Essay on Biofuels

Biofuels can be in different states of matter: solid, liquid, or gaseous, but they are usually known for liquid or gaseous fuels that are used in transportation. Biofuels has different ways to be produces either from plant, or agricultural, commercial, domestic, and industrial wastes. Ethanol, biodiesel, and biomass-based diesel fuel can be examples of biofuels. They are made up of biomass materials, and they both represent the first generation of biofuel technology. Biomass is the plant or animal material that is used to produce fuel to produce electricity or heat. There are many different ways of producing biofuels, nevertheless, the most commonly used process is chemical reactions, fermentation, and the break down the starches, sugars, and other molecules in plants using heat. The new products that are created are then refined to produce a fuel that cars or other vehicles can use. These fuels are usually mixed with petroleum fuels, such as gasoline, diesel fuel, and heating oil. However, they can also be used without being mixed with anything. Using ethanol or biodiesel limit the use of gasoline and diesel fuel made from crude oil, which can lower the amount of crude oil imported from other countries.

Ethanol is a renewable alcohol fuel made by fermentation that is mostly from carbohydrates that are produced from the sugars that are found in grains such as corn, sorghum, and barley. There are also other sources, for instance Sugar cane, Sugar beets, Potato skins, Rice, Yard clippings, Tree bark, and switch grass. These sources all together are known to be called as “biomass”. Most of the fuel ethanol used around the world is purified from corn. Ethanol alcohol is an agent used for blending with gasoline to increase octane and cut down carbon monoxide and other factors that causes pollution.

Biomass-based diesel fuels are renewable diesels that are has the same chemical properties as petroleum diesel fuel, and it includes biodiesel and renewable diesel. These fuels are  called biomass-based diesel fuels because they are mostly produced for use in diesel engines(without the need to modify the engines), and they can also be used as heating fuels. They are made from biomass or materials that are produced from biomass, but the only thing they differ in is how they are produced and in their physical properties. 

Biodiesel, which is also often referred to as B100 in its pure unblended form, is a non-toxic renewable liquid fuel. It can be produced by combining both alcohol and renewable sources, such as new and used vegetable oils and animal fats, and recycled restaurant grease, together. Petroleum based diesel fuel can be replaced by Biodiesel. It can be used as a fuel for vehicles in its pure form, which is B100. However, it is commonly used in being added to diesel to lessen levels of particulates, carbon monoxide, and hydrocarbons from diesel-powered vehicles.However, Cellulosic biomass, which is any organic material that is always there on a renewable and regular bases, including agricultural crops and trees, wood including its wastes and remains, plants including the ones that grow in oceans and sea, grasses, remains of fibers, and animal wastes, public wastes, and other waste materials, is considered more beneficial.

The environment benefits from biofuels, however, they may have serious environmental disadvantages. It depends on how they are manufactured. As a renewable energy source, plant-based biofuels make a clear positive impact on global warming and climate change. However, the industrial production of agricultural biofuels can result in additional releases of greenhouse gases that may offset the benefits of using renewable fuel. These releases include carbon dioxide that is produced due to the burning of fossil fuels at the same time of the production process and nitrous oxide is released due to the soil that has been treated with nitrogen fertilizer. In this regard, cellulosic biomass is considered to be more beneficial. Another main factor in evaluating the advantages of biofuels is the land. The use of regular feedstock lands, such as corn and soybeans, as a primary component to produce biofuels of first-generation, sparked the “food versus fuel” debate. The economics of food prices and availability gets affected by the production of biofuel if the diverting lands that are suitable for growing crops and feedstock from the human food chain are used to produce it. In addition, energy crops grown for biofuel can compete for the world’s natural habitats. For instance, when ethanol that comes from corn made, it shifts grass lands and brush lands to corn monocultures, and ancient tropical forests is brought down by biodiesel to make a way to plant oil palms. Loss of natural habitat can change hydrology, increase erosion, and generally reduce the biodiversity of wildlife areas.it can also result in the sudden release of a large amount of carbon dioxide as the plant matter that it contains is burned or allowed to decay.

Bioenergy is a form of renewable organic energy which absorbs the sunlight and saves it in form of chemical energy.  It is used to help us to reach our need for energy.  It can come from biomass, which, as we stated before , can be used to produce transportation fuels, heat, electricity, and products. Bioenergy can lead to a safer and sustainable future. It can also benefit the economy as it supplies local clean energy sources, reduces the need for imported oil, and generates new jobs for unemployed people.

Bioenergy environmental benefits depend on whether feedstock and energy crops’ wastes are being used or not. It is considered eco-friendly and benefits the environment because it releases an amount of carbon that is similar to the amount of carbon that the organic matter used to produce it absorbed while it grew so it balances the carbon of the atmosphere. However, the population’s health is harmed by the continued use of fossil fuels can lead to serious environmental issues by releasing greenhouse gases that cause global warming or by releasing dangerous chemicals. Moreover, when fossil fuels are burnt they release carbon dioxide that has been locked away for many years. This breaks the carbon balance in the atmosphere like it in it.

Bioenergy is so important as it has the ability to produce energy through resources such as plants.it also lessens the import for sources of energy. It also has likely to reduce the release of harmful gases associated with global warming and climate change of greenhouse. The use of forests and farms in bioenergy helps get rid of the harmful release of carbon dioxide and achieve a balance.

Nevertheless, bioenergy can not replace fossil fuels now as The process is too expensive and needs many resources to be applied in most areas. Bioenergy needs a significant amount of water and large lands so that it can be successful, and this is difficult to sustain in many countries. Moreover, agricultural resources that are used to produce crops related to bioenergy can limit the resources used for producing food.