Three Bright New Ideas in Biofuels, Solar and Wind Power

The cleantech industry is a constant source of new ideas, for generating energy and for saving it. Many (or most) of these ideas never go anywhere, though. I try to pick out the ones that seem most likely to succeed; the easiest way to do so is look out for new venture capital fundings and pilot projects.

January is proving an especially fertile month, at least for announcements. The three latest companies that look interesting are split across three sectors: FloDesign Wind makes a new type of wind turbine, Joule Biotechnologies is a biofuel startup, andSolar Fusion Power, as you will have guessed, generates solar power with an unusual design.

I’ve split the three up below to give more detail on each; if that’s not enough, the links in each section have even more.

FloDesign Wind
FloDesign hasn’t been in hiding; the company previously won a technology competition at theMassachusetts Institute of Technology for its alternate wind turbine design, which departs from the traditional “prop” design of a wind turbine with something that looks a lot more like a jet engine.

The short explanation of how it works is that air going through the turbine’s rotor and over its cowl joins to cause a “pulling” effect on the air behind it, spinning the blades more quickly than they would otherwise move. The resulting design is a bit odd-looking, as you can see at right, but the basic idea is well proven. Pop over to Youtube to watch FloDesign’s video on their technology.

But there are quite a few variations on the prop design, most of which turn out to be less practical based on factors like the amount of material or wind speed required for their use. How to pick through the pile? Unless you’re an expert in gas flow dynamics, it’s difficult to make objective measurements.

That’s a long-winded way of saying that FloDesign should get some attention, because some folks with fairly good judgment are busy throwing money its way. FloDesign won a $8.3 million grant from the the Department of Energy’s ARPA-E program, and more recently, announced a $34.5 million investment from Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, a Silicon Valley venture firm with a sterling reputation.

Joule Biotechnologies
This one won’t sound too odd at first. Joule plans on putting a microorganism in a pool with nutrients, focusing sunlight on it, and harvesting the resulting oil to use as fuel. Not much different from a greenhouse or plant solarium, right?

It is odd, though, in part because the microorganism isn’t one provided by nature; Joule says it’s a designer product. The sunlight it’s receiving is also more than the usual dosage, having been concentrated by the enclosing panels in each modular unit. Want more fuel? Just add more units.

Algal biofuel producers haven’t had much luck with enclosed systems; they tend to be too expensive. But if Joule can up the output of the system by concentrating sunlight, it might prove efficient enough to survive. It’s planning to build a pilot plant in Texas that will start operating within a few months.

Solar Fusion Power
It has nothing to do with actual fusion, but at least the name is catchy. Solar Fusion Power is a variation, several steps removed, on the now-familiar concept of solar thermal energy, which focuses sunlight with mirrors onto enclosed water, which boils and drives a generator.

One of the advantages of solar thermal, beyond its low cost per watt of energy produced, is the simplicity of most systems. That could be the point on which Solar Fusion falls short. The company’s design centers around a “flower” with mirrored petals. The petals bounce sunlight up onto a central lens. This is not small, delicate machine, by the way; a single unit would cover 50 square meters.

After this double-bounce, the sunlight enters an enclosed chamber full of (extremely hot) liquid calcium. The light raises the temperature enough that the calcium can fuse with a stream of hydrogen, which produces energy. Later, the calcium will let go of the hydrogen molecule, producing more energy and allowing the reaction to be repeated. The result: 50 percent of the initial sunlight’s energy is captured, more than just about any solar system can use.

Still, to my ear, this all sounds a bit too convoluted to work well, or cheaply. But an Australian company called EMC Solar has invested, and the company plans to run a pilot project in Perth, so it’s worth keeping an eye on.

Source : http://bit.ly/8EgFLD

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How to go green : Top Public Transportation Tips

1. A (hu)man with a Plan
   If you’re not sure you can do the public transportation thing, start small with one a goal of taking public transportation at least one day a week until you figure out the system. Before you know it, you’ll be making friends and riding along with everyone else.
   
