Environmental effects in air quality, the national energy strategy seeks to reduce energyrelated emissions to achieve and maintain the national ambient air quality standards for carbon monoxide and ozone. There are many advantages of biofuels over fossil fuels that make the alternative fuel source an attractive option now and in the future. We report the volume of these fossil fuels, including that of leased and unleased federal fossil fuels located. For example, there are only 663 biodiesel filling stations in the u. P owering cars with corn and burning wood to make electricity might seem like a way to lessen dependence on fossil fuels and help solve the. There can be little doubt that some biofuels are as bad, if not worse than fossil fuels. There is, however, a definite disproportion in the quantities of fossil fuels remaining on earth. Despite this, a marginally earlier book entitled renewable energy.
Any biofuel produced from sustainable feedstock will fit into this category. A costbenefit analysis of the production and use of biofuels. Renewable, low carbon and locally sourced fossil fuels coal, oil and natural gas have played and continue to play a major role in transforming the world from an agricultural society to the modern industrial world we live in today. Sources for fuels and electricity predicted that over the next couple of decades new bioenergy industries will be launched. Thinking of co2 emissions in terms of natures battery by indur goklany september 21, 2011 one of the reasons governments have been pushing biomass burning is the notion that it would displace fossil fuels and thereby reduce co2 emissions. These fuels, while releasing particulates, have less environmental impact than fossil fuels. Nan shi doris chen yu hui becky li songxu daniel wu.
In addition to their impact on the price and quantity of fossil fuels used, subsidies also have effects on the environment, on employment, and on other factors of the economy. Pdf current global energy supplies are dominated by fossil fuels, with much smaller contributions from nuclear power and hydropower. As the world demand for fossil fuels increased substantially in the last decades, combined with the fact that fossil fuels are considered more expensive and claimed to be the main factor responsible for global warming, biofuels are considered as an alternative. Prior to the start of the industrial age 200 to 300 years ago we met the vast majority of our energy needs with renewable energy resources such as wood for heat, watermills for grinding crops or wind to propel sailing vessels. Biofuels vs fossil fuels unit great lakes bioenergy. The carbon dioxide that is released is the cause of the greenhouse effect. Biofuels vs fossil fuels wisconsin energy institute.
In order to replace fossil fuels in cars and trucks, liquid biofuels must closely. Difference between biofuel and fossil fuel compare the. Burning fossil fuels fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and gas consist largely of carbon and hydrogen. Co2 production from burning fossil fuels instructors guide pdf version.
The advantages of biofuels over fossil fuels carsdirect. Come browse our large digital warehouse of free sample essays. Fuel comparison activity objective oregon state university. Pdf a comparative study of combustion between biofuels and. Biofuels are not a green alternative to fossil fuels. Matter and energy changes associated with the carbon.
Fossil fuels vs renewable energy sources milind amritkar. This is meant to be a standalone unit, however we strongly recommend that teachers use this biofuels vs. This short study examines whether biofuels replace the production of marginal. In fact, most of the fossil fuels found today were formed millions of years before the fi rst dinosaurs. Fossil fuels carry a range of health and environmental risks of fossil fuels, but we use them heavily because they are cheap and abundant.
Thats why over half the electricity in america is produced at coal. The biofuels vs fossil fuels unit has students explore the similarities and differences between fossil fuels and biofuels. Thomas covert, michael greenstone, and christopher r. Unconventional fossil fuels university of liverpool. Biofuels, fossil energy ratio, and the future of energy production in. Which substance is one of the main ingredients in fossil. Are biofuels an effective and viable energy strategy for. One downside to fossil fuels is that farmland that could be used for food production is instead used to grow fuel.
Chemistry of fossil fuels and biofuels focusing on todays major fuel resources ethanol, biodiesel, wood, natural gas, petroleum products, and coal this book discusses the formation, composition and properties of the fuels, and the ways in which they are processed for commercial use. The effects of the use of fossil fuels and biofuels on the global carbon cycle and global climate change. Fossil fuels such as coal and petroleum also come from biomass but the difference is that they took millions of years to. Fuels from palm oil, soybean and rape seed make little sense when you consider their greenhouse gas. When it is burned, coal makes heat and light energy. Knittel abstract scientists believe significant climate change is unavoidable without a drastic reduction in the emissions of greenhouse gases from the combustion of fossil fuels. Unconventional fossil fuels in liverpool and the surrounding area the north west of england is the area of the uk of most interest to fracking companies due to the significant shale gas and oil resources in the bowland. This is part 3 of a threepart series on vehicle fuels and technology. When fossil fuels are burned, they release carbon dioxide and other gases into.
