...Biofuels Environmental Sciences Essay Nowadays, as the problem of greenhouse gases emissions is getting more serious, Carbon-negative biofuels represent the first potentially huge assault on the problem, in ways that are already technically feasible and practicable (Mathews, 2008). Scientists are having their research on how to ease or solve these problems. The topic of biofuels is being more popular in the recent years because it has the most potential to be a significant source of energy. Biomass is providing a surprisingly large amount of the world’s energy – 10% of total global primary energy consumption (Energy Future Coalition, 2007). Advantages of biofuels Safety Biofuels are safe to handle and transport because they are biodegradable, much less toxic than even table salt (ten times), and have high flashpoints of about 300oF compared to gasoline and petroleum diesel fuel (diesel has a flash point of 125 F, for comparison) (Biodiesel Chemical Safety Data – Oxford University). Because of its safety, the number of incidence of severe vehicle fires can be reduced, and its safety making it to be one of the safest of all alternative fuels. Also, biofuels produce fewer by-products than conventional hydrocarbon based fuels after combustion or burning. The conventional hydrocarbon-based fuels will produced a greater output of some noxious by-product, for example, carbon monoxide. That means, biofuels could lead to less localized smog in urban centers (Charles et al). Energy...
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...el Tilapia Oreochromis niloticus Scales as a source of BIOFUEL Rsearcher: Jelyne Daryl F. Romero Background of the Study Fuels are substance that give off heat when they burn. Fuel provides our world energy use for heating, cooking, powering ships, cars, and machines and electricity. High prices of gasoline pose a problem to many people. Higher energy costs are flowing down into the costs of other products that we buy. And most people are affected especially the poor people. On the other hand, using the scales of Tilapia as a good source of BIOFUEL, in one way or another, will add to demand for said palm. The use and promotion of BIOFUEL in the country could be a “win-win solution” for both the people and the environment as the world is currently facing a phenomenon called global warming. The use of BIOFUEL will also unlock the country’s dependence on fossil fuels which price depends on the international market. Both Biodiesel and Ethanol are clean, grow-your-own fuels that can be made onsite in villages or local communities from renewable, locally available resources, for the most part using simple equipment that a local workshop can make and maintain. These fuels are among a wide range sustainable local energy options. Others are methane (biogas) digesters that run livestock, crop, and food wastes into cooking and heating gas, charcoal and fuel wood (good fuels unless over harvesting destroys...
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...services can now be observed in the Philippines. These increases are due to different factors such as catastrophes and global economic crisis. The government’s job is to find a way to address these problems. The most constant of these two is global economic crisis which is affected by crude oil price increases. Crude oil price affect different things that are important to the lives of Filipinos. It affects the price of food, utilities, price and many more that rely on the energy and transportation that crude oil can provide. Crude oil basically comes from fossil fuel. Fossil fuels are formed through the decomposition without oxygen of dead organisms. Fossil fuels take millions of years to form but are being used fast. Most experts say that it will only take about 50 years for the fossil fuels to be depleted. As it becomes closer to depletion, its price will surely increase as the basic rule of economics states. The only way to cope with low supply but high demand is to increase its price. The Solution: There are many possible alternatives for fossil fuels as source of energy but the use of biofuels is the most favourable since it is cheaper, renewable and degradable or has use compared to other alternatives. Biofuels are fuels which energy is derived from biological objects like plants or animal extracts. They can be in solid, liquid or gas form. Liquid biofuels are used as alternative fuels for vehicles in place of petroleum. The previously known alternative for petroleum...
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...Report: Gap analysis RSB sustainability standard [Company A] Report date: [Day] [Month] [Year] Report authors: Ander Paz and Peter Vissers (Partners for Innovation BV) (corresponding author: p.vissers@partnersforinnovation.com) Report reviewer: [Person P] Report status: Confidential, final version Report produced for: [Company A] [LOGO Company A] PREFACE >> This preface provides background on the report template for the gap analysis against the RSB sustainability standard. Report template and toolbox This report template is part of the toolbox that was developed and piloted within the project “Towards Sustainability Certification of Jatropha Bio-fuels in Mozambique”. This project was initiated in 2009 and implemented in 2010 by the Jatropha Alliance together with Partners for Innovation and GEXSI. The report template is published for inspiration. We hope that the tools developed within the pilot project can inspire other companies involved in assessing and developing their sustainability practices. Toolbox and tools are made available through the websites of the project team: www.jatropha-alliance.org and www.partnersforinnovation.com. Structure of the report template The RSB gap analysis report template offers an example on how an assessor can report on the gap analysis. The template is available in MS Word. It contains a number of introductory sections, four main chapters and three annexes. The report template basically provides a structure...
