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Scientists warn against rush to biofuel
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Written on: 28. 03. 08 [17:08]
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ecoadmin
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registered since: 20.07.2007
Posts: 367
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Recently the Guardian newspaper (UK) published an article on their front page, quoting scientists which said that a rush to biofuels may have an adverse effect on the environment. No big news I thought at first but went on to read the article. I was quite astonished to read that from April 1st all petrol and diesel in the EU (or is it just in the UK) has to contain at least 2,5% of biofuels. This requirement is from a EU directive put into action in 2003. By 2010 5.75% of the fuel must come from renewable sources. The EU plans to raise the compulsary quota to 10% by 2020, but Gordon Brown, British PM is ready to challenge this plan. Other countries such as Germany have also raised their concern over the plans. José Manuel Barroso, the European Commission President is in favour of the 10% target. He dismissed the claims that biofuels can lead to increases in food prices and greenhouse gas emissions due to deforestation. Does anyone have info from where these biofuels are coming from? Is all biofuel used in the western world from plant sources in Europe/North America or is there actually an import of such fuels taking place? ecocarforum.com - Green Car Network
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Written on: 31. 05. 08 [17:49]
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Lensman
 registered since: 31.05.2008
Posts: 77
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There have already been reports of the price of corn going up because some of that is being diverted to bio-fuel. So much for the claim it won't affect prices. And anyone with any common sense would know it can't help *but* drive up prices. If demand goes up faster than supply, prices go up. That's very basic economics. I've read that to use biofuel to replace all the oil used in the U.S., we would have to put under cultivation ten times the amount of acreage currently used to grow crops. Can you imagine what would be involved in clearing off ten times the amount of land currently being used for farmland? And where would the money come from to buy machinery to work all those new farms? Farm machinery is *very* expensive. Not to mention all the additional grain silos, railroads, etc. etc. needed for the vastly increased amount of corn produced... Ridiculous and impossible. Bio-fuel should be restricted to a secondary market. A few people, here and there, buying used cooking oil from their local diner or fast food restaurant to run their diesel car engine is fine. But it will never-- NEVER-- make a significant dent in the amount of petroleum we use, unless they come up with a radically different way of producing it. There are proposals to use bacteria to convert sugar to oil. That could be economical, if grown in a concentrated fashion-- in large vats, instead of grown in fields. But then, where does the sugar come from? Wouldn't that be just switching from growing an impossible amount of corn to growing an impossible amount of sugar beets? I think biofuel, like hydrogen power, simply won't prove practical on a mass scale. We need electric vehicles! I hope the EEstor ultracapacitor turns out to be real, and not "vaporware". That technology would make the internal combustion engine obsolete. [This article was edited 1 times, at last 31.05.2008 at 17:52.] |
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Written on: 01. 06. 08 [16:43]
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ecoadmin
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registered since: 20.07.2007
Posts: 367
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Well said Lensman, you hit the nail on the head. The Biofuel rush of the last few years is a good example on shortsighted decisions some governments occasionally take. Some 2nd generation biofuels such as waste biomass can make sense though if produced on a regional basis. However, to keep the overview of all those different fuel types is rather difficult. I am working on a paper that explains the world of fuel and energy in a easy to understand language. It might take some time to finish as I have to do some more research. But I surely let you all know when finished...  A nice Sunday to you all. ecocarforum.com - Green Car Network
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Written on: 05. 06. 08 [00:05]
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Lensman
registered since: 31.05.2008
Posts: 77
