Fuels from organic sources

 Fossil fuels upon combustion produce significant air pollution due to emissions of
carbon dioxide
 Organic sources of fuel can include fossil fuels or renewable sources such as biomass
 Biofuel: Fuel from biomass

Renewability
 Biofuels have an enormous advantage over fossil fuels as fossil fuels cannot be
replaced and biofuels are manufactured from sources such as biomass which are
renewable.
 Fossil fuels are not renewable and are a finite source which is running out.

Environmental Impacts
 Climate change, pollution of air, land and water, oil spills and acid rain are all a direct
result of our use of fossil fuels to produce electricity and provide for transport

Ethanol
 A biofuel which can be obtained from renewable sources (fermentation of sugars)

Advantages
 Renewable source of fuel
 More likely to undergo combustion
compared to a fossil fuel like octane
o Minimises toxic products produced
as a result of incomplete combustion
and produce less carbon dioxide
 More energy is produced by one mole
of ethanol compared to one mole of
one mole of octane
 Engines are clean and run smoother
due to ethanol’s versatility and ability to
dissolve deposits
 Spills biodegrade more readily and can
be easily diluted to non-toxic levels
Disadvantages
 Referred to as a carbon neutral fuel but
in reality the production of ethanol
requires a lot of energy
o Growing feedstocks where large
areas of land are needed which could
be used for housing and food.
o High production costs
 Current cars will require modification
for petrol mixtures containing more
than 20% of ethanol