Alper Koper 21000643 Janet Asquith

Spring 2011

Question:

As a result of growing criticism of proposed investment in biofuels as a replacement for

fossil fuel, the E.U. is considering a reversal of its previously announced policy. Referring
to information in the texts provided, do you think the E.U. could justify a "U" turn in the
decision to adopt biofuels as a major source of energy?

In years scientists and the governments have realized that humanity needs an

alternative to petrol based fuels. The solution came up to be the biofuels; which are the

term used for the fuels that has organic origins; therefore they started to be seen as more

“green” compared to petrol based fossil fuels like diesel and gasoline. They can be

extracted from various sources, ranging from sugar cane to vegetable oil. The scientists

and decision makers at European Union (mentioned as the EU from now on) also think

that biofuels might be the solution to the growing fuel problem. This solution seemed to

be the perfect since scientists discovered more ways to extract biofuels. Initial researches

looked promising and perfect; however with more people working on and experiments

conducted on biofuels some problems were discovered. Both problems and benefits of the

biofuels were far crucial than negligible. With all the debate continuing a new inquiry

came to surface. It was questioning biofuels altogether; whether EU’s adopting biofuels

decision is accountable after all these further researches made. Although biofuels have

some serious problems; the pros overcome the cons. So in my opinion biofuels seems to

be the best option and EU should preserve its policy and continue to support biofuels.

First and the foremost reason we must adopt biofuels is they are sustainable. As

more cars, houses and factories start using fossil fuels; the petrol and coal reserves of our

Earth start to diminish slowly. It was already too late when we realized we will find

ourselves in a fuel-shortage. The sustainability of these fossil-fuels is at really low levels.

The biggest problem is we cannot produce or speed up the process of their production.

This makes fossil-fuels a finite source. On the other hand we can produce as much as

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crops we want that can be later used to extract biofuels. As long as we have the land to

grow our crops on, we will have the source for our fuel. Another thing is that biofuel

production does not depend on a single kind of plant. A number of different plants can be

used. Because the plants vary, the soil and climate required also varies which enables

more countries to grow these crops regardless of their climate or soil type. It is important

because with the climate changing and seasons shifting if a plant fails or goes extinct there

is always another option. Ranging from tropical sugarcane to the potato, the options are

numerous. The regions where fossil-fuel can be mined are definite but the plants can be

grown wherever wanted. But sustainability alone cannot prove biofuels is superior over

other fuels.

In order to determine if a good is cheap we must compare it with another one

because “cheap” is a relative concept. With the diminishing amounts of fossil fuels

consequently their prices inflated dramatically over last years. A barrel is now worth

$112.08(March, Monday 14 2011 - 08:14:49)(oil-prices.net) . Another economic problem

about the fuel being used right now is that most of the reserves are in specific parts in

world. It is a problem because any problem that happens near the reserves greatly affects

the prices and logistics. The best example takes place now with Arab countries revolting

and shows signs of change, the oil prices gone up as nearly as 4$. Problem does not end

here. Finding petrol, opening up wells and mines for coal and extracting petrol is an

expensive process which needs a lot investment and labor. The expenses continue to grow

as we continue to inspect the process. The oil should be carried a long way to reach its

consumers. Far and away the most oil importing country, US, number two Japan and the

Europe(Workman) is miles and miles away. Logistics become a great problem.

Ridiculously long pipelines were built in order to transport the fossil-fuels. These all

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together makes fossil-fuels an expensive way to feed our need. But when we look at the

biofuels, because we do not have to search and set-up an infrastructure to grow crops the

first investment is way lower than fossil fuels’. Even an ordinary backyard farmer can

grow the crops for biofuel and transform it into biofuel. So, all the expenses become

trimmed when using biofuels instead of fossil-fuels. It is not long before people can make

their own fuel, it is happening now.

