Is Biofuels our future?

                                                                                                          source: NSW office of biofuels

Today there has been much hype on the topic of biofuels. For some it’s an opportunity for new business, creating new innovation or more income through increased agricultural activity. Many governments recognise biofuel as “sustainable energy source” versus some as a way to move away from                                                
dependency on oil reach countries. Fossil fuel creates so much of carbon dioxide and pollutes our air and affects human’s livelihood. It has been well recognised that fossil fuel are harming our environment and needs to be replaced. At the same time fossil fuels are non-renewable resources which have a limit and humans are not far from reaching out those limits.

Biofuel is considered as a substitute of fossil fuel and largely involved in producing ethanol from various plants. Currently biofuel is produced from corn, soybean, rapeseed, oil palm and sugarcane. Many biofuel producers are demanding more and more of these plants for their production. Biofuel is not something new or invented in last few years. In-fact biofuel has been used by many generations for their fuel needs; for example in past or even today many poor people use plant based fuel for cooking and lighting lamp at night. Coconut oil is a good example of this. Continuously increasing demand of biofuel due to its renewable nature and recognition of alternative to fossil fuel has put pressure on farmers to produce more. It is possible that more of these plants will be diverted to producing ethanol instead of sending it for food consumption. Data shows that around 40% of the earth’s land has been converted for the purpose of agriculture. In 1960 world population was around 3 billion and in 2012 it has reached 7 billion. Humans have increased production of crops through industrialisation and use of various chemical fertilisers. We have cultivated more land in last 50years to feed the world yet today in the world there are around 800 to 900 million people are starving and going to bed without food and we are promoting to divert possible food stock to produce fuel so that we can drive our cars.

Increasing demand of biofuels will shoot up food prices and it may mean that those living under poverty lines have no or very less access to basic food items. To solve one problem of climate change we are inviting many other problems associated with the production of biofuel. Some of the corn production and its prices have already gone up in US. Products made out of corn have witnessed price increase in last decade. In 2006 the department of agriculture in US made statement that the world grain consumption will increase by 20 million tons. Out of 20 million around 14 million will be used for biofuel and only 6 million will be left for food consumption. AsiaSentinel reported on 14^th Dec 2006 that Malaysia and Indonesia will allocate 40% of combined annual palm oil yield for biodiesel production. This decision would have tremendous pressure on basic items made up of palm oil. Indonesia has the 2^nd highest rate of deforestation in the world. Clearing forest for palm oil plantation is the leading cause of deforestation.

It is very unfortunate that we have ignored the impact of biofuel in the hope of finding alternative solution of fossil fuel. Deforestation will accelerate, and food prices will increase, less feedstock for animal and all of these will contribute to climate change. After all it does not stop usage of fossil fuel since it is heavily used in order to produce biofuel. Currently majority of plants use fossil fuel to produce biofuel. Their plants, machinery, logistics, transport and many other surrounding supports uses huge amount of fossil fuel.

Time is very crucial and the effect of biofuel may be reversible in next 10 to 20years from now on. The world really needs to demand strict international policies in order to provide sustainable solution instead of just an alternate solution. One of the sustainable solutions that are available today is through capturing of CO2 and harvesting algae. Algae produced from CO2 can be used for biofuel or spirulina. The leftover from algae biofuel production can be used as a feedstock for animals. I hope that the government and other international organisations support the sustainable solutions rather than quick fixes.