Nobel Prize winner states: Biofuels may actually increase global warming.
According to an article written by Paul Crutzen (who won the Chemistry Nobel Prize in 1995) in British magazine "Chemistry World," biofuels increase global warming and the greenhouse effect.
Crutzen's main argument to support this is that the increase of biofuel crops is producing twice as much nitrous oxide (N2O) as before. Nitrous oxide goes then to the atmosphere, increasing the greenhouse effect. The amount of N2O produced by these crops is so important that it offsets all benefits obtained from not using fossil fuels.
Keith Smith, coautor of the report and scientist at the University of Edimburgh, says "The importance of this article lays on the unexpected side effects of the use of biofuels [...]. In fact, its use is not beneficial because it affects adversely our climate." The article states that biofuels produce more nitrogen than expected (between 3 to 5 percent more), which is twice as much as the International Panel on Climate Change authorises.
[Source: Europa Press via Econoticias]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Jason Lancaster 12:19AM (4/10/2008)
What about biofuels from Guayule? I read this article and it made sense to me - evidently, Guayule will grow in the desert, doesn't need water or tending, and it's pest resistant.
http://guayuleblog.com/29/alternative-energy/world-needs-alternatives-to-biofuels-from-food-crops/
I read about this crop on wikipedia and it says it can be used to make rubber too...why aren't we hearing about cool natural solutions like this? What's wrong with everyone that I just learned about this?
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Henry 3:04PM (10/03/2007)
Crops don't produce NO2 petroleum based fertilizers do.
Crops produce O2.
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Chris M 3:47PM (10/03/2007)
There are natural biological processes that remove nitrous oxide, converting them into nitrates, then making amino acids and proteins out of them. There are also processes that convert nitrous oxides back into nitrogen and oxygen, including ones in automotive catalytic converters.
The real key is to not overuse nitrogen containing fertilizers.
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Henry 5:22PM (10/03/2007)
Chris,
this inane comment is for you.
Volcanoes produce the worst pollution but then produce the most fertile soil throughout their surrounding land.
Coal powerplants spew out the same pollution but make the most infertile and damaged surroundings.
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Jack S. 5:33PM (10/03/2007)
we are clearly in a transition period and no one expects miracles. This article is purely academic and should be treated as such (as only I can assume not seeing an english or french version). what's the solution? keep using dino-fuels? give me a break.
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Tush 5:57PM (10/03/2007)
We need to breed some serious hamsters and put them on giant hamster wheels.
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Henry 6:12PM (10/03/2007)
The solution is investing billions of dollars in EVs, Hybrids and Algae from smokestack emissions rather than in petroleum fertilized plant fuels and petroleum-derived hydrogen gas.
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kballs 11:38PM (10/03/2007)
I would also add that for those fuels derived directly from plant materials, the growing of the plants needs to minimize or eliminate the need for fertilizer, pesticide, and water.
Corn ethanol? Give me a break. Tons of water, tons of fertilizer, tons of pesticide.
Switchgrass ethanol? Yes sir. It grows wild, on rainwater, sunlight, and CO2. It's pest resistant (no pesticide) and can grow in natural soil conditions without added fertilizer. It can also be harvested more than once per year (unlike corn).
Biodiesel from soybeans? Meh, not great.
Biodiesel from algae? Yes sir, way more efficient and has virtually continuous growth (in the right pond/tube system) with very little need for land area.
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tim 9:34AM (10/04/2007)
Americans need to walk a little more so their fat asses will shrink enough to fit into smaller, more efficient cars. Now, how do you shrink their fat egos and fatter heads?
Efficiency will do more than ANY other technology to reduce man made emissions and conserve this planet’s limited resources.
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Snark 2:29PM (10/04/2007)
"Crops don't produce NO2 petroleum based fertilizers do. Crops produce O2"
Utterly incorrect. You neglect to factor in the soil. When soil is tilled and used for agriculture, shifts in microbial community activity cause the decomposition of nitrogen and carbon compounds from soil sinks into the atmosphere. The NO2 is coming from the metabolism of nitrogen-containing compounds in the soil, NOT from fertilizer.
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TStik 2:34PM (10/04/2007)
We need to forget about bio fuels and ethanol and such.
The money and time should be spent on solar cell tech. This will get us off of oil and coal and will benefit all the homes as well.
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Henry 3:32PM (10/04/2007)
I don't see Switchgrass ethanol as a viable option. Ethanol degrades quickly and easily. Switchgrass has very little easily breakable sugars which makes it a very processing-inefficient alcohol. We don't see liquor being made from cheap beetgreens or chicory because of this sugar problem. We do see artichoke liquor but this is extremely expensive.
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