   
   
2. Come Fly With Me
   Try to reduce the number of plane trips you take and try not to use a plane for any trips under 1000km. Plane trips are way more environmentally destructive than automobile trips.
   
   
   
3. Get On the Bus
   Write to your city representatives to request that your community upgrade their diesel buses to fleets of LNG or biodiesel buses. This will reduce the CO2 emissions generated, reduce dependence on imported oil dependency, and in the case of biodiesel engines actually run cleaner and more efficient than petrochemical diesel.
   
   
   
4. Try the bus or train for longer trips
   Buses, trains, light rail and ferries generally have dedicated travel paths that are quicker than sitting alone in your car, which can cut down travel times.
   
   
   
5. Walk to school
   Most children live close enough to walk school, but few do. Instead of driving your children the few blocks, walk with them or allow them to take the school bus. Take it step further by helping organize a walking busfor other kids in your neighborhood.
   
   
   
6. Catch a taxi
   Really these are a form of public transport because you don’t own them, and when you don’t need the service they are made available for others to use. Look out for hybrid or pedi-cab taxis for an even greener option.
   
   
   
7. Telecommute
   Don’t drive to the office, or fly to that conference, if you can arrange to complete your work/presentation electronically, or via video conferencing. Video conferencing can reduce 99 percent of the energy used for a trans-continental flight.
   
   
   
8. Buy fare saver tickets
   Return, weekly/monthly, or off-peak bus/train tickets are often significantly cheaper than single ride tickets, which will encourage you to use said bus/train more often.
   
   
   
9. Plan your trip
   Obtain timetable and route-maps for your journey to know what to expect in advance. Many municipal public transport systems now have free online databases than will take your staring point and destination and calculate the fastest times and best route for your trip. This can take the uncertainty out of public transport travel.
   
   
   
10. Be a Change Agent
    If you don’t use public transport in your local area because the service doesn’t work for you, for whatever reason, then get it changed. Write letters to your city newspaper, comment on their online stories that address urban travel, join a public transport advocacy group, and meet with your local government representative. Things won’t change, until you inform people you want them to.

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Solar Water Heaters Mandatory in Hawaii

As of January 1, 2010, building permits on all single-family new home construction in Hawaii may not be issued for homes that do not include a solar water heating system. This legislation, SB644, was enacted in June of 2009; however, the state energy resources coordinator may be able to provide a variance for this requirement if:

• Installation is impracticable due to poor solar resource;

• Installation is cost-prohibitive based upon a life cycle cost-benefit analysis that incorporates the average residential utility bill and the cost of the new solar water heating system with a life cycle that does not exceed 15 years;

• A renewable energy technology system is substituted for use as the primary energy source for heating water; or

• A demand water heater device approved by UL is installed; provided that at least one other gas appliance is installed in the dwelling. (A "demand water heater" means a gas-tankless instantaneous water heater that provides hot water only as it is needed.)

While the legislation is already in effect, the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission must still adopt specifications for the required performance, materials, components, durability, longevity, proper sizing, installation and quality of solar water heaters.

Already, even before the impact of this new legislation is felt, there are over 65,000 solar water heaters in use in Hawaii today, including thousands on the Big Island. In fact, Hawaii ranks number one in the nation when it comes to using energy from the sun to heat water.

With an eye toward the future, Hawaii law makers understand that conventional water heaters are typically the largest electricity consumer in the average household, gobbling up nearly 40% of consumption. Hawaii's move to force solar heating is a big step for a state that relies heavily on imported fossil fuels for 90% of its supply. This bill has been a long time coming - when the legislation was first introduced five years ago, a barrel of oil cost just $40. Since then, the price has more than tripled.

Overall, solar water heating may save about $6 to $12 or more per person per month when replacing a standard electric resistance water heater. The savings, of course, will vary by household based in part on each person's hot water usage.

Using solar water heating can help keep electric rates down by also reducing electricity demand during the peak evening times from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. when people often use hot water for washing dishes, taking showers, and so forth. To meet this evening peak demand, less efficient electricity generation units must be brought on-line by the power companies. These less efficient units cost more to run and this increase in cost is passed on to consumers.

