Biofuels and Their Effects on Water Resources

1918 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Essay of biofuels

Biofuels and Their Effects on Water Resources
Due to desires to decrease greenhouse gas emissions, the increasing concerns of trade balances and geopolitics, as well as the growing rise of the price of crude oil, nations worldwide are taking bigger steps in establishing sustainable energy alternatives [1]. In order to meet more sustainable energy needs there has been an increase in the demand of biofuels. With this increase in demand comes the increase demand of water, which is already a limiting factor in food production in many parts of the world. Here I explore the effects of biofuel production on water sources, and how biofuels can possibly remediate degraded water resources. Although the increase production of biofuels can further exacerbate already scarce water, sustainable energy produced from biomass has a great potential to use sources of water that are considered unsuitable for consumption. The sustainability of biofuel production through the use of marginal lands can be improved through the use of degraded water resources. Nitrate contaminated ground water, as well as other degraded water resources have the potential to be used for feed stock productivity [2]. This can also lead to the restoration of contaminated water resources.
Water is a finite resource that plays an important role in all aspects of human life. However the demands of water supply are increasing due to population increase, economic activity, and the impacts of climate change [2]. It is estimated that about 1.2 billion people in the global population live in areas where water is scarce [1]. Approximately 7130 km3 of water is evapotranspirated by crops per year worldwide, biofuel crops account for an additional 100 km3 of water that is evapotranspirat...

... middle of paper ...

...ective, environmentally friendly, and can even help remediate contaminated water resources.

Bibliography

1 Fraiture, C et al (2007) Biofuels and implications for agricultural water use. Water Policy 10 67-81. DOI: 10.2166/wp.2008.054
2 Gopalakrishnan, G et al (2009) Biofuels, land and water: A systems approach to sustainability. Environ. Sci. Tecnol.43 DOI:10.1021/es900801u
3 Kivaisi, A (2001) The potential for constructed wetland for wastewater treatment and reuse in developing countries. Ecological Eng, 16, 546-560.
4 Greeway M (2005) The role of constructed wetlands in seconday effluent treatment and water reuse in subtropical and arid Australia. Ecological Eng, 25, 501-509. DOI: 10.1016/j.econleng.2005.07.008
5 Pittman, J. K et al. (2011). The potential of sustainable algal biofuel production using wastewater resources. Bioresource Tech, 102(1), 17-25.

Show More
Related

  • Should Corn Ethanol Be Used For Fuel?

    2514 Words  | 6 Pages

    Stauffer, Nancy. ”MIT ethanol analysis confirms benefits of biofuels.” Laboratory for Energy and the Environment. January 2007.

    Read More

  • The Pros And Cons Of Ethanol Production

    1713 Words  | 4 Pages

    Ethanol production was developed in hopes of severing our ties with fossil fuels in favor of alternative energy, such as biofuels. Although, VOCs emissions are released during production of ethanol in a factory, the quality of air is greatly improved when burning ethanol versus fossil fuels. Burning ethanol instead of fossil fuels reduces the amount of cancer-causing greenhouse gases that go into the atmosphere. Ethanol production ranks at the bottom of industrial water usage, but is still not out of the woods with the abundance of water usage needed in corn feedstock and ethanol manufacturing and processing facilities. Many acres of land are needed to grow corn crops, however, many corn farmers are successful in growing more corn on less acreage.

    Read More

  • The Loss of Coastal Wetlands

    588 Words  | 2 Pages

    This paper introduces the environmental concerns of the loss of coastal wetlands. The paper will discuss the significance of wetlands and the devastation that is occurring because of human activity. Wetlands are an essential element of our environment both ecological and societal; conservation will be essential for the preservation of these precious ecosystems.

    Read More

  • The Animal's Impact On The Everglades

    600 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the 18th and 19th centuries, drainage of the wetlands was an idea. From then on, human activities like agriculture and building have been the center of elimination for these wetlands. Pollution has also been a factor in this, along with natural

    Read More

  • Dickson Wetlands Case Study

    495 Words  | 1 Pages

    Dickson wetlands contain a rich variety of nature. This ranges from flowers, grass, shrubbery to trees. Most of the flora found around the Dickson wetland is native to Australia and has a very low environmental impact. Some of the dominant flora that was identified is a type of long grass and gumtree’s. These plants help create a beautiful atmosphere and also filter the water. The effects of these natural filtration systems can be seen in the water statistics taken at the wetlands. With a dissolved oxygen level of 100% and 20.0mg/l and a Ph of 7.70, the water levels are within a healthy range.

    Read More

  • The Meat Industry

    968 Words  | 2 Pages

    The meat industry consumes over half of all water used for all purposes in the United States. Most of this water is used to irrigate cattle feedlots. Water utilized to produce 1 pound of meat amounts to 2,500 gallons. In comparison, the water utilized to produce 1 pound of wheat amounts to 25 gallons. In Texas, a quarter of the groundwater has already been used to grow crops for the expanding cattle feedlots and wells are drying up across the northern part of the state. Also, cattle contribute to water pollution. Cows are routinely washed and the runoff containing manu...

    Read More

  • The Water Shortage in Mexico

    989 Words  | 2 Pages

    In our generation of new technologies and high civilization it is hard to believe that our World is in Water crisis. This crisis is affecting not only low-developed parts of the world but also it affects high-developed countries, about one third of the humanity suffers from the scarcity of water (Molden 2010). One of the main causes of it is overpopulation. In increasing water demand water sources which we have now are not able to renew themselves. Another factor of water scarcity is not economized water consumption. Nowadays most of countries are beginning to realize that solving the problem of scarcity of water is very crucial. One of them is Mexico where water shortage is the national problem.

