Elise Roche November 3 rd 2009 BIOFUELS Searching for
Transportation Energy
Slide 2
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
Slide 3
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
Slide 4
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
Slide 5
Big Impacts Habitat Degradation o Drilling for fuel o Loss of
biodiversity o Ecosystem services Pollution o Vehicle emissions o
Acid rain o Ocean acidification o Coral bleaching o Oil spills
http://dsc.discovery.com/games-quizzes/acid-rain-quiz/
Slide 6
Ethanol o 1 st generation biofuel o Big player o Made from food
crops (corn, sugarcane, rice, potato, wheat, etc.) o Fermentation
process o Reduces dependency on fossil fuels o 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
Slide 7
Conservation vs. Renewable Energy Do we protect our air, water,
and biodiversity while depleting our fossil fuel reserves? OR
Making an alternative fuel?
Slide 8
Stakeholders Promoting Ethanol Government o AEI plan 2007
(BRDB2008) o Lower GHG emissions by 1.6% (Akinci 2008) o Decrease
dependency on oil Farmers and Distribution Companies o Considerable
profits o Renewable Automobile Makers o Profits
http://greenermagazine.blogspot.com/2006/07/corn-ethanol-super-fuel-or-
hype.html
Slide 9
UNICEF and National Anti-Hunger Organizations o Use of food
crops o Increased cost of ethanol National Resources Defense
Council o Biodiversity Energy Justice Network o Pollution o GHG
emissions OPEC o Loss of profit
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3461/3379666736_e7e5881ff1.jpg
Stakeholders Against Ethanol
Slide 10
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)
Slide 11
Alternative to the Alternative Cellulosic 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
Slide 12
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?
Slide 13
Slide 14
Literature Cited Akinci, 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.