Not surprisingly, builders and developers were against the new bill, saying it would add too much to the cost of new home constructions. Another surprising opponent was the Hawaii Solar Energy Association. Ron Richmond, with the association, said in an interview with the Star Bulletin, the new legislation would cost home buyers about $2,100 more to have the solar water heaters installed. The average solar water heater, according to the article, currently costs about $5,250, before rebates.

The length of time required to recoup your original investment (payback) will vary widely and depend on whether the purchase is paid for outright or financed and how much energy (electricity, gas, etc.) is saved. Simple payback is the length of time required to recover your investment through reduced or avoided costs. You can expect a shorter payback in areas that have higher energy costs, where the family uses a moderate to large amount of hot water per person, and for homes with more occupants. Finance charges will also lengthen the payback period.

While this new program may make some new homeowners balk at first, there are additional benefits when the cost of a solar water heating system is included in the mortgage for a home purchase. The interest rates are usually lower than on a short-term loan. In addition, the small additional increase in the monthly mortgage payment may be more than made up for in reduced energy costs (electricity or gas).

In the short run, those purchasing new homes in Hawaii may feel a pinch in their wallet upfront in having to install a solar hot water heater; however, over a short period of time, these new homeowners will easily recoup their investment. And, more importantly, by diversifying the State of Hawaii's mix of energy resources by using more renewable energy, such as solar, helps to make Hawaii less dependent on non-renewable energy sources and, in my opinion, a Greener place to live.

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Using Simulated Distillation as Efficient Tool for Modeling Biofuels

Researchers at the University of Graz are proposing the use of simulated distillation (SimDis) as an efficient and effective method to classify biodiesel fuels regarding boiling characteristics and quality. SimDis is a gas chromatographic method widely used in petroleum industries to determine the distillation behavior of different petroleum products and to ensure fuel quality.

In a paper published online 30 December 2009 in the ACS journal Energy & Fuels, Christine Bachler, Sigurd Schober, and Martin Mittelbach show that SimDis can be used to characterize boiling behaviors of different kinds of biodiesel, with a good correlation between data obtained using SimDis and conventional distillation.

Applying the method to two different kinds of biodiesel and biodiesel blends in their study, they show that shorter chain fatty acid methyl esters—e.g., as can be found in coconut oil—can significantly change the distillation characteristic to a more favorable distillation curve, which resembles a fossil diesel fuels boiling behavior.

Biodiesel can differ in chemical composition, unlike fossil hydrocarbon fuels. The fatty acid composition of biodiesel affects critical parameters such as cetane number, cold flow properties, and oxidation stability as well as distillation characteristics.

It is already known that biodiesel basically consists of methyl esters of C₁₆ and C₁₈ fatty acids with similar boiling points. Biodiesel therefore exhibits a narrow boiling range around 350 °C with initial boiling points at 300 °C. In contrast, fossil diesel additionally contains lower boiling compounds, resulting in a steadily increasing boiling behavior starting at 200 °C.

Generally, high-boiling compounds are connected to engine deposits, increase of exhaust gases, and higher cetane numbers, whereas a high amount of volatile compounds can reduce the flash point of the fuel. Further, there is a need to ensure a certain boiling behavior of the diesel fuel due to engine operability, start of the motors, and in the stage of preheating. Recently, the distillation curve is also of main interest in development of diesel fuel surrogates to ensure good engine performance and minimization of pollutants.

—Bachler et al.

Current methods and other procedures based on classic physical distillation suffer from poor reproducibility and are time-consuming and laborious, the authors note. Using simulated distillation simplifies the procedure to obtain distillation characteristics of novel kinds of fuel—e.g., from algae oil or new species of oilseed—where sample amounts are small-sized and fast methods are of great importance.

As a consequence of the general trend to create lower-boiling fuels in order to reduce emissions, simulated distillation is an efficient tool for fuel modeling.

—Bachler et al.

