Biofuels

11/05/13

Are biofuels the fuel of the future? There have been debates back and forth for and against them, but why is is so polarizing? Biofuels sound great because they are an alternative to gasoline, the big thing to hate on nowadays. However, using biofuels over gasoline is not as clear cut as one initially imagines. There are many new issues brought up when using biofuels to supply our transportation fuel. Food prices are raised, massive amounts of land, water and fertilizer are used, and it destroys forests.

Land use is probably the biggest problem with biofuels. In order to effectively grow enough bio matter to create a substantial amount of ethanol requires many hectares of land. According to biofuelswatch.net speaker, Rachel Smolker, the amount of land needed to supply solely the U.S military on biofuels is a "couple of planets" worth, indicating the impossibility of the task.

Normally, this land comes from deforestation leading to forests becoming more scarce as biofuels pick up popularity. Even if we had enough land to supply the world with biofuels instead of gasoline, we would be sacrificing our forests and destroy many habitats. Hearing this, one might think "But isn't it worth it for the reduction in green house gas emissions?" and while that could very well be the case, results showing either side (Whether biofuels emit less GHG's or not) have yet to be conclusive. Some sources say that biofuels are more efficient, while others sources like Rachel Smolker say they are actually ineffective compared to gasoline.

Not only does this take up a lot of land, but it also uses up potential space for the growing of food to supply people instead of cars. By using more food products for fuel instead of food, the prices of these foods will rise causing many families who are already struggling to have an even harder time paying for food. Other issues with biofuels include genetically modified organisms that are claimed to grow faster. These GMO's can cross pollinate and spread, potentially creating an invasive species that will have its own slew of negative affects on both the local and global ecology.

Instead of switching to biofuels or using some form of renewable energy like wind and solar, Ms. Smolker suggests that we need a full system change. We need to move off of our focus to continue our lifestyles while changing the fuel sources, to changing our lifestyles in order to reduce the amount of energy we need to use. In order to effectively mitigate climate change we would need to have a complete overhaul and change of energy sources within the next ten years. However, if instead we change our lifestyles to accompany a more environmentally friendly way (using our cars to travel less, using less electricity, buying local foods instead of international, etc.) then maybe we can reduce our emissions enough to keep our climate in check.

As it stands, the effectiveness of biofuels is completely up in the air. Many sources have touted biofuels as a potential way to mitigate oil dependency, while others vehemently oppose it. Whether or not a massive global lifestyle change is the right answer is just as hazy. Either way, one thing is clear: something needs to be done before climate change spirals out of control.

"I'm here to tell you that I want to tell you the things that you don't want to hear as well as the things you want to hear. And one of those is ethanol. Ethanol is not worth it. It does not help the consumer. (John McCain)