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Biofuels & Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Energy Business Reports, June 2008, Pages: 51
Biofuel is any fuel that is derived from biomass - recently living organisms or their metabolic byproducts, such as manure from cows. It is a renewable energy source, unlike other natural resources such as petroleum, coal, and nuclear fuels.
Agricultural products specifically grown for use as biofuels include corn and soybeans, primarily in the United States; as well as flaxseed and rapeseed, primarily in Europe; sugar cane in Brazil and palm oil in South-East Asia. Biodegradable outputs from industry, agriculture, forestry, and households can also be used to produce bioenergy; examples include straw, timber, manure, rice husks, sewage, biodegradable waste, and food leftovers. These feedstocks are converted into biogas through anaerobic digestion. Biomass used as fuel often consists of underutilized types, like chaff and animal waste.
The idea of using biofuels from renewable sources is attractive as biofuels could help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and our dependency on fossil fuels. However, a new study, which looked at the full life cycle of biofuels, shows that, depending on the type and source of biofuel, the benefits and environmental impacts can vary considerably. The results highlight differences that could help inform policymakers considering tax-breaks
for renewable fuels.
Biofuels are currently the most important form of renewable energy in road transportation, but the debate over their environmental impact is ongoing. Some argue that when cultivation, including deforestation and soil acidification, is taken into account, biofuels consume more energy than they produce.
Today, biofuels provide about 1% of global transport fuel. Already, they are causing serious harm to the climate, to communities, food sovereignty and food security and to biodiversity. Most biofuels are agrofuels – made from crops and trees grown specifically for that purpose, such as sugar cane, palm oil, soya, jatropha or maize. Agrofuel expansion means more intensive agriculture and thus more agro-chemicals (including synthetic fertilizers). It also means more destruction of natural ecosystems, which play a vital role in regulating the climate, and the displacement of millions of small farmers, pastoralists and indigenous peoples.
This report takes a look at whether biofuels are causing global warming or not. The report analyzes the greenhouse gas emissions from biofuels, and what the impact of this will be on the global energy market.
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