In the study, the researchers used biodiesel produced from rapeseed oil (RME) and from coconut oil (CME)—which differ in their fatty acid composition—along with a petroleum diesel fuel from BP. Among their findings were:

• RME shows a narrow boiling range at temperatures around 350 °C due to the fact of rather high boiling point components, namely fatty acid methyl esters of chain length C₁₆ to C₁₈.

• Coconut oil contains fatty acids of lower boiling point and therefore CME shows a reduced boiling behavior. CME exhibits a distillation characteristic resembling a fossil diesel fuel boiling behavior.

• By mixing RME with CME or fossil diesel fuel, the boiling behavior can be changed, resulting in favorable steadily increasing distillation characteristics.

• The use of pure CME as fuel is not favorable in most European countries due to bad cold properties. However, by mixing CME with RME or diesel fuel the CFPP value can be decreased to adequate values even for moderate climates by maintaining a boiling behavior that still shows ideal characteristics. A certain amount of lower boiling point methyl esters therefore always needs to be selected by consideration of the resulting cold properties of the fuel.

• Fuel blends containing 10% CME seem to represent a good solution.

Further it could be shown that simulated distillation is a powerful tool in analysis, development, and of course in improvement of different kinds of fuels by using widely available laboratory equipment for reduced time and non-negligible potential for automation.

—Bachler et al.

Resources

• Christine Bachler, Sigurd Schober, and Martin Mittelbach (2009) Simulated Distillation for Biofuel Analysis. Energy Fuels doi: 10.1021/ef901295s

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Fuel change breakthrough: biodiesel-powered speedboat Earthrace, around world in 60 days, beats record set in 1998 by 14 days

Team Earthrace, led by New Zealand Skipper Pete Bethune, has smashed the world circumnavigation record for a speedboat by almost 14 days. Almost five years of preparation, planning and two record attempts have paid off leaving the bio-diesel powered Earthrace team to claim the round the world speedboat record.

Possibly the coolest powerboat on the planet, the space age, wave piercing trimaran Earthrace took bio-fuel into history as the 78 foot, (24 metre) boat crossed the 'Round the World' finish line in Sagunto, Spain. In just 60 days Earthrace has powered almost 24,000 nautical miles around the world. Earthrace left Spain on Sunday April 27th at 14:35 local time (1325 GMT) and headed west on the long voyage around the world. The previous record for a powerboat to circumnavigate the globe was 74 days 20 hours 58 minutes 30 seconds, set by the UK boat ‘Cable & Wireless Adventurer’ in 1998.

Flying both the New Zealand and Spanish flags Earthrace thundered across the finish line, powered by her twin 540 horse powered Cummins-Mercruiser engines, in front of a large spectator fleet and awaiting media at 14.24 CET (13.24 GMT). The finish in Spain by Earthrace was monitored by D. Jaime Pérez López, Presidente de la Federación Territorial Motonaútica de la Comunidad Valenciana.The new record is 13 days, 21 hours and 9 minutes inside the old one.

For the visionary skipper behind the Earthrace campaigns the last sixty days is just one step in a journey that has, so far, taken five years. In 2003 living in Sydney Australia, Aucklander Pete Bethune was working on his MBA when he wrote a 20,000 word paper on the use of renewable energy for road transport. Convinced by his research, he set out to prove that sustainable bio-fuels were a practical step in the replacement of hydrocarbon fuels.

‘Sustainability is the key. We cannot cut down rainforests to plant palm trees for palm oil that is not renewable at all. We will need new technology and ideas, such as using marine algae to convert the suns energy into bio-fuel, while making sure we use animal fats more efficiently. We need to grow plants like Jatropha in marginal agricultural areas, where they can be used for animal fodder, as well as having bio-fuel value.’

The determination and grit of the Earthrace team is ultimately what led to the taking of the round the world speedboat record. Skipper Pete Bethune was unwilling to hear the words 'delay' or 'precaution'. Bethune's tenacity to take the record infected the crew with a scene of 'must do, can do, and will do.’ It is this determination that drove the ground team to sleep two out of every twenty-four hours and remain focused during the delays, and lack of resources. Determination is direction to a point. In this case the point was completing the world's longest race. But was that the 'point' of Earthrace? Simply taking a record. A name, typed in small print, on page 74 of a yearly publication.

