Are Biofuels Saving or Destroying our Environment? Henry Wong

A solution to global warming is the use of biofuels instead of petroleum. Biofuels are sources of energy made from living organisms. This fuel can be made from sugar and starch crops like corn and sugarcane to produce ethanol. The fuel can also be made from oils extracted from plants like algae to produce biodiesel. These fuels do not produce any excess Carbon dioxide because the fuels when used release the equal amount Carbon dioxide as the plants themselves. It may seem as if the solution of global warming is here but it is not.

Diesel engines are primarily used for trucks and large vehicles. Ethanol is used in regular cars. The problem is that the production of ethanol is releasing more Carbon dioxide through its production. To produce ethanol, farmers plant the sugar/starch crop and send it to a factory to have it processed. As ethanol becomes for in demand, farmers have to forest more forest land to grow more of these crops. Clearing the land of plants is the number one source of Carbon Dioxide that is released in the Atmosphere.

Although biofuels do reuse some of the energy we have, most of it comes from growing crops. As more people bean to drive, the need of ethanol will rise, and more land will be needed. Ethanol may seem like a good choice but there maybe better ways to keep our cars running.

References:

1. http://www.koaa.com/aaaaaa_down_to_earth/x408977776

2. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/01/070130090717.htm

3. http://cropwatch.unl.edu/photos/cwphoto/crop07-20ethanolplant.jpg