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Are Biofuels Set to Destroy the World?

Biofuels have gained a lot of publicity recently as a renewable form of energy. However, with a carbon footprint sometimes 10 times that of conventional petrol, mass-deforestation and the reduction of food-bearing land, it may not be the solution that many had hoped for.

Many high profile sports car manufacturers, such as Lotus, have designed models to run on a mix of 80% ethanol and 20% petrol (gasoline). More and more filling stations are now offering a bio-diesel or bio-ethanol alternative, made with 10% - 20% ethanol or vegetable oil, for any car. The aviation industry is turning to a form of propane made from biomass to reduce its impact on the environment. But will it help, or make things worse?

Original Sources of Biofuels

Traditionally, biofuels have played a very small part in the global energy mix, often funded by governments trying to reclaim subsidies given for over-productive farmers, or by small manufacturers who are recycling waste oils.

In France, for example, it is common knowledge that its famous vineyards are a large employer and represent a major use of French agricultural land. The so-called 'wine lake' is a result of these vineyards producing much more wine than they can sell, resulting in a significant surplus.

It makes perfect sense, then, for the French government to encourage the use of this surplus wine in the manufacture of biofuels for French automobiles, rather than to store or discard it as waste. This in turn results in lower carbon output from French road traffic.

Other examples include the recycling of waste vegetable oils from homes, restaurants, private kitchens and fast food chains. This oil is usually discarded once it has been used for cooking, but it can be recycled using a simple process and then used in diesel engines (diesel engines were originally designed to run on peanut oil!). The result is a fuel that costs less than half that of standard diesel (when fuel duty is included) and is carbon-neutral.

So what's the problem with Biofuels?

Deforestation due to Biofuels

The production of biofuels involves the growing of crops from which oil or alcohol can be produced, such as sugar cane or palm oil. Naturally, space is needed to grow these crops, in the form of fields. These fields must either be created from land already used for another purpose (such as the growing of food crops or other cash crops such as tobacco or cotton), or it must be claimed from nature (by cutting down an area of forest, for example).

Given that forests are carbon-sinks (they absorb carbon dioxide from the air, as well as producing oxygen), it does not make sense to cut them down to make biofuels, however low-carbon they may be.

Large areas of rainforest in South-East Asia have already been cut down to make room for palm oil plantations. Not only does this remove carbon-absorbing trees, but it also threatens the habitats of many of the world's animal and plant species, as well as the homes of the indigenous people who live there.

Lower Food Production

An increased production of biofuels also has implications for food production. The market for biofuels is very large and the demand for agricultural land will increase. Even if the entire surface of the world were covered in biofuel-producing plantations, it would still only satisfy a small fraction of global oil-based fuel demands. Given a choice, farmers may prefer to produce biofuels instead of food, pushing up the price of food and making less widely available. This may hit poor people hard.

Do Biofuels have a Role?

Biofuels will certainly play a role in the years to come, and may play an important part where there are few other low-carbon alternatives (such as aviation fuel).

The growth of certain species of Algae for biofuel production certainly has potential, as it does not require land. They can also enhance the efficiency of power stations as part of a carbon capture and storage process.

The recycling of used or overproduced crops and oils will reduce waste as well as carbon dioxide levels. As this is simply reprocessing oil that has already been produced for another purpose, it would not increase the strain on the availability of land.

Woodchip burners, fuelled by a sustainable source, are another useful way of reducing domestic carbon emissions, particularly in rural areas.

Sustainability of Biofuels

Ultimately, it comes down to sustainability. Mass-producing biofuels to meet the world-s oil-based fuel needs is impossible; we would need several planets to meet the demand. However, taking careful action to increase biofuel production in a way that does not damage irreplaceable ecosystems could help mitigate the effects of climate change in the short term.

The best solution seems to be to convert all automobiles from oil-consuming engines to electric motors. Tesla Motors will be producing all electric-only cars, and we can only hope that more will follow. Until then, biofuels manufactured in the correct way could help to an extent, just make sure you know where it-s coming from!