I have to ask myself what is the point? My wife and I donated almost a year of our life to the last race attempt and have steadily consulted through this attempt. We are just two of the many team members. Why the commitment of time and energy by such a wide array of marine technicians from around the world? What is the point?

The point is change. The Earthrace boat grabs one's attention, and the crew are treated as B grade celebrities. Being a minor grade celebrity has the advantage that people around the world are willing to listen to what we have to say, if only for a minute. Allow me to present a few examples.

Last year when Earthrace arrived in one Pacific island, we found a ship exporting 240 tons of coconut oil while a small tanker sat at the dock offloading fuel. In our couple of minutes of 'B grade' celebrity status the team was able to meet with the coconut exporter and ask 'Why not change that coconut oil into diesel fuel and sell it on the island?' This year when Earthrace returned that same island was using locally grown coconuts to power vehicles. A small change, but one that would not have happened if the Earthrace team had not been given the right ear, if only for a minute.

On another island an official explained how they were considering a new electrical generation plant. In our two minutes of fame the team was able to quote the advantages of wind, solar and minimizing consumption. We heard later that a wind plant was in the consideration phase. One Earthrace engineer was able to use his 'two minutes of fame' to make a presentation on a Caribbean island. That presentation has brought three businesses together who are preparing to collect forty thousand gallons a month of used deep fry oil to process into bio-diesel.

To me that was always the point of Earthrace - the ability to effect change. The ability to take a small stand to prevent forty thousand gallons of month of toxic waste from entering a land fill in exchange for producing forty thousand gallons a month more income to an island nation.

Positive change is not often seen on today's new reports. This is change that may not have happened if Skipper Pete Bethune had not laid his future on the line to build the first link of a chain that ends in a web of small events adding up to a slightly better world. This is the real long-term record that can be claimed by the team - the claim to a better future! Congratulations to the Earthrace team and its sponsors.

(unquote)

Photos courtesy of David Perez, Jim Burkett, Caroline Gautron1, and Earthrace Media

Original Source - Powerboat-World: Earthrace - a vehicle for fuel change andEarthrace - New Record Round the World in 60 days

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Geese point the way to saving jet fuel

Planes flying in V formation are more efficient and produce less carbon dioxide, say scientists

• Robin McKie, Science Editor
• The Observer, Sunday 27 December 2009
• larger | smaller

Scientists have proposed an unusual method for cutting aircraft fuel consumption – they want to fly jumbo jets in formation like geese.

The prospect of flotillas of airliners soaring across the sky in V-shaped flocks, like migrating birds, is startling. Nevertheless, research by aviation experts has shown that it could lead to major reductions in aircraft fuel consumption.

The work follows research carried out almost 100 years ago by a German researcher, Carl Wieselsberger. In 1914, he published a paper in which he calculated that birds flying in V-formations use less energy to flap their wings than those on solo flights. Birds in flocks can therefore fly for longer periods than those travelling on their own.

Wieselsberger showed that when a bird flaps its wings it creates a current known as upwash; essentially, air lifts up and rises round the tips of the wings as they flap. Other birds, flying in the first one's wake, experience an updraft, allowing them to fly further.

This idea is supported by observations by French scientists who studied great white pelicans trained to fly behind an aircraft. The team – from the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Villiers-en-Bois – strapped instruments and transmitters to individual birds. These revealed that the birds' heart rates went down when they were flying together, and also showed that they were able to glide more often when they flew in formation. "They fly in formation to save energy," said team leader Henri Weimerskirch.

Such experiments suggest that 25 large birds – such as pelicans or geese – flying in a V-shaped formation can travel 70% further than solo birds. Many of the great migratory journeys, some covering thousands of miles, made by birds would be impossible without the energy-saving effects of group flight, scientists say.