Unfortunately, the best thing about biofuels is also the worst. It is loudly spoken

that the food shortage will arise due to biofuels being produced from plants which can also

be consumed as food by people and animals. Trying to feed our hunger for energy we will

left without food; our fields populated by the biofuel crops. With people dying of hunger

every day, it is looks cruel to fuel up a car with the lunch of an African child. The

concerns are acceptable to a certain extent; but this problem is nothing that could not be

dealt with. As everything the laws related to this new and revolutionary fuel technology

should be written and prosecuted very carefully. Plants should be primarily for and our

right to consume them should be guaranteed and protected by laws. It is sure that both

UN, EU and NGOs like Unicef, Greenpeace will fight and protect our rights to feed

ourselves.With right legalisation done and the limits of industrial farming drawn strictly,

biofuels would not effect the food stocks of the Earth. In contrast it can boost it by

encouraging more people farming.

Biofuels will also have some second-degree benefits. With more companies

invesing on R&D of biofuels; new agricultural technologies and technics would be

invented. It is important because in today’s world the importance attached to agriculture

has been decreasing expontianally since the Industrial Revolution. Biofuels will be the

“Industrial Revolution” of the agriculture and the sector will rise again. More people will

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be encouraged towards farming. The more technologies come to surface, the more

investment made on agriculture. Another reason to want agriculture to develop and earn

its past importance that it has great potential of employment. By its nature agriculture

needs unskilled labor more than other sectors, so there will be huge area of employment

which does not need any education. This can help poor and undeveloped countries to get

their people working. Biofuels also can elevate these undeveloped countries’ economies,

because they have to start by farming since they have no money to open up factories.

Altough it could take more time to develop than other second degree benefits, the

automobile sector will be investing huge amounts of money on developing biofuel

powered cars. This turns out to be as R&D jobs in developed countries like Japan and

USA. Eventually developed or undeveloped; poor or rich every country will have a piece

of this biofuel cake.

One of the major points is poluution, which should be heavily contreated on.

Humanity is consuming,traveling and producing more than ever. Every bit of product we

produce and consume have a negative effect of polluıtion. Fuel consumption is one of this

consumptions, maybe the most harmful to the nature we live in. Mankind’s greed has

already inflicted far more damage to nature than it should. The harmful carcinogen

substances in metropolitans are reaching dangerous levels for human health. The primary

reason for this is our cars burning fuels. While these fuels are burning they produce green

house gases, which are carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide, as well as some other

harmful matters like sulfuric acids, carbonic acids, and nitric acids. These matters later

rain down as acid rains harming the living creatures, infertilizing the soil and deoxidizing

the water sources. So on the contrary to common knowledge our cars do not only pollute

the air but they also pollute air and water too. Since biofuels extracted from plants are not

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capable of disposing these kind of harmful matters which makes them more enviromental

friendly. Also the process of producing, processing and growing biofuels is a lot cleaner.

The plants does not pollute the enviroment at all plants even clean the air by sucking in the

CO2 that is produced by us and turning them into vital O2. So that biofuels will not only

pollute the air less but consequently cleans it.

To sum up and sumarise, it is true that biofuels might cause some problems on

humanity but when the benefits it will bring to our world these problems can be neglected.

With proper laws and regulation, biofuels can be the soultion to World’s fuel problem. It

is sustainable, cheap and clean unlike fossil based fuels. Scientists at EU should not

abondon their hope and try to replace their idea and determination about biofuels instead

they should embrace it and try to make it better. It won’t be easy for us , the consumers, to

get used to idea about changing our fuels all together and it will take a long time before

biofuels can be the primary resource for energy and erase fossil-fuels from earth; but all

long journeys start with a footstep. The sooner we start this journey, the better it is for us

and the World we live in.

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WORKS CITED

-Crude Oil and Commodity Prices. Retrieved February 28 2011. http://www.oil-price.net/

-Green,N. et al. (2004) How Biofuels Can Help End America’s Oil Dependence. NRDC.

Retrieved, 25 February 2011. From www.nrdc.org/air/energy/biofuels/biofuels.pdf

-Monbiot, G. (2004). Feeding Cars, Not People. Retrieved, February 27 2011 from
http://www.monbiot.com/2004/11/23/feeding-cars-not-people/

-Workman, D. (2008). Top Black Gold Importers Feel the Pain from Soaring Fuel Prices.
Retreived, February 25 2011, from http://www.suite101.com/content/countries-dependent-
on-oil-imports-a52815