Biofuels are liquid or gaseous fuels used for purposes of transport that are manufactured from

biomass. Biofuels can be directly produced from plant or indirectly from industrial, commercial,

homemade and agricultural waste. There are three basic methods of biofuels production. First one uses

combustion of dry organic waste (industrial and agricultural waste, wood, reed, etc.). Then there is the

fermentation of wet waste (animal manure) without the oxygen in order to produce biofuel with 60% of

methane, and also the sugar cane or corn fermentation in order to produce alcohol and esters. Finally,

there is also the energy gained with the help of forestry, or to be more precise with the cultivation of

fast-growing trees for fuel production. But the most famous type of production is definitely the

fermentation with two well-known products in form of alcohols and esters. These fuels could

theoretically replace the fossil fuels but for this we would require adjusting the machines so these fuels

are mostly used in combination with fossil fuels.

Biofuels have potential directed towards to decrease of CO2 production. This is primarily based

on the fact that plants, which are used for biofuels production, absorb CO2 during their growth which is

then released during the biofuel’s combustion. The energy needed for plant growth and cultivation and

their transformation into biofuels and afterwards the distribution needs additional release of carbon

dioxide (CO2). Carbon dioxide emissions that gets released during production and distribution of

biofuels can be calculated with the help of technique called “Life Cycle Analysis (LCA)” which is based on

monitoring and calculating CO2 emissions in period since the time plant starts its growth, or to be more

precise from the time seeds are planted into earth all the way to the release of gases in engine of the

automobile. Different studies for different biofuels have been made with different results. Most of the

LCA studies showed how biofuels when compared with traditional fossil fuels create significantly less

greenhouse gases so their use as the replacement for fossil fuels would mean significant decrease of

greenhouse effect.
Conclusion

Based on the information available to us, we can conclude how biofuels are not exactly a perfect

solution that we should be using straight away to satisfy our energy demand. Negative sides also have to

be looked at. Of course, when we compare them with fossil fuels biofuels do look almost perfect,

especially since fossil fuels are not renewable sources of energy nor are, they ecologically acceptable.

But is everything really so ideal?

From the opinions of different energy experts and many researches it is quite easy to conclude

how despite all the advantages of biofuels they still cannot be taken for granted because we first need

to look the other side and do some other things like for instance make the biofuel production far more

efficient and do everything in our power to remove the negative side effects. But is this possible?

Scientists have been fighting for decades to at least in some measure decrease the harmful influence

that fossil fuels have so it is a real question how will they confront with this new type of fuel that is still

in early development phase and that still needs determination of all consequences of its use.

World economy and especially poor countries need to find some sort of solution that wouldn’t

result in even bigger poverty and hunger. Because biofuel production that uses food as its source can

bring exactly that – poverty and hunger, and this type of biofuel production is sadly the widest spread.

Ever increasing food prices will have devastating effect on population in poor countries and Jean

Ziegler’s statement about every child that dies from the hunger will get much more meaning if current

biofuel production is about to continue in the same trend.

Reference

Biomass production. (2015, August 21). DavorH. https://www.our-energy.com/biofuels.html/page/6