But aviation engineers have now taken these discoveries to their logical conclusion and have proposed that aircraft fly in V-shaped groups so they can benefit from similar energy-saving effects. This idea is the brainchild of researchers led by Professor Ilan Kroo, of Stanford University, California, who say airlines could make substantial cuts in the amount of aviation fuel they use.

In one calculation, the team envisaged three passenger jets leaving Los Angeles, Las Vegas and San Francisco airports en route to the east coast of the US. In the hypothetical exercise, the planes rendezvoused over Utah, then continued their journeys travelling in a V, with planes taking turns to lead the formation. The group found that the aircraft used 15% less fuel and produced less carbon dioxide when flying in formation compared with solo performances.

Such an approach could make significant inroads into the amount of carbon dioxide that is pumped into the atmosphere by planes. The aviation industry is expected to become a major emitter of greenhouse gases over the next two decades, and airline chiefs are desperately looking for ways to cut fuel consumption. Formation flights could be the answer, says Kroo and his team.

However, critics have pointed to problems. Safety could be compromised by craft flying in tight formation, while co-ordinating departure times and schedules could become a major headache. Kroo and his team say such difficulties can be overcome by more detailed work on their scheme.

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BioFuels Everything You Need to Know

As more environmentally conscious drivers search for ways to reduce their carbon dioxide emissions and therefore reduce their negative impact on the environment, many are considering biofuel. However, what is biofuel and can it be used in any vehicle? Do biofuels really boost the environment and save you money, or are there negative effects too? This guide to biofuel will examine the pros and cons to help you make an informed choice. What is biofuel? Broadly speaking, biofuel refers to any solid, liquid or gas fuel that has been derived from biomass. It can be produced from any carbon source that is easy to replenish - such as plants.One of the main challenges when producing biofuel is to develop energy that can be used specifically in liquid fuels for transportation. The most common strategies used to achieve this are: Grow plants – Plants that naturally produce oils include oil palm, jatropha, soybean and algae. When heated resistance (viscosity) is reduced they can be burned within a diesel engine or they can be processed to form biodiesel. Grow sugar crops or starch – These include sugar cane, sugar beet, corn and maize which are then turned into ethanol through the process of yeast fermentation. Woods – By-products from woods can be converted into biofuels including methanol, ethanol and woodgas. What are the different types of biofuel? There are many different biofuels available in the UK. One of the most common worldwide is E10 fuel, which is actually a mixture of 10% ethanol and 90% petroleum. This formula has been improved in recent years with the introduction of E15 fuel (15% ethanol, 85% petroleum); E20 fuel (20% ethanol, 80% petroleum); E85 fuel (85% ethanol, 15% petroleum); E95 fuel (95% ethanol, 15% petroleum) and E100 fuel which is ethanol with up to 4% water. In Europe, biodiesel is the most popular form of biofuel - it can be used in any diesel engine when mixed with mineral diesel. This is produced from oils and fats and is now readily available at many petrol stations. There are many other types of biofuel available including vegetable oil, which is used in many older diesel engines; butanol, which is seen as a replacement for petroleum; and biogas which is produced from biodegradable waste materials. This technology has been expanded with the introduction of 'second generation' biofuels - which use biomass to liquid technology. Examples include biohydrogen, biomethanol and mixed alcohols. Third generation biofuels are also known as algae fuels. They have many advantages including have a low input and a high yield level – they produce 30 times more energy per acre than land – and are also biodegradable. As a result, they are relatively harmless to the environment if spilled. Where are biofuels used? Biodiesel can, in theory, be used in all diesel engines. However, due to the parts attached to the diesel engine, some manufacturers do not approve engines running on 100% biodiesel. Volkswagen, SEAT, Audi and Skoda all approved their cars built from 1996-2004 running on 100% RME biodiesel - that is biodiesel made from rapeseed - on the condition that it meets specification EN14214. Generally speaking, it is recommended that you use a combination of biodiesel blended with regular diesel. Indeed at the majority of petrol stations, a 5% biodiesel mix is used. It is also worth bearing in mind that biodiesel made from waste cooking oil can freeze in the winter - and so no more than a 50% blend is recommended. Between 2000 and 2005 ethanol production doubled, and biodiesel production