Why do many considers biofuel as a good alternative while it causes more pollution in the environment?

Question

why do many were amazed that biofuel is the best way to solve pollution? many claims that it is environment friendly but it just make things worst. food shortages occur because of conversion of lands and farms to the biofuel industry. most biofuels causes pollution so it is not really environment friendly. still, many considers it good for the environment. biofuel is just making a scam. i have read an article about this issue and you may want to have a look

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1725975,00.html

any opinions?

Answer 1

I thought biofuels were a good alternative to oil because it's a renewable source of energy. And doesn't it do less damage in terms of impurities, eg NOx gases and S02?

Surely some of the CO2 released when it is combusted is countered by the CO2 the plants convert into Oxygen as their growing.

Also if you're using biofuels in cars more oil is about for synthesising all the other stuff we get from crude oil like chemicals, and they don't end up get really expensive.

Theres pros and cons to everything. sometimes you just have to settle with the best alternative

Answer 2

It basically comes down to a lack of reliable information and listening to the mainstream media.

Once people are educated that biofuel actually uses the same amount of oil in the production of it (from fertilizing, pesticide sprays and manufacturing of corn) most people give it up.

It's important not to assume people are stupid just because they are ignorant of a certain peice of information. Just keep spreading the truth and it will catch on.

Biofuel is just the buzzword of the moment, in a last ditch attempt to maintain the lifestyle we currently have. At some point it will be obvious to everyone that ourl ifestyle, not our fuel source will have to change.

Peace,

~ T

Answer 3

Maybe the reason to promote Biofuels is because it reduces our demand for foriegn oil, and it is renewable?  I understand some countries in South America produce a large portion of their fuel from crops.

If our "Environmentalists" had not killed our Nuclear Power industry, we wouldn't be in this fix now. Thanks a lot!

Answer 4

no, its not a scam, although some biofuels use more energy than they produce. Your right though in that food into fuel is not only environmentally wacko, it is probably immoral. As far as causing pollution, you will have to spell that out a little more. Yes, they do release carbon, but it is the same carbon they pulled out of the air...ie carbon neutral.

Answer 5

Because biofuels aren't a serious threat to the oil industry, and use the same cars so they don't threaten big auto.  And consumers can have the 'good feeling' about doing something, even if it amounts to the same amount of pollution (or more, depending on how you look at any particular biofuel).

People are gullible - if they hear that biofuel is good for the environment, eventually they believe it.  Repeated lies become truth.

Exchanging food crops for transportation fuel so people can commute an hour or so to work doesn't make sense.

Answer 6

Stupidity.

These are the same jokers who gave us MBTE.

These are the same kids yelling on and on about Global Warming.

These are the same monkeys that are voting for Obama.

See the pattern?

Answer 7

It doesn't cause more pollution. Remember, the CO2 released by biofuels were in the air a year ago. CO2 released from fossil fuels has been sequestered for millions of years. THAT's the dangerous stuff. And so long as gov't pays farmers NOT to plant crops, your food shortage bs is just that. BS.

Answer 8

It's possible that the initial enthusiasm about small scale biofuel production, has caused people to overlook some of the problems associated with large scale commercial biofuel production.

The time magazine article mentioned by "pao d", draws an important distinction between biofuel sources. Crops that displace forests and other superior "carbon sinks", are considered bad for the environment.

But biofuels made from, "municipal trash, agricultural waste, algae and even carbon dioxide...", or grown on land that cannot be used for food crops, could have some benefit. However, these sources are not yet economically viable.

Some crops can provide more fuel on smaller tracts of land. Sugarcane was mentioned as a more efficient fuel source per acre, than corn.

Increased demand for biofuels has also increased the value of grain on the commodities exchange, making food unaffordable for many people.

It seems that large scale biofuel production as it is currently done, could be more detrimental to the environment, and human life, than using fossil fuels.

Answer 9

um, hello, plants get energy from the sun! If biofuel uses more energy than it produces, you're doing it wrong!

Answer 10

Because Big Corn loves it. The biofuel initiative signed by Bush had nothing to do with environmentalism of energy independence, it was just a big gift to the agro industry. For normal folks, having the word bio in there along with the fact that it comes from corn gives them a warm fuzzy feeling.

Answer 11

there are gives and takes in all things.  Sure, its probably a bad idea to burn down vigin rainforests to grow palm trees to harvest to make biodiesel.  On the other hand, if we could make it worthwhile to produce a crop on land that isnt good for anything else, or is growing- say, poppies or coca plants for drugs, and instead have the farmers grow a legal profitable crop that we could turn into fuel, then it may be a good idea.  Would you rather subsidize drug agents to fly over these countries and spread pesticides down on everything or give the farmers an alternative?  Many crops that are used to make ethanol, such as corn or sugar cane, could be used to make methanol instead from the waste after using the edible parts for human consumption.  With further research, improvements on efficiancy could be made, making the process better and better, cheaper and less polluting.

Answer 12

Because it takes 1.3 gallons of gasoline to make one gallon of bio fuel! So for every gallon of bio fuel that is produced you have shorted the nation by one third! This is another proposal put forth by george and republican idiots! They are getting kick backs from the distillers so they support the subsidies for each of them. If these subsidies were to be removed every one of them would change formulation and go back to petroleum once more!