Comparison Between Fossil Fuel v Biofuel, Which is Best?

Fossil Fuel v Biofuel

Biofuels come from the decomposition of biological or organic waste. Most biofuels are made from plant material. They are in a liquid, solid, or gaseous state.

The term “biomass fuel” is a broad term that encompasses all leaves, roots, seeds, and stems of all plants as well as animal waste.

Everything that can burn and decompose can be a biomass fuel or also called a biofuel. Although crude oil is not considered biomass, it was millions of years ago.In this article we are going to look at fossil fuel v biofuel.

The idea of using biofuel to generate energy for the management of our houses and cars is not new.

It has been around for a long time, but until gasoline dropped to $ 4 a gallon and electricity bills skyrocketed, no one seemed too interested in making the technology a practical and financially viable replacement for fossil fuels. But biomass fuel is an idea whose time has come.

Now you are hearing that an herb growing in Africa is used for energy production or that corn grown in the USA is used for energy production.

Methane gas, a natural by-product from landfills, that is captured and converted into usable energy. And you haven’t heard the outcome of these and similar ideas.

Burning fossil fuels (oil, gas, coal) is easy, but quickly becomes too expensive, and the problem is that all fossil fuels are only available to a limited extent.

The earth gives up these fuels after humans have drilled or mined the earth, but it is no longer produced. If what’s here is gone, it will take millions and millions of years for more. Then you see the problem.

But unlike fossil fuels, biomass is a renewable resource. If we use grass or corn today, there will be more grass or corn next year because we can easily produce them. Another good thing about using these biofuels is that they are grown in the back yard, as our ancestors did before.

Landfills are getting bigger and the gas that could be tapped and used has so far been ignored. Yes, biomass fuel is an idea, the time has come!

Fossil Fuel v Biofuel

Biofuels differ from fossil fuels in a few important ways.

· They are a fully renewable energy source.

· They emit much fewer greenhouse gases that cause pollution.

· They can be produced in one growing season, in contrast to the fossil years, which took MILLION years to create

There are different “generations” of biofuels. Let’s look at every one.

· First-generation biofuels come from sugar, other starches, and animal and vegetable oils. Examples are biodiesel and biogas.

· Second generation oils are made from industrial waste such as wood chips. Biofuels from ethanol, other alcohols, and diesel fall into this classification.

· Algae biofuel is the third generation. These are highly renewable, as algae can easily be grown on a large scale and decompose quickly and easily.

· The microorganisms are used in fourth-generation biofuels. Like the third generation, they collapse quickly and have a low carbon footprint.

After getting to know the different types, let’s examine the benefits of biofuels.

As already mentioned, all biofuels are extremely renewable. Therefore, they can reduce our dependence on non-renewable fossil fuels.

Compared to the extraction, processing, and transportation of fossil fuels, the production of biofuels is much cheaper. Everyone is looking for tips to save energy at home these days.

Biofuels are more environmentally friendly. Fewer greenhouse gases are released than fossil fuels.

Fossil Fuel v Biofuel

Disadvantages of biofuels:

Large amounts of land are required to produce first-generation biofuels. The plants are usually smaller varieties of the original, for example, maize, so it is not suitable for human consumption.

This reduces the acreage for good food crops and reduces food production. As a result, the price of edible corn has risen in recent years.

This was a hot topic of discussion with many arguments on both sides. Those who are protesting the large-scale production of food crops for biofuels believe that the food is for food only.

They argue that many poor people are already negatively affected by biofuel production.

The production of biofuels also requires large amounts of material. With a lot of land for it, less is available to grow edible food.

As more land is used for both food crops and biofuels, there are fewer and fewer natural habits for plant and animal ecosystems.

Another problem is that most biofuels are produced in relatively small amounts compared to the large-scale production of coal, oil, and natural gas.

Maintaining a regular supply of biofuel is difficult and therefore cannot always be counted unless you have a reliable source.

For these reasons, many believe that the best future use of biofuels will be in developing countries. Here, where fossil fuels can be scarce or inaccessible, small-scale biofuel production can be a viable form of renewable energy.

In the Indian state of Bihar, for example, resourceful citizens convert biomass from human waste into biogas for electricity.

If we weigh the pros and cons of biofuels, we can see that they are not the perfect green energy source. If you are lucky enough to live near a manufacturing facility that produces waste that could be converted into biofuel, that would be great.

However, if you are looking for tips on saving energy at home, you should take a closer look at wind and solar energy solutions. The energy-conscious homeowner will achieve many savings with this.

Reducing the use of fossil fuel

The use of fossil fuels such as oil and coal has adverse consequences. These resources are not only finite in nature, which makes them unsustainable, but their use was one of the main reasons for environmental degradation.

Due to the extraction process and emissions from the use of fossil fuels, many animals are threatened with extinction and many other species are rapidly approaching the same condition.

The polar bear is the one who has seen a decreasing number due to the destruction of its habitat by oil drilling. This is just one example. Although they may not occur too often, accidents such as oil spills, if they occur, affect marine ecosystems.

The discussion about reducing fossil fuel consumption often focuses on global oil and coal mining companies. However, there are things everyone can do to reduce the amount of fossil fuel they consume.

If consumer demand for fossil fuels is low, energy companies will be forced to provide more resources for other, more sustainable forms of energy.

One way to reduce fossil fuels is to buy a car that uses diesel. Diesel can be made from non-fossil fuels. Biodiesel oil is now available at petrol stations in different countries around the world. Alternatively, whenever possible, you can ride a bike, take a bus to work, or even walk.

Although it can be difficult to stop depending on a car once you get used to it, you will reap the rewards when you look at it. Living near your work is also a great way to deal with fossil fuel commuting.

Better yet, you can work from home, which in turn eliminates the need for fossil fuels that would result from regular motorized commuting. You could raise the issue with your boss and agree to a trial period.

If it is practical and does not affect the quality of your output at work, you can make the full transition to teleworking. If you can’t be away from the office for a long time, it can mean that you have to work fewer days, e.g. 3. per week.

Use practically inexhaustible energy: Go to solar energy. It must be said that the installation of solar energy is currently expensive, but due to the increasing popularity and acceptance among the masses, the price of this technology is slowly falling and there are now many inexpensive solar power kits on the market.

You could experience a staggered transition by slowly starting installing solar panels for energy-saving devices like lighting, and then gradually increasing the capacity to meet all other household electricity needs.

Read my article entitled How Solar Energy Works Diagram to see how this works and how to sell electricity back to the grid, read it here.

Turn part of your lawn into an organic garden. The food you eat doesn’t have to be flown thousands of miles (fossil fuel-powered), nor do you need to go to the supermarket. For maximum effectiveness, avoid using petroleum-based fertilizers when growing.

On a positive note, the price increase in today’s world may be a sign that something new is just around the corner. Governments and oil companies may be mass-producing while demand is still there.

Maybe they know something we don’t know. Transportation accounts for 70% of all the oil we use, and now the transportation industry is starting to move into a new era with the production of hybrid vehicles.

This is a very positive sign and could be a stepping stone for many to raise awareness of how widespread the use of fossil fuels affects our environment today.

If you are concerned about the possibility of weather, you want to become less dependent on fossil fuels or just like the comfort of a warm, crackling fire, burn wood and use this resource, which is usually wasted.

For more information about fossil fuels v biofuels then a good read is this free paper entitled;

Economic feasibility and long-term sustainability criteria on the path to enable a transition from fossil fuels to biofuels found here.