Finally, after a long time, we are discussing a topic that has been constantly brushed under the carpet. We all want to explore alternate sources of energy that help reduce our dependency on fossil fuel. This is a fact that there cannot be a debate about. The two reasons for this would be the rate at which fossil fuel is being consumed and the emissions that are produced by harnessing this energy. Fossil fuels will soon be all but gone and they might by then have destroyed the balance of the planet with the incredible amount of carbon emissions that they produce. So there is not much of a choice in which direction we need to look at. But is Biofuel the right alternative to the current problem?
Biofuel is being largely made out of Corn. Corn is being diverted from human consumption, kicking off a domino effect of problems tied to food prices. It starts with ethanol produced from corn, which optimists hope will help solve the U.S. reliance on foreign oil, as well as provide a fuel that burns cleaner. The U.S. is now using more corn for the production of ethanol than the entire [food] crop in Canada! In 2000, world production of ethanol totaled 20 billion liters. In 2007, world production climbed to 60 billion liters. In the month of January 2008 alone, six billion new liters of ethanol were produced in the United States. Scores of ethanol plants are under construction and as a result, it is predicted that the United States will produce 52 billion liters of the fuel in 2008.
Apparently, the amount of corn it takes to produce 75 liters of biofuel is enough to feed a man for an entire year! So do we really need to concentrate research and resources in this direction? I have mentioned this quite clearly before and will state it again that Biofuel is not and cannot be the long term answer to world energy needs. Our research must be concentrated in the fields of solar, wind and tidal energy development. Most importantly, the answer to our great energy crisis is the Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technology. It is clean and the raw material is abundant. If we can conceive a cheap, clean and simple method of electrolysis and make the fuel safe during transportation, it is our best bet for the future. I do believe that all this biofuel craze will vanish as quickly as it came once we move on to the next level.
