hustle and bustle of our busy lives, we tend to overlook some issues that may not affect us now, but will eventually come back to haunt us. Instead of spending time worrying about our own selfish interests, maybe we should focus on more important issues at hand. Have you ever thought about how our extracurriculars or our beloved sports might impact our environment? One of the sports that comes to mind when I think of a sport that negatively impacts our environment is NASCAR. I think the racing industry should be forced to use biofuels.

We then observed and analyzed statistics from farmers across the United States comparing their yields of corn to traditional seeds. After doing this we believe it is very necessary to bring GMO corn seed to Eastern Africa in order to benefit our farmers. With bringing this product, farmers will have the benefit to choose freely what type of seed they would like. If the results are what we believe they will be then many farmers will convert to using GMO corn.

Recent discussion in the world of environmental issues and the bettering the world has brought about the topic of biofuels. Biofuels are an energy source that can be harvested completely from crops, such as corn, and algae among other various natural items. Environmental specialists are currently considering whether or not biofuels are be the correct route for people to start taking in regards to more efficient and less harmful energy source. Fossil fuels are noted to be bad for the environment as well as the inhabitants of earth due to the fact that these fuels cause carbon pollution. Being that they are carbon energy producers, fossil fuels make air worse for humans and wildlife, and cause acid rain and other semi-natural pollution-based faults that can kill organisms, such as plants or wild animals, and also damage the water sources scattered across the Earth. But, with a change in the current energy usage fashion, utilizing biofuels can be very beneficial and helpful to the environment, and deplete much of the air pollution that causes environmental issues such as the global rising of temperature. These fuels will also help push the world’s energy technology to a new level, and introduce new ways to utilize the easily obtainable resources that humans often take for granted, and put the energy gained from the new technology towards things like cars that run completely on biofuels and other creations that run on