Biofuels: Boom or Bust?
Jesse Silverman
Bio 217 Spring 2007
The environmental impacts of fossil fuels are forcing us to rethink the effects that our energy use has on the world around us. Recent changes in both the acceptance of global warming and higher oil prices due partially to instability in the Middle East have made alternative energy sources both more economically viable and politically feasible. While the negative impacts of fossil fuels are generally known in terms of both carbon dioxide emissions [1, 2] and other pollutants such as NOX, N2O, CH4 and carbon monoxide [1], the negative effects of biofuels are not as obvious. Biofuels can be grouped into two categories, those from agricultural resources such as corn, switchgrass, soybeans, sunflower seed, poplar, and others as well as animal manure and post-consumer residues [3]. The other category is made up of forest resources, which includes biomass removed from forests, logging residues, mill residues and finally urban wood residues [3]. Each source of biofuel impacts the environment differently, both in terms of the net energy gain from production, the ecological impact it has and its impact on other factors such as food prices.
A report put out by the U.S. Department of Energy and Department of Agriculture estimates that given current resources over one third of the U.S. fossil fuel consumption can be replaced by biofuels [3]. While these results are promising they are based on large assumptions about increased production and require extensive land use changes. Other studies are much less optimistic about the potential benefits considering environmental and economic impacts of increasing biofuel use [4,5]. Currently 3% of America’s energy supply comes from biomass (see figure at right), with 2% of gasoline supplies coming from corn ethanol [5]. An examination of the impacts of biofuels will provide a platform for evaluating the most effective decisions regarding its use and production. In this website you will find information about the potential benefits of biofuel use as well as its impacts on ecosystems, biodiversity, water usage, land use and the economy.
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