Elise RocheNovember 3rd 2009

BIOFUELS

Searching for Transportation

Energy

Global and U.S. Consumption• Fossil fuels used for transport: worldwide 96% (Sierraclub), U.S. 70% (projected increase of 30% by 2030) (Helm 1990/BRDB 2008)

• U.S. consumes 141,500,000,000 gallons/year (Akinci 2008)

o Automobiles, buses, planes, barges

•Fossil fuel use has significant affects on our global climate

Transportation (red) is the leading source of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere producing about 6000 million metric tons.

Energy Information Agency 2009

The Big Picture

Passenger cars account for more than one-third of green house gas emissions related to transportation.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 2002

Green House Gas Emissions

Big Impacts

• Habitat Degradationo Drilling for fuelo Loss of biodiversityo Ecosystem services

• Pollutiono Vehicle emissionso Acid rain

o Ocean acidificationo Coral bleaching

o Oil spillshttp://dsc.discovery.com/games-quizzes/acid-rain-quiz/

Ethanol o 1st generation biofuelo Big playero Made from food crops

(corn, sugarcane, rice, potato, wheat, etc.)

o Fermentation processo Reduces dependency on fossil

fuelso Necessary for the reduction of

GHG

Biofuel Background

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/09/17/2366645.htm

http://www.randallcounty.org/extension/corn.htm

Conservation vs. Renewable Energy

Do we protect our air, water, and biodiversity whiledepleting our fossil fuel reserves?

ORMaking an alternative fuel?

Stakeholders Promoting Ethanol

• Governmento AEI plan 2007 (BRDB2008)

o Lower GHG emissions by 1.6% (Akinci 2008)

o Decrease dependency on oil• Farmers and Distribution Companieso Considerable profitso Renewable

• Automobile Makerso Profits

http://greenermagazine.blogspot.com/2006/07/corn-ethanol-super-fuel-or-hype.html

• UNICEF and National Anti-Hunger Organizationso Use of food cropso Increased cost of ethanol•National Resources Defense Councilo Biodiversity•Energy Justice Networko Pollutiono GHG emissions• OPECo Loss of profit

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3461/3379666736_e7e5881ff1.jpg

Stakeholders Against Ethanol

Acreage of all harvested cropland in 2007. Dark green areas indicate 75% or more while uncolored area indicate less than

5%. National Agricultural Statistics 2007

Acres of Total Cropland

ENTIRE Conservation

Reserve Program land (36 million

acres) for ethanol production

= 16.9% U.S.

gasoline consumption

(23,900,000,000 gallons)

(Akinci 2008)

Alternative to the AlternativeCellulosic Crops

• Low Input High Diversity • Agriculturally abandoned nitrogen-poor sandy soil• 51% more usable energy per ha than corn ethanol• 16-species plot = 238% more bioenergy than monoculture• Use entire plant (vs. just using seeds) (Tilman 2006)

CARBON NEGATIVE!

http://global-warming.accuweather.com/2007/03/another_source_for_biomass_fue.html

• Valiant attempt to curtail GHG emissions (not good enough)• Use less of everything • Combine efforts with biofuels o corn, cellulose, biodiesel

In short EFFICIENCY

What Do I Think?

Literature CitedAkinci, B. 2008. The role of bio-fuels in satisfying US transportation fuel demands. Energy Policy. 36: 3485– 3491.

Biofuels in the U.S. Transportation Sector. Energy Information Administration, Washington, D.C. Available from http://www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/analysispaper/biomass.html (accessed October 2009).

Conti, J. 2009. U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions in the Transportation Sector. Energy Information Administration. United States Securities and Exchange Commission.

Helm, J. 1990. Energy: Production, Consumption, and Consequences. National Academy Press. Washington, D.C.

Tilman, D. 2006. Carbon-Negative Biofuels from Low-Input High-Diversity Grassland Biomass. Science. 314: 1598-1600.