Biofuels Are Not So Green

Did you know that biofuels are not actually eco-friendly? Since their discovery in the early 21st century, biofuels have been widely regarded as the means of saving the earth from environmental catastrophe due to harmful carbon emissions from fossil fuels. Research in 2001 and 2002 did show that biofuels were more green and efficient than fossil fuels. However, scientists then did not consider some crucial factors that would completely change our view of biofuels. Recent studies show that there are many disadvantages to using biofuels as alternative energy sources. Biofuels, once promising alternative energy sources, are not actually green. (Picture from Washington Post 2008)

To begin with, the production of biofuels causes enormous amounts of carbon dioxide to be released into the atmosphere. In the past, people thought that using biofuels released only a minute amount of carbon dioxide; indeed, burning biofuels emits eight times less carbon dioxide than burning regular fossil fuels. However, changing crops into energy sources yields a great deal of carbon dioxide. For example, forests are destroyed in order to create space for biofuel crops. This is unfortunate because forests play an important role in reducing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, absorbing forty percent of it. When forests are destroyed, carbon dioxide accumulates. Transporting biofuels across the globe produces a great deal of carbon dioxide as well. Moreover, during the refinement of biofuels, a large amount of carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere from the reaction created when oxygen is pumped into the liquefied crops. Thus, biofuels actually yield more carbon than conventional fossil fuels.

Second, producing biofuels causes deforestation, land degradation, and the destruction of the environment. The majority of people think that biofuels do not cause harm to the environment because they do not pollute the atmosphere or the oceans. Unfortunately, in order to produce biofuels, crops such as corn need to be grown. The amount of arable land on the planet is limited to approximately seven percent of the total surface area. Of this tiny amount of arable land, about half is already being utilized. Therefore, biofuel crops must be grown in the other half of the total arable land, most of which is located in large jungles and forests. When this occurs, deforestation is inevitable, even though it is quite hazardous to the organisms living in those areas and to the environment. Furthermore, soybeans are grown every year to replenish the nutrients of the land; if crops for biofuels replace those for soybeans, the land will be depleted and become barren. For this reason, those who want to cultivate biofuels tend to search mostly around the Amazon rainforest of Brazil. Therefore, biofuels can be partially blamed for deforestation and the destruction of the land and the environment.

Third, biofuels put an increasing strain on fresh water sources. A large amount of water is used in farming and irrigation. Just like other plants, biofuel crops require water to grow; it is crucial to their health. Biorefineries also need water. When biofuel crops are sent to refineries, the crops first have to be liquefied by pumping water into the spores of the stem. Hence, a large amount of water is used to produce a trivial amount of biofuel.

Fourth, the use of biofuels leads to the loss of biodiversity. In the past, most people believed that biofuels were not hazardous to any living organism because biofuels are essentially plants. However, excessive development for the cultivation of biofuel crops destroys natural habitats where many organisms live. For example, let us assume that the entire Amazon rainforest was cleared for biofuel crops. This would cause a catastrophic imbalance of biodiversity in the region because nearly twenty-six million exotic species would be wiped out, just for the sake of two or three species of crops for biofuels.

Finally, during the refinement of biofuels, a chemical compound called aldehyde is created. This compound is usually found in car exhaust, paint chemicals, cigar remnants, and construction materials. Not only is this chemical extremely flammable, but it also causes many serious health problems. For example, formaldehyde, part of the aldehyde group, causes headaches, skin disorders, and sick house syndrome. Sick house syndrome occurs when a person first arrives in a new building and inhales the formaldehyde from the wallpaper and other construction materials. This syndrome can develop into lung disorders, heart disease, and even cancer. Aldehyde, produced in the refinement of biofuels, may kill humans and animals.

In conclusion, biofuels are not green but quite dangerous. The production of biofuels emits large amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, causes deforestation and land degradation, uses an enormous amount of water, leads to the loss of biodiversity, and produces aldehyde, an extremely harmful chemical compound. Therefore, biofuels as alternative energy is not as positive a solution as we have expected. By Y.J.Kim