Combating Global Warming with Biofuels

Many areas such as scientists, companies and government agencies are working hard to decrease the greenhouse gases emissions which are causing climate change day by day. During recent years, it is found that biofuels are produced from corn which has come emerging as a fuel source to provide power to many of the vehicles including airplanes as well.

However, corn has been seen as a problematic biofuel source material. The corn is intense to grow and it creates many of the environmental impacts and thus is more effective as a food. Colorado State University conducted a research which showed that the production of biofuels produced from switchgrass which is a non-edible native grass can be found in the parts of North America. Scientists worked hard to use the modeling technique to simulate various growing scenarios and then a climate footprint which ranges from -11 to 10 grams of Carbon dioxide per megajoule. Now, this is known as a standard way to measure greenhouse gas emissions.

Hence, in the current situation the United States uses components of starch upto 50% from the corn that later produces ethanol to serve the transportation sector.

Nowadays, researchers are focusing on development of fuel production by using advanced methods and second generation of bioenergy crops. These are the methods which make liquid fuel, mainly ethanol, from lignocellulose. Now, this component is responsible for composition of the structural elements of plants, leaves, stalks and stems as well. However, some of these crops are perennials as they can grow back year after year. Not only this, but they also require less amount of fertilizer and tillage which avoids many kinds of negative impacts that are there with corn and other yearly crops. However, these are the crops which require an intense amount of care.

Biofuels are also known as Agrofuels which are produced from living plants which avoids the fossils process. As you know, fossil things are used to produce oil and coal.  As fossils absorb more of CO2 during their growing process which is the things that they emit when they get burnt we can conclude them as carbon neutral as well. As we take the case of biofuels which are made from waste materials such as used chip fat are fine but these are supposed to supply a fraction of demand. However, if we use biofuels to exchange any significant proportion of the transport fuel which now comes from fossil fuels. Now, this requires growing crops for fuel such as rapeseed, palm oil, soy, sugar cane or jatropha on a large amount which is why these are known as Agrofuels.

Not only this, but it has been seen that deforestation and land use changes are ultimately the cause of about one quarter of total global CO2 emissions. Apart from that even rainforest ecosystems are also in the range of danger to get completely collapsed.

As we can see that the Amazon is getting dried out in recent years and if this continues then we can see a large amount of fire can take over to dry up the forest. This would lead to the release of a vast amount of CO2 which would be taken as a positive point but it would lead to climate change going out of our control.

A big role is played by deforestation in all of these processes which consist of high temperatures due to global warming.

Biofuels can play a critical role to solve the problem

Biofuels such as bioethanol have less to no contribution of CO2 to the greenhouse gases emissions buildup. Bioethanol is also known as a versatile fuel which can be mixed with gasoline in 10% blends (E10) and then potentially 20%, 22% blends which is known as E20 and E22 respectively. However, this can also be used to manufacture ethyl tertiary butyl ether which is known as ETBE, an octane-enhancing fuel additive which produces more efficient and relatively clean burning fuel which doesn’t require any engine modification. The higher level blends 85% which is called E85 and can be used as flexible-fuel vehicles.

Biofuels reduces greenhouse gases emissions

As we take steps to reduce the CO2 emissions which ultimately eliminates the threat to global warming. Now, this is something that requires a solid commitment towards changing the way we use energy and resources that we use. A big chunk of this commitment needs to be national investment into research to improve the effectiveness of biofuels and then implementing them into a commercial marketplace. As we can see, Americans have proved that they can go through this crisis. And it’s our time to take the pledge to rely on biofuels. This step is needed to save our future, our generation and our planet. So we all need to come together and contribute to our planet.

Let’s just understand carbon cycle and biofuels

CO2 plays an important role for the earth’s natural carbon cycle which somehow does the work to circulate the carbon through the atmosphere, plants, animals, oceans, soil and rocks as well. Now, this is the cycle which maintains a life sustaining and some critical balance between storing, releasing and recycling carbon.

If we use bioethanol and biodiesel for transportation then it can help us to restore the natural balance of CO2 into the atmosphere. Apart from replacing fossil fuels the feedstock used to produce biofuels which also requires CO2 to grow and they eventually absorb what they require from the atmosphere. However, when the biomass is converted into the biofuel and burnt into automobile engines gets recaptured when the new biomass is grown in order to produce more biofuels, on the conversion of biomass.

A step towards clean environment

We can provide farmers with options to make decisions regarding which type of lands can be used for biofuels and the right amount of fertilizer to use. Now, this will force them to make their choices on the basis of price for cleaned fuels and the cost of greenhouse gases.

And, if we don’t put any cost to carbon pollution, farmers will continue to invest into fertilizer which will be leading to more emissions.