Advantages and Disadvantages of Biofuels

Created by: Sanah27
Created on: 20-05-15 20:26


	Advantages and Disadvantages of Biofuels
	Advantages Biofuels have the potential to be significantly less expensive than gasoline and other fossil fuels. This is particularly true as worldwide demand for oil increases, oil supplies dwindle, and more sources of biofuels become apparent. Whereas oil is a limited resource that comes from specific materials, biofuels can be manufactured from a wide range of materials including crop waste, manure, and other byproducts. This makes it an efficient step in recycling. It takes a very long time for fossil fuels to be produced, but biofuels are much more easily renewable as new crops are grown and waste material is collected. Biofuels can be produced locally, which decreases the nation's dependence upon foreign energy. By reducing dependence on foreign fuel sources, countries can protect the integrity of their energy resources and make them safe from outside influences. Because biofuels are produced locally, biofuel manufacturing plants can employ hundreds or thousands of workers, creating new jobs in rural areas. Biofuel production will also increase the demand for suitable biofuel crops, providing economic stimulation to the agriculture industry. When biofuels are burned, they produce significantly less carbon output and fewer toxins, making them a safer alternative to preserve atmospheric quality and lower air pollution.	Disadvantages Biofuels have a lower energy output than traditional fuels and therefore require greater quantities to be consumed in order to produce the same energy level. This has led some noted energy analyststo believe that biofuels are not worth the work. Several studies have been conducted to analyze the carbon footprint of biofuels, and while they may be cleaner to burn, there are strong indications that the process to produce the fuel - including the machinery necessary to cultivate the crops and the plants to produce the fuel - has hefty carbon emissions. To refine biofuels to more efficient energy outputs, and to build the necessary manufacturing plants to increase biofuel quantities, a high initial investment is often required. As demand for food crops such as corn grows for biofuel production, it could also raise prices for necessary staple food crops. There is concern that using valuable cropland to grow fuel crops could have an impact on the cost of food and could possibly lead to food shortages. Massive quantities of water are required for proper irrigation of biofuel crops as well as to manufacture the fuel, which could strain local and regional water resources.
	Evaluation Biofuels are not a silver bullet for the energy problems of the world. To solve the issue of dwindling fossil fuel reserves, all viable means of harvesting energy should be pursued to their fullest. However, the fact remains that biofuels are a reliable alternative energy resource. With more development and research, it is possible to overcome the disadvantages of biofuels and make them suitable for widespread consumer use. When the technology is available, many of the disadvantages will be minimized and the market very clearly has potential. Much of this could rely on the ability of energy producers to discover better plants to raise for fuel that use less water, less land, and grows quickly.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Biofuels

Advantages

Biofuels have the potential to be significantly less expensive than gasoline and other fossil fuels. This is particularly true as worldwide demand for oil increases, oil supplies dwindle, and more sources of biofuels become apparent.
Whereas oil is a limited resource that comes from specific materials, biofuels can be manufactured from a wide range of materials including crop waste, manure, and other byproducts. This makes it an efficient step in recycling.
It takes a very long time for fossil fuels to be produced, but biofuels are much more easily renewable as new crops are grown and waste material is collected.
Biofuels can be produced locally, which decreases the nation's dependence upon foreign energy. By reducing dependence on foreign fuel sources, countries can protect the integrity of their energy resources and make them safe from outside influences.
Because biofuels are produced locally, biofuel manufacturing plants can employ hundreds or thousands of workers, creating new jobs in rural areas. Biofuel production will also increase the demand for suitable biofuel crops, providing economic stimulation to the agriculture industry.
When biofuels are burned, they produce significantly less carbon output and fewer toxins, making them a safer alternative to preserve atmospheric quality and lower air pollution.

Disadvantages

Biofuels have a lower energy output than traditional fuels and therefore require greater quantities to be consumed in order to produce the same energy level. This has led some noted energy analyststo believe that biofuels are not worth the work.
Several studies have been conducted to analyze the carbon footprint of biofuels, and while they may be cleaner to burn, there are strong indications that the process to produce the fuel - including the machinery necessary to cultivate the crops and the plants to produce the fuel - has hefty carbon emissions.
To refine biofuels to more efficient energy outputs, and to build the necessary manufacturing plants to increase biofuel quantities, a high initial investment is often required.
As demand for food crops such as corn grows for biofuel production, it could also raise prices for necessary staple food crops.
There is concern that using valuable cropland to grow fuel crops could have an impact on the cost of food and could possibly lead to food shortages.
Massive quantities of water are required for proper irrigation of biofuel crops as well as to manufacture the fuel, which could strain local and regional water resources.

Evaluation

Biofuels are not a silver bullet for the energy problems of the world. To solve the issue of dwindling fossil fuel reserves, all viable means of harvesting energy should be pursued to their fullest. However, the fact remains that biofuels are a reliable alternative energy resource. With more development and research, it is possible to overcome the disadvantages of biofuels and make them suitable for widespread consumer use. When the technology is available, many of the disadvantages will be minimized and the market very clearly has potential. Much of this could rely on the ability of energy producers to discover better plants to raise for fuel that use less water, less land, and grows quickly.

Get Revising

Advantages and Disadvantages of Biofuels