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...Thomas March 19, 2011 Are the rising food costs related to rising fuel costs? Not only does the rising costs of fuel cause an increase in prices, but the use of some crops to make biofuels also drives the cost of food up. High crude oil prices have fueled interest in finding alternative energy sources and reducing dependency on import oil supplies. The emergence of biofuels has given rise to an alternative market for a number of agriculture commodities. Fossil fuel is a general term for buried combustible geologic deposits of organic materials formed from decayed plants and animals that have been converted to crude oil, coal, natural gas, or heavy oils by exposure to heat and pressure in the earth’s crust over hundreds of millions of years. The burning of these fossil fuels is the largest source of emissions of carbon dioxide which is one of the greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming. Biofuels are transportation fuels like ethanol and biodiesel that are made from biomass materials. The fuels are usually blended with petroleum fuels, but can also be used alone. Using ethanol or biodiesel means we don’t burn quite as much fossil fuel. Biofuels are usually more expensive, but they are cleaner burning fuels that produce few air pollutants. Ethanol is an alcohol fuel made from sugars found in grains such as corn, sorghum or barley. Other sources are potato skins, rice, sugar cane...
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...surround oil. These include oil’s links to industrialization, economic growth, the distribution of wealth, and global warming. Oil is vital to the functioning of the economy of individual countries as well as the global economy. It plays an essential role in transport systems (ground, air and sea), agriculture, chemicals, and the military. Thousands of products are made using oil including plastics, pesticides, paints, inks, synthetic fibers, solvents, medicines, and other vital everyday use products. The reality is that oil is all around us, even when it is not being used in vehicle or other transport engines. Since oil is a finite commodity, concerns about when the supply of oil will decline and run out is of paramount importance and concern. The world’s supply of readily accessible oil is declining simply because more oil is being extracted than being discovered. New technologies that gain access to reservoirs previously hard to access may extend the life of these reserves. However, demand for oil in developed countries such as the United States, Europe, Japan and China are greater than ever before. India, another populous nation with a growing economy will further escalate the demand for oil. As such, geo-political issues exist, primarily due to the uneven distribution of oil deposits around the globe. The size and scope of the oil industry is global and has clearly defined players; there...
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...2012 2012 Dec 20th Dec 20th The Relationship between the Price of Petrol, Biofuels, and Food: a case for biofuels NCUK IFY BEIJING AOJI 6108 Jack (Ba-12-0023) The Relationship between the Price of Petrol, Biofuels, and Food: a case for biofuels NCUK IFY BEIJING AOJI 6108 Jack (Ba-12-0023) Contents Introduction 2 Key terms 2 Graph 1 supply and demand curve 3 Graph 2 food price since 1990 3 Graph 3 wheat future US 4 Main body 4 The influence of the price of petrol on biofuels in long-term 4 Graph 4 America bio-ethanol output 5 The subsequent effect on food price 5 Graph 5 percentage of main biofuel production country 5 Table 1 Wheat production and consumption 7 Discussion 9 Evaluation 9 Graph 6 China food price 10 Conclusion 11 References ...
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...statement given by Benjamin franklin. Biofuels are they as green as they claim to be? It is well said -yes this fuel has a component of BIO, but is biofuel well doing in meeting all its requirements? Hmm…a debatable topic. As context of my argument, I strongly argue that they are not eco-friendly-when completely relied upon. So what are Biofuels? A biofuel is a fuel that contains energy from geologically recent carbon fixation. These fuels are produced from living organisms. Examples of this carbon fixation occur in plants and microalgae. These fuels are made by a biomass conversion (biomass refers to recently living organisms, most often referring to plants or plant-derived materials). This biomass can be converted to convenient energy containing substances in three different ways: thermal, chemical and biochemical conversion. Biofuels have increased in popularity because of rising oil prices and the need for energy security. This biofuels are 1St and 2nd generation. 1st generation conatins ethanol, biodiesel, vegetable oil mostly. The second generation biofuels are mostly made from the lignocellulosic biomass or woody crops, agricultural residues or waste. Taking a brisk turn towards my argument, There are various social, economic, environmental and technical issues with biofuel production and use. These include: the population explosion, the "food vs fuel" debate, poverty reduction potential, carbon emissions levels, sustainable biofuel production, deforestation and soil erosion...
