Is Biofuel the Answer to Our Nation's Energy Problem?

Biomass & Biofuel currently represents 2.9% of the US energy consumption. This figure is expected to rise as more and more companies are researching and developing better biofuel/biomass technologies.

Bio-fuels are fuels that are created when biological matter decomposes. The bio-fuels are mostly derived from plants. Bio-fuels exist in all the three states of matter: solid, liquid, and gas.

How are bio-fuels better than fossil fuels

Bio-fuels are better than fossil fuels in the following ways:

  • Bio-fuels can be produced very fast, within a few days whereas Fossil fuels take a million years to build.
  • Bio-fuels are safer and cleaner. Fossil fuels, on the other hand, produce huge amounts of pollution and toxins.
  • Bio-fuels are renewable sources of energy unlike fossil fuels.

What are the Different types of Bio-fuels?

There are 4 types of Bio-fuels: first generation, second generation, third generation, and fourth generation.

The first generation bio-fuels are made from vegetable fats, starch, and sugar, which are in turn derived from food-crops such as corn. The first generation fuels are also derived from animal fats. Biogas, bio-diesel, and vegetable oil are some examples of this type of bio-fuels.

The second generation of bio-fuels is mainly derived from waste biomass, thus making it a more balanced option compared to the first-generation bio-fuels. Different kinds of alcohols and diesel generated from wood fall into this category.

The third generation comprises of bio-fuels derived from algae. These Algae are grown in large scale farms for creating these bio-fuels. The algae fuels are extremely environment-friendly as they can easily decompose into the soil without harming it.

Finally, the bio-fuels in the fourth generation are produced by a method in which micro-organisms are raised to work along carbon dioxide to generate fuel.

There are advantages to using biofuel. However, biofuels recently have gotten some criticisms from the international community due to the following reasons:

  • Producing Biofuels take away food crops that could have been used for human consumption otherwise. This raises the question of whether fuel is more important than feeding humans.
  • Producing Biofuels requires large areas of farming land, thus encroaching upon the natural habitat of plants and animals.

Is Biofuel the Long Term Energy Solution

While biofuel represents an intriguing alternative energy solution, I do not think it is a good long term solution to our energy problem. Solar energy from the the sun is still the most abundant and cleanest form of energy. As such, it is important to continue to research and develop more efficient and lower cost solar technologies.