How Big is the Biofuel Footprint?
The jury is still out on whether or not biofuels are a better alternative to oil. A variety of recent studies suggest a much larger carbon footprint than initially thought.
Though biofuels burn cleaner, when you take into account the clearing of natural vegetation required to grow the corn (ethanol), or palm trees (palm oil), for example, the environmental cost is huge. Studies by Nature Conservancy (NC) and the University of Minnesota(U.Minn) estimate that it would take 93 years to replace the CO2 debt created by clearing one hectare (0ne hundred acres) of prairie grasslands to grow corn. Interestingly, they determined that the rainforests would require only 86 years.
“Those aren’t the worst offenders. Palm oil on converted peatland forests in Indonesia needs 423 years to make up for the missing carbon sink: Peatland traps a lot more CO2 than other tropical forests. And Brazil should stick to sugarcane, the study suggests: biofuel made from soybean grown on converted Brazilian rainforest needs 319 years to pay its debt. Sugarcane ethanol on the savannah needs just 17 years.” WSJ
Many long time ethanol scientists are challenging a recently released Science study agreeing with the team at NC/UMinn. This study states that the benefits of biofuels on the carbon footprint will be determined by how it is produced. If waste biomass, and unused marginal lands are used, the results are positive, but clearing rainforests and prairie lands to farm palm trees or corn will increase the CO2 levels 17-403 times more than the benefit of the amount of oil that biofuel would replace. The ethanol scientists claim the studies are based on faulty estimates and models that are not realistic.
Environmental groups such as Greenpeace are against the use of biofuels. They are not happy with the UK’s recent mandate to include 2.5% biofuels in all fuels beginning April 15th.
High oil prices and global politics have created pressure to establish alternative fuel sources quickly. But more studies need to be done on biofuels so that we proceed appropriately.
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