Ultimately, biofuels are still combustables and undergo a combustion reactioin to give us energy, albeit no all give the same amounts of energy, but they all give off carbon dioxide. Better to have electric cars and all combustion in a single factory that can be easily regulated and monitored than in 50 billion combustion engine cars. Also, the emissions can be captured at these factories and used in other processes or disposed of/neutralized in a environmentally friendly manner.
The general combustion reaction is: CHO + O2 => H20 + Co2 + energy Combustion of Methane: CH4 + 2 O2 => Co2 + 2 H2O + Energy Combustion of Ethanol: CH3OH + O2 => CO2 + 2 H20 + Energy Combustion of Octane: 2 C8H18 + 25 O2 => 16 CO2 + 18 H20 + Energy So are biofuels really the answer to climate change emissions? They may slow it down, but they are still producing two key climate change gases, carbon dioxide and water. malcolm mccallum On Mon, January 14, 2008 1:19 pm, William Silvert wrote: > The British Royal Society has issued basically the same warning this > morning, and it has received quite a bit of press coverage. It was the > lead > story on BBC World for example, and will have a signaficant effect not > only > in Britain but throughout the EU. > > Bill Silvert > > January 14, 2008 > Biofuels 'do more harm than good to environment' says Royal Society > Lewis Smith, Environment Reporter of The Times > Biofuels will cause more harm than good to the environment unless strict > controls are imposed on how they are grown, the Royal Society has > cautioned. > > While they have the potential to help reduce the greenhouse gas emissions > that are driving climate change, biofuels will devastate forests and other > habitats unless controlled, scientists said. > > The Royal Society report of a 14-month inquiry was published as the > European > Union announced that its targets for biofuels are to be re-examined > because > of fears of their impact on the environment. Stavros Dimas, its > Environment > Commissioner, said that the environmental consequences of boosting biofuel > production and the effects on poor communities were bigger than originally > thought. > > The misgivings followed increasing anxiety about forests being cut down > and > savanna and other habitats being dug up to make room for biofuel crops. > Communities living on the lands often had little say in the decisions and > there is rising concern about the competition for agricultural land > between > biofuels and crops to feed the expanding world population.... > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Nadine Lymn" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: <ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU> > Sent: Thursday, January 10, 2008 2:28 PM > Subject: ESA Press Release: Nation's Ecological Scientists weigh in on > biofuels > >> Biofuels Sustainability >> Nation's ecological scientists weigh in on biofuels >> >> The Ecological Society of America, the nation's professional >> organization of 10,000 ecological scientists, today released a position >> statement (www.esa.org/pao/policyStatements/#energy) that offers the >> ecological principles necessary for biofuels to help decrease dependence >> on fossil fuels and reduce carbon dioxide emissions that contribute to >> global climate change. The Society warns that the current mode of >> biofuels production will degrade the nation's natural resources and will >> keep biofuels from becoming a viable energy option.... > Malcolm L. McCallum Assistant Professor of Biology Editor Herpetological Conservation and Biology http://www.herpconbio.org [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED]