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ecoadmin wrote: Some 2nd generation biofuels such as waste biomass can make sense though if produced on a regional basis. Such as converting, for instance, corn stalks left after the corn is harvested? Yes, some conversion of that to biofuel is possible. The problems there are: 1. The extra time, energy and fuel required to harvest and transport the "waste material" cuts into the efficiency of producing biofuel. I suspect this is not news to any regular on this forum, given the comment above "No big news I thought at first". 2. Plant waste left in the fields after harvesting reduce the amount of fertilizer needed, and also reduces soil erosion. (For instance, this is why a combine harvester uses a whirling mechanism at the rear to scatter straw in its wake, instead of just dumping it in a row.) Eliminating this so-called "waste" will not only increase the amount of fertilizer needed, it will increase soil erosion. And making fertilizer requires fossil fuel (natural gas or coal)... So you see we quickly run into the law of diminishing returns here, if the goal is to reduce the carbon footprint. Now, this isn't to say that there can never be any useful conversion of "waste" plant material into biofuel. But I think we need to ask: Just how much plant matter is really "waste"? Some of it, certainly. But perhaps not as much as it appears at first glance. [This article was edited 2 times, at last 05.06.2008 at 00:08.] |
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Written on: 05. 06. 08 [21:30]
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ecoadmin
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Topic creator
registered since: 20.07.2007
Posts: 367
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Sorry for being off the forum for a while. I just started a new job and they really kept me busy the first few days! The transport of biofuels is indeed reducing the overall efficiency. Thats why it can only make sense if the fuel is produced regionally. You've made some interesting comments about plant waste and fertilizer and they do make sense to me. It shows once more how careful we have to assess the introduction of a new procedure or technology before putting it in place. If not carefully checked the energy saved is wasted elesewhere! Where I live now (Zurich, Switzerland), the council plans to collect all kitchen waste in special containers which will then be used for biogas production. As normal household waste has to be collected anyway, transport of waste will have a minimal impact of the overall efficiency. Only waste which can be sourced easily will be collected (densely populated areas). A law which prohibits the use of farm fields for biofuel production is currently discussed. A step into the right direction. ecocarforum.com - Green Car Network
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Written on: 06. 06. 08 [03:14]
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Lensman
registered since: 31.05.2008
Posts: 77
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ecoadmin wrote: Where I live now (Zurich, Switzerland), the council plans to collect all kitchen waste in special containers which will then be used for biogas production. As normal household waste has to be collected anyway, transport of waste will have a minimal impact of the overall efficiency. Only waste which can be sourced easily will be collected (densely populated areas). A law which prohibits the use of farm fields for biofuel production is currently discussed. A step into the right direction. I'm very impressed! I wish the USA was as farsighted and well-organized as Switzerland. We've got a patchwork of federal, state and local laws. Only this month is my local area finally starting curbside recycling. |
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Written on: 06. 06. 08 [22:44]
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ecoadmin
Administrator
Topic creator
registered since: 20.07.2007
Posts: 367
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I was quite pleased with those news, but not everything is so green as it seems in Switzerland. We do recycle a lot in this country and thats generally a good thing. The government supports ideas for more efficiency etc. and we have a fantastic bicycle network. because everything is so close its a great way of getting around. However: It surprises me that not more people are using a bicycle. So still room for improvement Recycling is great, but even more important is to Reduce, Reuse, Repair, and then Recycle. People do not reduce more here than in any other country, reusing material could also be improved as it is quite normal to always buy the newest and the best. In the UK for instance, freecycling and second hand shops are widespread. Its a great way of reducing the overall throughput of materials. ecocarforum.com - Green Car Network
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Written on: 14. 06. 08 [04:15]
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ErnieRogers
registered since: 14.06.2008
Posts: 1
