Are Biofuels Actually Better Than Petrol?

Petrol is bad. Biofuels are good. Right? Maybe not. It might not be that straightforward, according to an intriguing new study. The so called ‘green biofuels’ might actually be as damaging, if not more damaging than petrol in the way they produce fuel. So why is this, and how have we only just found out? Keep reading for a summary of the findings.

Controversial

Biofuels are basically fuel produced from plants, or waste, known as biomass. The biomass can be burnt to produce energy, but can also be treated to produce liquid and gaseous biofuels. In some cases, it can even take in emissions, such as carbon, during growth. Because of this organic and renewable production, it’s thought to be a very positive alternative to fossil fuels.

This alternative sources makes up around 3 percent of the global energy supply. The production is already subject to some controversy, though. It is essentially using food crops for energy. What’s more, the space used to create biomass is space that could otherwise be dedicated to food production. Some groups are critical of the waste when there are worldwide hunger issues.

Better or worse?

Despite biofuels being seen as the ‘green’ alternative, they might not be so great. The new research, carried out by the University of Michigan, suggests that the crops used for the likes of ethanol and biodiesel are not carbon neutral, as was previously thought. Their findings demonstrate that the carbon uptake of the crops doesn’t cancel out the emissions from burning biofuel. It only offsets 37 percent of the emissions, in fact. Consequently, they suggest the uprise of biofuels has actually led to a greater contribution to global warming.

Some key figures seem to disagree with the findings, however. “Overwhelmingly, objective research demonstrates that biofuels are among the best tools we have to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and combat the effects of climate change,” states Emily Skor, CEO of Growth Energy. She suggests that the research is “bogus climate science from the oil industry” and is “just another desperate attempt to discredit the nation’s most successful clean energy programme”.

More than meets the eye

Biofuel is huge topic. Despite the concise summary above, there are a number of different aspects to consider. Is it effective? Is it environmentally friendly? Are certain biofuels more effective? And how can all of this be measured? All this and more is explored in ‘Biofuels and their Precursors – A Challenge for Common Elemental Analyzers’.