How environmentally friendly is bio fuel?

Question

If the Indonesian Rainforests are being cut down to make way for the production of corn for bio fuels, and the burning off of stubble is throwing more CO2 into the atmosphere in one day than the UK throw up in a year, then what contribution are bio fuels making to saving the World from global warming?

Answer 1

All bio-fuels are CO2 neutral and most of them can be processed using solar power or biomass power.  With the correct, efficient methods they produce more energy as usable fuel than it takes to grow and process them.  Bio-fuels are to supplement oil-based fuels, not to entirely replace them.

All CO2 from burning plant material was taken from the air by the plants and will be taken out of the air by the new crop of fuel plants.  No, corn is not the best plant for making bio-fuel.  The best plant has yet to be genetically engineered, of the ecology freaks will allow it to be made.

The extreme environmentalists want fewer people in the world, yet complain about bio-fuels. a renewable fuel source, causing starvation.  Name any method of producing large and reliable amounts of fuel or energy that is not opposed by some environmental group.  One answer is to live simpler, buy less, eat less, do less. If taken to the end of their "reasoning" the "environmentalists" would have everyone be vegetarian, use and eat no animal products, use no animal labour, have no fire because of CO2 and raise all their own food with stone tools. That would also solve the population problem with people encroaching on wildlife habitat.  Most people would starve!!!

Bio-fuels are to relieve the demand on oil and reduce its use a bit.  We cannot save the world from change, the climate will get warmer even if Man disappears and sometime it will get cooler and then warmer again.  Look at the temperature records for the Holocene, the last 10,500 years and define a "normal" temperature. For most of that time it was warmer than now.  Even in 800-1100 it was warmer and the Vikings could grow wheat in Greenland, still too cold there now.  What caused previous warmings and coolings? It certainly was not Man.  A consensus that the world was flat and that the sun and the planets and stars revolved around the earth was achieved by political power and burning at the stake.  The present consensus on GW is also achieved by political power and by destruction of livelihood [ending their employment, stopping research money].  Consider that there are opposing sides and that we cannot be sure yet who is right, despite numbers, since the GW side has used poor data, has changed data to fit their theory and has used questionable tactics to discredit those who disagree.  The same tactics are  used by the political Left that supports GW, when they try to discredit their political opposition.

Answer 2

corn oil it is cheat and you can do yourself

Answer 3

Those are pretty limited examples of biofuel.  Non corn biofuel is also derived from hemp, algae, canola (or vegetable) oil, manure, sugarcane, and switchgrass to name a very few.  Burning wood and manure also technically count as biofuels.

Any biomass that is grown as an agricultural product requires land, water, fertilizer, and eventually needs to be harvested.  This requires an input of energy; combines burn hydrocarbon fuels, land must be tilled, etc.  Yep, sometimes land comes from chopping down indigenous forest.  Development of biofuels too must be sustainable in order for it to be an environmentally sounds alternative to fossil fuels.  Manufacturing biofuels also requires energy.  How much energy is required really depends on your method, product and your biomass, so I won't dwell on this point any longer.

Fuels derived from waste products, like oil, manure (for methane), agricultural residues, etc. have less of a "carbon footprint" if you will than fuels that are derived from sources specifically grown for the purposes of making biofuels.  It's the general equivalent of the reduce, reuse, recycle concept.  This is big business for many, many people.

Most people will argue that it's a start.  To gain results, we must find a place to begin.  Biofuels aren't always the perfect answer to environmentally friendly alternatives to fossil fuels, especially if they're manufactured in the wrong ways.  But, the world requires energy.  Period.  We need to realize that and find sustainable energy sources.  The topic of biofuels is really a large one, and it's too late in the day for me to go on, so I'll just stop my answer here.

EDIT: To the answer below: I'd also like to point out that not all biofuels are manufactured to be combustion fuels.

Answer 4

bio fuels are very eco friendly if they created right. Corn is really not the best bio fuel out there. Studies are showing that mustard and just plain grass are the most eco friendly saving about 95% emissions from standard gasoline and petro diesel. So in all actuallity we could probably just save our lawn clippings and save the worlds environment. I myself am creating my own bio-diesel from plans using used canola, vegetable oils from chinese buffets and fast food places to create a much cleaner burner and more effecient fuel than any petro in the world. It is only costing me about $1.00 U.S. to produce. It is burning so clean after initial change over I can practically run with no fuel filter that's how clean it burns.

Answer 5

I recycle waste vegetable oil to make Bio-diesel. It is a simple process (once you have mastered the mixing).

By using 'Waste Veg Oil', ie. stuff that has already been used for food production, I am saving that oil from simply being dumped.

Indonesia have only one thing on their mind - Money!

Answer 6

None as it will produce the same CO2 for the same work done.

Answer 7

it is still based around combustion.

so therefor not envirnmentaly friendley at all.

walking is good for the environment

so is having less kids.

Answer 8

Bio-fuels made out of waste products such as used cooking oil seem a good idea but any large scale planting of bio-fuels will do damage and push up the price of food.

The real answer to global warming is to buy less stuff and to travel less by car and air.  Reduce, re-use and recycle.