Pros and Cons to Biofuels

Over the past years, planet Earth has been warming up. According to NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies, average temperatures have risen around1.4 degrees Fahrenheit/0.8 degrees Celsius since 1880. In fact, the rate of warming is increasing. It was reported by a number of climate studies that the last two decades were the hottest in 400 years. Global warming is a major threat to the planet. It is agreed that humans have caused most of the past century's warming by releasing greenhouse gasses, as we power our electronic lives. The “greenhouse effect” is performed when the gasses let out into Earth’s atmosphere trap heat from the sun. Through the burning of fossil fuels, humans are enhancing the greenhouse effect and increasing the temperatures of the planet. Although the greenhouse effect is what keeps the planet warm, thereby supporting life, too much would also result in severe issues. Now, with the increasing rate of greenhouse gases emissions, frozen glaciers are melting, sea levels are rising, and wildlife is scrambling to keep up with the fast pace. Above that, weather can also become more and more extreme. Something has to be done.

As stated earlier, the burning of fossil fuels to produce energy is one of the largest contributors to global warming. This non-environmentally friendly energy source has to be replaced in order to keep the world going. There is a type of energy source that seems easy to create and doesn’t require radical changes: Biofuels. Biofuels are a greener version of diesel and oil. They are any solid, liquid, or gas fuels produced from organic matter; the range of organic materials used for biofuel production includes plants such as corn, sugar cane, soy, and wheat; vegetable oils and animal fats; ...

... middle of paper ...

... and soil scientist at the USDA Agricultural Research Service Corn stover has been historically left in the field as cover to reduce soil erosion and for conserving soil nutrient contents. The immediate environmental concern of using corn stover for biofuel production is soil erosion. In addition, when we take a look at the big picture, the 0 carbon emission theory is wrong, as it does not take into account the vast amount of carbon released into the atmosphere from land conversion. Global warming is inevitable. The disadvantages definitely outweigh the advantages.

In conclusion, the fact that biofuel is renewable unlike other natural resources such as coal, nuclear fuels, and petroleum makes it an excellent energy solution. However, there are still several major problems that need to be fixed before biofuel is recognized universally and used on an industrial scale.