Fossil fuels unit along with the entire suite of carbon time units. Students will explore various aspects of fossil fuels by examining the various ranks of coal and the processes by which coal, oil, and natural gas form. Burning coal was easier because coal burned longer than wood and, therefore, did not have to be collected as often. Known as first generation biofuels, they are found in. Fossil fuels are a finite source of energy, meaning they will eventually run out. The effects of the use of fossil fuels and biofuels on the global carbon cycle. Introduction to biofuel april 30, 2009 eep 142 presented by. Fossil fuels have been able to deliver this for a long. Fuel comparison activity objective materials next generation. When fossil fuels are burned through combustion, they release their carbon as heat energy and any impurities as emissions. Each source of energy has its advantages and disadvantages, and this activity will focus on the pros and cons of fossil fuels and biofuels. Th e cave men used coal for heating, and later for cooking.
Pappis department of industrial management and technology, university of piraeus. This is a particular problem for oil, because we also use it to make plastics and many other products. However, before delving further into the difference between biofuel and fossil fuel, let us first look at each fuel separately. Biofuels have been in production for the last few decades and have really begun to take off with the awareness of global warming going around the world. In the journal science, researchers consider environmental costs of biofuel production. Governments should phase out fossil fuel subsidies. Fuels fuels are any materials that store potential energy in forms that can be practicably released and used as heat energy. Biofuel vs fossil fuel the most obvious and the fundamental difference between biofuel and fossil fuel is that the first is a renewable energy source while the latter is a nonrenewable energy source. In the process, students investigate the carbontransforming processes of combustion, photosynthesis, fermentation and respiration. Hill et al describe the features desirable in new biofuels. There is also the fact that, in contrast to solar energy, fossil fuels are very unevenly distributed over our planet. Introduce students to the 3 generations of biofuels and the vocabulary and ideas behind biofuels. Measuring fossil fuel subsidies european commission. Most biofuels are currently produced from food and fodder crops.
But most calculations claiming that bioenergy reduces greenhouse gas emissions relative to burning fossil fuels do not include. Burning fossil fuels produces co2 and other greenhouse gases 2. But they are also the main source of co 2 emissions and, unlike renewable energies, are produced from exhaustible albeit still vast reserves. The process that we call burning actually is chemical reactions with oxygen in the air. In the united states, 93 percent of the energy we consume comes from fossil fuels, much of it in the form of gasoline and diesel fuel. Fossil fuels notes north hunterdonvoorhees regional. The basic point is that food is not diverted from the food chain animal or human to produce these fuels. Among the leading contenders are biofuels renewable, cleanburning fuels made from plant and animalbased source materials like corn, soybeans, discarded vegetable oil or animal fat. Fossil fuels introduction fossil fuels have played a cri. Some biofuels are worse environmentally than fossil fuels. Biofuels vs fossil fuels unit wisconsin energy institute. Biofuels reduce greenhousegas emissions in comparison to fossil fuels.
Fossil fuels are carbonbased energy sources like coal, oil and natural gas created over the millennia from decayed plants and sea creatures that accumulated in the oceans. Fossil fuels are called nonrenewable energy sources, since it takes hundreds of millions of years for the earth to produce new deposits of coal, oil and natural gas. Introduction to biofuel university of california, berkeley. The global virgin biomass potential is summarized in table 1. Biofuels are liquid fuels produced from organic matter rather than from fossil fuels, which are a finite and nonrenewable resource. Recently, a study out of the university of michigan energy institute suggested that biofuels are worse for the climate than gasoline.
Highcapacity offgrid solar generator rev 4 wiring diagram, parts list, design worksheet duration. The carbon footprint of biofuels has often been a source of contention. Ethanol readily biodegrades without harm to the environment, and is a safe, highperformance replacement for fuel additives such as mtbe. Fossil fuels c ontrary to what many people believe, fossil fuels are not the remains of dead dinosaurs. Tainter 1996 claims that human societies tend to become more complex, but in doing so, the societies find decreasing benefits from each level of complexity, until it. Negative environmental consequences of fossil fuels and concerns about petroleum supplies have spurred the search for renewable transportation biofuels.
Objective the positive and negative effects of using fossil fuels and biofuels. Fossil fuels coal, oil and natural gas are still essential for transportation, electricity generation, heating, plant operations, and so much more. Fuels are required for a variety of purposes,but are utilized chiefly for 2. We hear a lot about biofuels and fossil fuels in the news, but sometimes the two terms can get tangled in our minds. Generations of biofuels objective oregon state university.