quadrupled, so biofuels are clearly on the rise. The British Government's Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation currently requires 2.5% of fuels sold at the pump to be biofuels. This will increase to 5% by 2010, while the EU has a target of 5.75% of all transport fuels to be from biological sources, also by 2010. What are the advantages of biofuels? The aim of all biofuels is to be carbon neutral. They reduce greenhouse gas emissions when compared to conventional transport fuels. In reality, biofuels are not carbon neutral simply because it requires energy to grow the crops and convert them into fuel. The amount of fuel used during this production (to power machinery, to transport crops, etc) does have a large impact on the overall savings achieved by biofuels. However, biofuels still prove to be substantially more environmentally friendly than their alternatives. In fact, according to a technique called Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) first generation biofuels can save up to 60% of carbon emissions compared to fossil fuels. Second generation biofuels offer carbon emission savings up to 80%. This was backed by a recent UK Government publication which stated biofuels can reduce emissions by 50-60%. Another advantage of biofuels is that they save drivers money. The UK Government in particular has introduced many incentives to drivers of 'green cars' based on emissions - with reduced taxation dependent on how environmentally friendly your vehicle is. With petrol prices on the rise, replacing petroleum with a renewable energy source should also offer significant savings at the pump in the long term, particularly when biofuels are more readily available. There are arguments too that biofuels are helping to tackle poverty around the world. For example, the Overseas Development Institute has pointed to wider economic growth and increased employment opportunities along with the positive effect on energy prices, as reasons to back biofuel production. This is debated due to the pressures it places on agricultural resources but biodiesel could be a long term solution as it uses simpler technology and lower transportation costs alongside increased labour. What are the disadvantages of biofuels? There are several concerns about biofuels - and particularly including: Biodiversity - A fear among environmentalists is that by adapting more land to produce crops for biofuels, more habitats will be lost for animals and wild plants. It is feared for example, that some Asian countries will sacrifice their rainforests to build more oil plantations. The food V fuel debate - Another concern is that if biofuels become lucrative for farmers, they may grow crops for biofuel production instead of food production. Less food production will increase prices and cause a rise in inflation. It is hoped that this can be countered by second generation biofuels which use waste biomass - though again, this will impact the habitat of many organisms. The impact is particularly high in developing countries and it is estimated that around 100million people are at risk due to the food price increases. Carbon emissions – Most LCA investigations show that the burning of biofuels substantially reduces greenhouse gas emissions when compared to petroleum and diesel. However, in 2007 a study was published by scientists from Britain, the USA, Germany and Austriawhich reported the burning of rapeseed or corn can contribute as much to nitrous oxide emissions than cooling through fossil fuel savings. Non-sustainable biofuel production – Many first generation biofuels are not sustainable. It is necessary to create sustainable biofuel production that does not effect food production, and that doesn’t cause environmental problems. The production of non-sustainable biofuels has been criticised in reports by the UN, the IPCC and many other environmental and social groups. As a result many governments have switched their support towards sustainable biofuels, and alternatives such as hydrogen and compressed air. During 2008, the Roundtable of Sustainable Biofuels is developing principles for sustainable biofuel production. Are biofuels worthwhile? After examining the pros and cons of biofuels earlier in this guide, you may be left wondering if they are really worthwhile and right for you. On one hand they massively reduce carbon emissions and can help you save cash too; but on the other hand they could negatively effect the habitat of many species and aren't necessarily energy efficient at the production stage. Perhaps the biggest hope for biofuels is that the arrival of second and third generation alternatives should lead to more efficient production and diversify the plants and plant wastes used - therefore limiting the effects to any particular habitat. Biofuels are very much a work in progress. If you prefer to look into alternatives to reduce your environmental impact, look at the merits of the hybrid cars and electric cars available at Source : http://www.allgreencars.co.uk/GreenGuides/BioFuels/tabid/114/Default.aspx

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