Biofuel and fertiliser can be made from putrefying gasses emitted by rotting food, in specialist containers called anaeorbic digestors. And high-consumption production practices -- moving palm oil with petroleum-powered trucks and the practice of draining and burning peat bogs to prepare farmland -- have made the southeast Asian nation one of the world's leading greenhouse gas emitters [source: Rosenthal]. Additionally, using crops for biofuels can also lead to a decrease in the availability of food, as well as an increase in the cost of food. "Preventing Pollution Problems from Lawn and Garden Fertilizers." Utilizing our garbage may help keep flora and fauna healthy, resulting in a healthier ecosystem. Also, alcohol fuels (including ethanol) may corrode or damage some of the metal and rubber fittings utilized in gasoline-based engines. Another way in which biofuel production can compete with food production is through the use of food crops, such as corn, as feedstocks for biofuels rather than spending resources on processing corn for human consumption. Biofuels have some advantages over their counterparts. 1 Feb. 2011. Consumers living in a low-producing region need to have biofuel by moving through pipes or trucks to them. The mere biomass energy definition of turning waste to electricity is an exciting prospect and one that any logic dictates as a good idea to pursue. While local crops have reduced the countrys dependence on fossil fuels, some experts believe it will take a long time to solve the energy needs. They are perennial. Biodiesel is less efficient than gasoline Biomass: Should we focus on more eco-friendly renewable energy? Biodiesel is a renewable and clean-burning fuel that is made from waste vegetable oils, animal fats, or recycled restaurant grease for use in diesel vehicles. The Advantages and Disadvantages of Biofuels. The production of biofuels can in some cases compete with food production in several ways. (Nov. 15, 2010)http://www.technologyreview.com/energy/22428/page1/, Mellon, Margaret and Jane Rissler. Biofuels are a renewable resource, so they can be replenished over time. It has a lower cost for the environment, as it doesnt have to be brought over a long distance, releasing carbon dioxide emissions. Ethanol-production facilities use far more electricity to run than they produce in fuel. Despite the development of various technologies for converting waste tires into biofuels, there is a need for more cost-effective and efficient methods that can be scaled up for commercial production. University of California, Berkeley. This difference affects the viability of the oil as fuel. And again, not every climate region is suitable for a high-yield crop that could produce economically viable biodiesel [source: Burpee]. This means large scale production to supply for a large population is still not possible. Whereas oil is a finite resource and comes from unique materials, biofuels can be produced from a broad variety of ingredients, including crop waste, manure, and other by-products. Common fertilizers include nitrogen and phosphorus. The production of biofuels often leads to land use changes, such as the conversion of natural habitats to cropland. Students replicate commercially available alternative fuels, E85 and biodiesel, as well as create an experimental fuel blend of waste . While the range of oil-producing products examined viable for biofuel is wide enough to grow in most zones, high-yield crops do not grow everywhere. Monoculture isn't a problem confined to biofuel production; it's an issue that had been studied for years in relation to large-scale food crop production. For example, if crops grown for biofuels are planted on land that could be used for growing food crops. Advantages And Disadvantages Of Ethanol - Ethanol is a volatile, colorless and flammable alcohol obtained from corn or cellulosic materials, and is used as an alternative fuel to gasoline and diesel. Its also worth noting that the cost of fossil fuels fluctuates greatly depending on the market and political situation. They emit less carbon dioxide and other emissions when burned than standard diesel. High Cost of Production Though there are many reasons to want to use biofuels, they do have a very high cost of production and are too expensive to produce, especially considering current market conditions. But it is even more economical solution in terms of paying a cost set by international political agreements. However, the cost of biofuel production has been decreasing in recent years due to advancements in technology and economies of scale. Most biofuels are formed from plant matter. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. Study with Quizlet and memorize flashcards containing terms like When considering large scale hydropower the disadvantage causing the LEAST environmental impact would be Decreased of flow of silt and sand to natural downstream deposits Disruption of the life cycle of anadromous and endemic fish Flooding of upstream habitat Change of job sources in the area, When a mineral resource is too deep . What are the economic drawbacks of using biofuels. MIT Technology Review. (Jan. 14, 2011)http://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/ID/ID-346-W.pdf, Altieri, Miguel A. "Nature has not given us that selectivity to shift syngas to ethanol," notes chemical engineer Chornet, who started Enerkem in 2000 to make fuel from forestry residues, inspired by his father on Spain's island of Majorca, who made electricity by burning wood waste from his sawmill in the 1930s. DISADVANTAGES OF BIOETHANOL 1. Click to reveal Advantages of Biofuels Biofuels costs have been declining and are likely to be far cheaper than petrol and other fossil fuels. There are no new technologies yet to simplify the process and make it accessible and low cost. This difference has an effect on the oils' viability as fuel. 2. This can lead to food insecurity in local communities and increase in food prices. "Waste as a feedstock [for biofuels] has a number of advantages," says Enerkem's co-founder and chief technology officer Esteban Chornet, a former engineer at the U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Biogas is methane generated in the process of anaerobic digestion of organic matter by anaerobes. For example, Range Fuels in Georgia similarly attempted to gasify waste from the pulp and paper industry and transform it into ethanol directly but foundered in perfecting its catalysts. But in cases that seem as much science fiction as they are scientific fact, genetically modified crops have accidentally developed unintended -- and sometimes dangerous -- traits. Biofuel uses waste natural materials, and produces fewer emissions as a result. Biofuels emit less of these "greenhouse gases" and so presumably contribute less to global warming. Biodiesel, which has found greatest acceptance in Europe, is used in diesel engines and usually blended with petroleum diesel fuel in various percentages. Increases Pollution in contrast to wind and solar 10. Less garbage in landfills. (Jan. 14, 2011)http://www.springerlink.com/content/r1552355771656v0/, Rosen, C.J. It can be used in pure form (B100) or can be blended with petro-diesel in the form of B2 (2% biodiesel, 98% petroleum diesel), B5 (5% biodiesel, 95% . Many biofuel crops are used to make biodiesel. 