    Read More

  • Rights to Water

    1231 Words  | 3 Pages

    Between 300 and 400 million people worldwide live in areas near wetlands and depend on them. Wetlands are mechanisms for treatment of wastewater are extremely efficient because they absorb chemicals and filter pollutants and sediments. Half the world's wetlands have disappeared due to urbanization and industrial development. The only way to achieve sustainable development and poverty reduction will be through better management of rivers and wetlands, and the land they drain and drain as well as through increased investment in them.

    Read More

  • Saving the Environment with Veganism

    908 Words  | 2 Pages

    Phasing out animal agriculture and replacing it with stronger, safer plant cultivation would greatly reduce pollution released into the environment as animal waste, burning fossil fuels, and contaminated water runoff. The animal waste produced in factory farms is dumped into immense open-air lago...

    Read More

  • The Effects of Global Warming on Wetlands

    892 Words  | 2 Pages

    Wetlands are highly productive ecosystems. Wetlands include marshes, estuaries, bogs, fens, swamps, deltas, shallow seas, and floodplains. Wetland habitats support a vast range of plant and animal life, and serve a variety of important functions, which include water regime regulation, flood control, erosion control, nursery areas for fishes, fish production, recreation, plant production, aesthetic enjoyment, and wildlife habitat. Wetlands account for about 6% of the global land area and are among the most valuable environmental resources.

    Read More

  • What Are The Pros And Cons Of Beach Construction

    1930 Words  | 4 Pages

    Constructed marshland can tolerate both great and small volumes of water and varying contaminant levels (Environmental literacy Council). Cons- Depending on design, constructed marshlands may require a larger land area than a conventional facility. However, as mentioned before, the extra land can be used productively for purposes besides simply treating wastewater—unlike conventional sewage treatment plants.

    Read More

  • Advantages And Disadvantages Of Biofuels

    816 Words  | 2 Pages

    More farmers are now planting crops for biofuel, resulting to an intense drop in food production. According to experts this promising alternative energy source is seemingly causing a global decrease of food supply. As the demand for biofuels increases, more industrialized countries are offering encouragements and subsidizing farmers to grow crops for fuel rather than for food. The biofuel production method was also anticipated to be carbon neutral, as the crops would absorb the carbon dioxide released when the biofuel was burned. However crops for fuel are now grown at such a rate that they need more energy to cultivate, grow and harvest. By the time it reaches households, it would have consumed more energy and released more greenhouse causing substances than the feared fossil fuels would have. The fact that emissions are released during production, processing, fertilizer application and as a result of land use change is highly ignored. Somehow biofuels can sidetrack less harmful and clean resources like renewable energies such as solar and wind energy. Large scale cultivation of biofuel crops, unlike small scale, locally produced and biofuel owned farms are commonly challenged by problems such as severe use of water, chemicals, fertilizers and pesticides. These also often lead to pollution, depleting and degrading available water resources which can cause famines. According to contrary believe of analysts, it has also shown that there is not enough farming land on earth to produce biofuel crops to meet the huge energy needs encouraged by our current and unmaintainable ways of living. http://www.greenerideal.com/science/0516-biofuels/ &

    Read More

  • The Problem of Water Scarcity

    1538 Words  | 4 Pages

    The problem of water scarcity has increasingly spread throughout the world as of yet, The UN reports that within the next half- century up to 7 billion people in 60 countries which is more than the whole present population will face water scarcity (Sawin “Water Scarcity could Overwhelm the Next Generation”). As well the demand for freshwater has tripled over the past 50 years, and is continuing to rise as a result of population growth and economic development. 70% of this demand derives from agriculture which shows the influence of water on food supply globally as well not just drinking water (Sawin “Water Scarcity could overwhelm the Next Generation”). But increasing water use is not just a matter of the greater number of people needing it to drink and eat; it also comes from pollution and misuse of water supplies, by either dumping or runoff of bacteria or chemicals into water. This also “causes other pollutions as well such as soil and air pollution, accelerating wetland damage and human caused global warming” (Smith and Thomassey 25). According to UN report, recent estimates suggest that climate change will account for about 20 percent of the increase in global water scarcity in coming decades.

    Read More

  • Wetland Restoration

    1185 Words  | 3 Pages

    Most people think they know a wetland when they see one, but the delineation of wetlands for the purpose of granting permits has proven enormously controversial. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), an area is defined as a wetland when a combination of three technical criteria are met: Wetland hydrology (land that is saturated within 18 inches of the surface for more than seven days per year), Hydrophytic vegetation (a list of plants that will thrive in wet areas), and Hydric soil (mucky and peat-based soil). The continual destruction of these valuable lands is due mainly to farmers, oil and mining interests, and development groups (Russel, p.36). It is estimated that 30-40% of the original wetlands in the United States have been lost, and about 300-400,000 acres are destroyed each year (Hollis, p. 36). Recent concern has led to an increase in wetland restoration and creation to reduce the impacts of activities in or near wetlands, compensate for additional losses, and to restore or replace wetlands already degraded or destroyed (Nicholas, p. 39).

    Read More

  • Water Shortage in India: Problems and Solutions

    985 Words  | 2 Pages

    Global warming is one of the main causes, which leads to the lack of water and drought. A drought-like condition exists in most of India’s part. Government of India states that 68% of the country is disposed to the drought, which (consequences are) leads to massive migration of people to more favorable places, famine, conflicts among inhabitants. India is known in the world as one of the biggest producers of water-intensive crops such as rice, sugarcane and wheat. According to a survey done by Grail Research, approximately 82% of total water is used for agricultural consumption and 90% of it is employed for irrigation of rice, wheat and sugarcane (Grail Research, LLC, 2009). There are several solutions which could lead to the decr...

    Read More

More about Biofuels and Their Effects on Water Resources

Open Document