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...The Quest for Biofuels: Issues and Concerns Biofuels have been billed as an important component in the United States bid to become less dependent on foreign energy. As the price of crude oil continues to increase, and as the country sets its sights on becoming less dependent on foreign oil the pressure is mounting to increase the production of biofuels. In addition, the global energy demand is continuing to increase and known petroleum supplies are decreasing (CAST II, 2007); the need for a sustainable substitute for current fossil fuels has become more evident than ever. The rise in costs of traditional energy sources has raised this issue to prominence in many American households as well. Several government agencies and working groups have set goals, targets, and timelines for reducing the use of fossil fuels and the substitution of biofuels to fill the energy demand. This push for the use of biofuels will have dramatic effects on many sectors of the American economy and many new problems and issues will arise that need to be considered. Currently grain-based ethanol production is the primary means by which biofuels are produced in the United States. Corn is the grain of choice in this production system. The annual production capacity of ethanol has increased rapidly in recent years, from 1.7 billion gallons in 2000 to 4.3 billion gallons in 2006 (CAST, 2006). It is also projected that the annual production capacity will increase to 7 billion gallons by 2008 (CAST, 2006)...
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...of time. Therefore, defining relevant feedstocks, producing fuels from these feedstocks and the properties of these fuels are critical issues. The utilization of biomass resources assumes importance due to the soaring crude price and depleting reserves of fossil fuels coupled with the rising environmental concern. Ethanol derived from renewable ligno-cellulosic biomass of non-edible variety has been identified globally as the future solution for meeting the energy demand. Apart from fuel and energy, biomass can also be the source of large number of derivatives. Biomass can be used for fuels, power production, and products that would otherwise be made from fossil fuels. In such scenarios, biomass can provide an array of benefits. * Biofuels — Converting biomass into liquid fuels for transportation * Biopower — Burning biomass directly, or converting it into gaseous or liquid fuels that burn more efficiently, to generate electricity * Bioproducts — Converting biomass into chemicals for making plastics and other products that...
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...20300084 Course: BIOL 443 Professor: Dr. Owen Ward Introduction Global interests in biofuel production as a substitute for liquid transport fuel have grown substantially in recent years, mainly due to concerns over energy security and climate change (Yahya et al, 2012). The most common used biofuels are biodiesel and bio-ethanol, which can replace diesel and gasoline, respectively, with limited or no modifications of vehicle engines (Karthikeya, 2012). These first generation biofuels are typically extracted from food and oil crops including rapeseed oil, sugarcane, sugar beet and corn as well as vegetable oil and animal fats using traditional technologies (Brennan and Owende, 2009). However, the use of first generation biofuels have generated wide-scale criticisms, primarily due to raising competition with food production, increased water consumption, soil degradation, biodiversity loss, their low energy potential and their role in greenhouse gas emissions (Barbosa et al., 2011). A particular concern is that the demand for biofuels could place substantial additional pressure on the natural resources such as arable land. Currently, about 1% (14 million hectares) of the world’s available arable land is used for the production of biofuels, providing 1% of global transport fuels (Beal et al., 2012). However, with a fixed and possibly reducing amount to arable land, increasing the share of land devoted to biofuel production will have severe impact on world’s food supply as well as...
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...Why Did Global Food Prices Rise? Why Did Global Food Prices Rise? There are many economic factors that lead to the increase in food prices globally. The case explains exactly “Why Did Global Food Prices Rise?” and how the economic factors have impacted countries and world’s lack of food. The tariffs and subsidies give rise to the increasing global food prices. This case also talks abut how the government policies may be an advantage for some domestic producers and the disadvantage to others. The ones who benefit from the government policies to promote production of ethanol are obviously the ones producing ethanol because they are looking for more options to be able to make ethanol. The different types of raw materials that can be produced into a substitute for gas, can affect the price of all goods. The ones who benefit to place tariff barriers on imports of sugar cane are the countries that have a higher production of raw material because they will benefit from all of the production. For example: corn and soybeans are mainly used as tangible means for biofuel. The more demand for ethanol and biofuels, the more it will increase our prices for foods. Sugar cane can also be used for biofuels, however due to the tariff barriers the price of sugar cane has increased and it can no longer compete with the subsidized corn and soy beans. The Poor are suffering worldwide as a result of these policies. Unfortunately some of them are unable to afford food. Developed...