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ecoadmin wrote: Well said Lensman, you hit the nail on the head. The Biofuel rush of the last few years is a good example on shortsighted decisions some governments occasionally take. <SNIP> I see you folks mean well, but seem to lack good information. Biodiesel has a very bright future. It's not ready to take over the world, and shouldn't in the world's present inefficient state. In 30 years, we can expect that most transportation will be electric powered, but there will still be a need for non-electric vehicles. Biodiesel is probably the most promising fuel then because of the high efficiency of present and future diesel engines. My prediction is that diesel engines will be almost universal 30 years from now. (Covering maybe 5% of transportation needs, the rest being electric.) And, I predict that the engines will be about 60% efficient, compared to today's diesel at about 45% and gas car engines between 20 and 30%. (Including gas engines in the eco-cars too.) Here is a table you might find useful-- you can use it to calculate your CO2 emissions. Choose your fuel, then divide the number given by the MPG of your car and you have your GHG emissions per mile. Note that biodiesel has one of the lowest greenhouse gas numbers. CO2 CALCULATION TABLE (6-06-0  Gasoline...........11,800 gm CO2e /gallon gasoline Diesel #2..........12,700 gm CO2e /gallon diesel ....Energy equivalent: .0.90 gal = 1gal gasoline Corn ethanol.......6,135 gm CO2e /gallon ethanol (from Wang) ....Energy equivalent: 1.52 gal = 1 gal gasoline Electricity.............777 gm CO2e /kWh (U.S. power plant mix) ...or..................26,400 gm CO2e /gallon gasoline equivalent ....Energy equivalent: 34 kWh = 1 gal gasoline Compressed NG...111.1 gm CO2e /SCF ....Energy equivalent: 118 SCF = 1 gal gasoline H2 gas................34.2 gm CO2e /SCF ....Energy equivalent: 400 SCF = 1 gal gasoline Biodiesel...........5940 gm CO2e /gallon biodiesel ....Energy equivalent: 1 gal = 1 gallon gasoline CO2e refers to equivalent CO2 effect of all greenhouse gases combined, "Well-To-Wheels." All of these numbers come from Wang, ANL, via a spreadsheet at www.autoXPrize.com ] |
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Written on: 15. 06. 08 [17:29]
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ecoadmin
Administrator
Topic creator
registered since: 20.07.2007
Posts: 367
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Hello Ernie and welcome to the forums! ErnieRogers wrote: I see you folks mean well, but seem to lack good information. We are always open for good information Pls don't get me wrong, I also see a future for biofuels. I think you nicely summed it up. The problem is the way biofuel is currently promoted. A keypoint for a sustainable transport system is efficiency, I fully agree on that point. And while more and more miles will be driven electrically, the combustion engines will also need to further improve and become more efficient if we want to reach our ambitions. With more efficient internal combustion engines, the use of biofuel becomes again a welcome addition. I see a bigger problem in the lack of governing laws making sure that the use of biofuel does not have an adverse effect on the environment. Unfortunately many legislations are way behind science and technology. Biofuel does not solve our future energy needs in the transport industry but it can play an important role where such fuel is the best way to go. Many thanks for your CO2 calculation table. I will calculate my footprint right away and hope it has dropped since my last assessment BTW, what does 'SCF' stand for...? ecocarforum.com - Green Car Network
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Written on: 16. 06. 08 [19:00]
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Lensman
registered since: 31.05.2008
Posts: 77
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Certainly there will continue to be a need for some sort of automotive power, for a minority of vehicles, which isn't dependent on the electric grid, whether that continues to be the ICE (Internal Combustion Engine), or a fuel cell, or whatever. The electric grid doesn't run everywhere. 95% of all vehicles powered electrically would be a tremendous achievement-- I'm over 50, and I can only hope to see that in my lifetime! But I seriously question the ICE will ever achieve 60% efficiency. Carnot efficiency of a heat engine puts an upper limit on even theoretical efficiency: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnot_cycle "...the Carnot cycle predicts a theoretical maximum efficiency of about 59 percent" for an internal combustion engine. http://tinyurl.com/6rv6a4 And practicalities like friction and loss due to reciprocating cylinders puts further limits on the efficiency of an ICE which can actually be built and put into a car, so the real-world limit to efficiency will be somewhat lower. This is one advantage electric motors have over the ICE; electric motors can be-- and many real-world motors are-- over 90% efficient in their use of power. |
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