biofuels suck

Turbocharged400sbc

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Jun 16, 2007
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Biofuels May Be Worse For The Environment Than Fossil Fuels

The European Union's Parliament has taken a step back on biofuels, revising its renewable energy goals to limit biofuel production to 6%, with a goal of 2.5%. This is a big reversal from previous goals, which had a much greater focus on biofuels.P

The reason for the change is that more research has revealed that biofuel production is actually turning out to have a worse carbon footprint than conventional fossil fuels, as the farming releases more carbon into the atmosphere and the increased need for cropland is destroying forests, which scrub the air much better than agricultural crops.P

Nusa Urbancic, of the Transport and Environment NGO, refers to the EU's commitment to biofuels until 2020 like this:p

“What is certain though is that Europeans will have to keep paying for another seven years for biofuels that pollute more than the fossil fuels they are supposed to replace.”P
So that's not so great. The US, though having less specific goals of biofuel usage, should probably pay attention to what's going on in Europe. Biofuel production is also increasing the cost of food, which isn't unexpected, and the biofuel growing boom is also causing sub-par farmland to be pushed into service at rates not seen since the Dust Bowl.P

The idea of being able to grow fuel sure sounded great, so it's a shame the reality hasn't yet lived up to the dream.P

L
 

rocket5979

Gearhead
Nov 15, 2005
6,576
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Round Lake, IL
going by this article its not the fuel itself its the manufacturing of the fuel that create more emission. hydrogen has the same problem. but the biodiesel is sourced from waste material. so does this mean its excluded?



You are correct in saying that the cause of the enlarged carbon footprint isn't a direct result of the biofuel itself, but rather the carbon footprint caused by the machinery that has to be ran in order to produce said biofuel. In and of itself, biofuel has less carbon footprint than normal fossil fuel.

I would assume that as long as the components gathered for biodiesel were rounded up and modified into the fuel in a carbon-friendly way that it would indeed be excluded. Most home biodiesel makers probably fall into this category, but then again, I am not 100% familiar with the process of home biodiesel fuel making, and do not know what carbon emissions are given off during the home manufacture of it. Either way, I doubt there will be any sort of appreciable carbon footprint caused.
 

sickmint79

I Drink Your Milkshake
Mar 2, 2008
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much more cropland need be used, can increase the price of food for people who can't afford it, takes tons of energy to make generally not very energy dense fuel (corn based ethanol in the US one of the worst sources of it) - takes a ton of water too.

vegetarians kill more (forest) animals by eating more vegetables too, assholes
 

BlizzardTC

its dark and i hear laughing
Aug 22, 2010
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Matteson
You are correct in saying that the cause of the enlarged carbon footprint isn't a direct result of the biofuel itself, but rather the carbon footprint caused by the machinery that has to be ran in order to produce said biofuel. In and of itself, biofuel has less carbon footprint than normal fossil fuel.

I would assume that as long as the components gathered for biodiesel were rounded up and modified into the fuel in a carbon-friendly way that it would indeed be excluded. Most home biodiesel makers probably fall into this category, but then again, I am not 100% familiar with the process of home biodiesel fuel making, and do not know what carbon emissions are given off during the home manufacture of it. Either way, I doubt there will be any sort of appreciable carbon footprint caused.

they did home biodiesel kit on the powerblock some years ago. pretty simple and cheap just time consuming.
 
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