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...Biomass & Biofuel Biomass & Biofuel: The Future Umaer Ahmed SBI4U-03 Badgery, J. 01/02/13 Biomass & Biofuel: The Future Biofuels are a recent development that has stemmed a great deal of research into the issue of alternative energy. The energy that we get from biofuels originally came from the sun. This solar energy was captured through photosynthesis by the plants used as feedstock (raw materials) for biofuel production, and stored in the plants’ cells. This energy-containing biomass is converted into biofuel through biochemical, chemical, and thermo chemical conversion processes. For example, ethanol, today’s largest volume of biofuel, is produced through a biochemical process. In this process, yeasts ferment sugar from starch and sugar crops into ethanol. Most ethanol is produced from sugar canes and cornstarch. Biochemical conversion techniques allow us to make use of more abundant “cellulosic” biomass sources such as grass, trees, and agricultural residues. A simpler chemical process used to produce a biofuel is the production of biodiesel. Biodiesel facilities start with vegetable oils, seed oils, or animal fats and reacts them with methanol/ethanol in the presence of a catalyst. Algae and plants can serve as a natural source of oil which refineries can convert into jet fuel or diesel fuel. Once the biomass has been converted into biofuel, the biofuel is used to...
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...Chapter II Review of Related Literature Calabash tree Fruit (crescentiacujete) Crescentiacujete is an evergreen tree reaching six to ten meters in height, broad and irregular crown composed of long, spreading branches which creates a moderate shade beneath the tree. The tree is most outstanding in the landscape for its year round production of flowers and fruit, both of which are unusual. The five centimeter flowers which bloom at night are yellow or green with red or purple veins , cup shaped, and appear to emerge directly from the branches. These are followed by the emergence of the large, round fruit, twelve to thirty centimeters in diameter with a smooth hard shell which hang directly beneath the branches. Inside there is pulp which has medicinal properties. The part of the tree that is used mostly is the fruit. Its uses are mainly in phytopharmaceuticals. The extract of the fruit is effective in treatment of diseases of the respiratory tract such as: bronchitis, cough, asthma and those related illnesses caused by cold(Pimentel, 2005). The tree grows in clayey soils with deficient drainage subject to frequent floods. It grows at elevations from sea level eight hundred meters and an annual rainfall between 1,500 to 1,300 millimeters and an annual temperature of twenty-six degrees Celsius (Olanu, 2011). The chemical constituents of the crescentiacujete; the crude carbohydrate found in the fruit is 18%. The fruit can be considered a good source of crude carbohydrate...
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...Government of India Ministry of New & Renewable Energy National Policy on Biofuels Block No. 14, C.G.O. Complex Lodhi Road New Delhi- 110003 Page 1 of 18 National Policy on Biofuels 1.0 1.1 PREAMBLE India is one of the fastest growing economies in the world. The Development Objectives focus on economic growth, equity and human well being. Energy is a critical input for socio-economic development. The energy strategy of a country aims at efficiency and security and to provide access which being environment friendly and achievement of an optimum mix of primary resources for energy generation. Fossil fuels will continue to play a dominant role in the energy scenario in our country in the next few decades. However, conventional or fossil fuel resources are limited, non-renewable, polluting and, therefore, need to be used prudently. On the other hand, renewable energy resources are indigenous, non-polluting and virtually inexhaustible. India is endowed with abundant renewable energy resources. Therefore, their use should be encouraged in every possible way. 1.2 The crude oil price has been fluctuating in the world market and has increased significantly in the recent past, reaching a level of more than $ 140 per barrel. Such unforeseen escalation of crude oil prices is severely straining of the developing various economies the world over, particularly those countries. Petro-based oil meets about 95% of the requirement for transportation fuels, and the...
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