19 January 2011. As a result, looking for unsaturated oil as a biofuel source is reasonable. But the fertilizers can have detrimental effects on the environment, and expanded biofuel production could pose a major threat due to freshwater pollution. Biodiesel can be made from vegetable oils and animal fats. Plant-based fuel can be produced almost anywhere, comes from a renewable resource and often produces cleaner emissions than petroleum-based fuel. The amount of vegetable oil available in an acre of crops can vary widely, from 18 gallons per acre for corn to 635 gallons for oil palm [source: Journey to Forever]. It leads to biodiversity do to the fact that a large amount of arable land is required to grow these crops and could see some natural habitats destroyed including rainforests 2. Because of the higher gel point of many biodiesel producing oils than petroleum, it is difficult, if not impossible, to start a biodiesel engine in cold weather. One way to deal with this lies in simple diplomacy: The globalization of world commerce means that today it is easier than ever to transfer food supplies from one point of the world to another in response to increased need. But while different crops can become biodiesel through the same process, the resulting fuel can vary greatly in its ability to produce power. Incredibly safe. "You can place it in refineries throughout North America. Air quality sensing of particulate matter shows that levels of this damaging pollutant are high around such sites. Renewability Is an Advantage It takes a very long time for fossil fuels to be produced. Furthermore, the burning of coal and oil raises the temperature and warms the planet. With international trends swinging toward sustainable transportation, fuels such as corn-based ethanol and biodiesel from soy, switchgrass and palm oil seem like a good step toward cleaner, greener highways. "Modern Agriculture: Ecological impacts and the possibilities for truly sustainable farming." . However, other biofuel crops, such as switchgrass and miscanthus, are considered to be low-input crops and need less pesticides. July 30, 2000. Excessive use or improper application can leave surplus fertilizer in the soil, which is then washed through regional watersheds and transferred into rivers, lakes, and underground aquifers. The second most common liquid biofuel is biodiesel, which is made primarily from oily plants (such as the soybean or oil palm) and to a lesser extent from other oily sources (such as waste cooking fat from restaurant deep-frying). Let us now have a look at the disadvantages also. "Ethanol Production Using Corn, Switchgrass, and Wood; Biodiesel Production Using Soybean and Sunflower." There is a huge potential for bioenergy obtained from waste to decrease the speed of global warming. 2. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. Easier availability of biomass, its low cost, and cheaper technologies involved mean producing bioenergy is cheaper when compared to most energy sources, especially fossil fuels. Many of the studies show that the machinery used to cultivate crops emits large quantities of carbon emissions. But those fertilizers can have harmful effects on the surrounding environment, and expanded biofuel production could mean a major pollution threat to sources of fresh water. Thanks for reading Scientific American. When the engine is running, the differences in combustion features between gasoline and ethanol means that the ethanol-converted engine needs to adjust its ignition timing to work correctly. Fuel." For the billions of people living on only a few dollars per day, even a slight increase in food prices could jeopardize their access to proper nutrition. Land use change leads to the loss of biodiversity, especially in many places where native ecosystems were previously untouched, as well as increased greenhouse gas emissions from the conversion of carbon-rich ecosystems. The first way damage is caused is by destroying local habitat. One alternative involves the use of highly diverse mixtures of species, with the North American tallgrass prairie as a specific example. As a result, converting plant biomass to ethanol requires processing much larger amounts of feed stock to produce the same amount of biofuel than conventional biofuels. This factor could potentially limit the scale of biofuel production when it comes to upscaling their use. Associate Professor of Engineering Systems and Atmospheric Chemistry, Engineering Systems Division and Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. But we must realize that nothing in life is straightforward and applicable to all situations. The lower energy density means that transportation and storage of biofuels could be more challenging and may increase the cost of using biofuels as the main fuel source. First, there is the issue of output. These landfills not only spread foul smell but also contaminate underground water sources. Brazil and the United States are among the leading producers of ethanol. See Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, Find out More about Renewable Energy Device & Equipment in Linquip, See List of all Renewable Energy Manufacturing Companies in Linquip. It takes biomass and turns it into a clean-burning fuel. As the name suggests, biofuels are derived from plant and their products. Fossil fuels, on the other hand, are non-renewable, which means they are finite and will eventually run out. In theory, this sounds like a terrific way to keep up with biofuel crop demand. By using biofuels as an alternative energy source, we can reduce our reliance on fossil fuels, which can help to reduce our impact on the environment and contribute to a more sustainable energy system that is more locally based. The organic material that makes biofuels is made of carbon dioxide absorbed by plants from the atmosphere as they grew.