How Green Are Biofuels? Comparison Chart [PIC]
Published on May 8th, 2008
Biofuels are increasingly lumped into a single category of environmentally apocalyptic dead-end solutions. As the food vs. fuel debate rages on, it’s no wonder that the general public believes this.
But not all biofuels are created equal, as the chart above illustrates (click the image to see full size). It’s one of the best depictions I’ve seen of how each biofuel feedstock has completely different impacts on overall greenhouse gas emissions, water and pesticide use, and the energy required to produce the fuel. (Click on the chart for the full image)
The chart was created jointly by faculty members from University of Washington and The Nature Conservancy and published in the Seattle P-I (see the article Bio-debatable: Food vs. fuel).
It is the gross CO2 emissions. Otherwise they would all be 0, see my previous post. Assuming of course the figures are correctly calculated.
Why don’t you include HEMP in your study?
Isn’t HEMP the highest cellulose producer?
Doesn’t HEMP take comparable water and pesticide, yet have a higher cellulose content?
Is this exclusion due to Federal Funding and fear of lack of funding if findings show HEMP as a viable alternative?
Should science be dictated by fear, or should scientists be held to a higher standard … the truth?
HEMP may not have all the answers, but if we use HEMP for plastics, manufactured wood, engineered lumber, clothing, and some fuel, then won’t it help?
on the Algae row in the full table, are the numbers for open pond systems? or does it take into account vertical systems like this one here,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVJyoYC8O7A
It’s claimed that 10% of the state of New Mexico is all that is needed with this system to meet all the energy demands for the US. That’s technology worth investing in big time.
the kicker column in this table is the column listing the percent of existing US crop land to produce to produce enough fuel to meet half of US demand. Algae beats the others hands down and if that number is for open pond systems, then vertical closed loop systems is many times less than that area. PLUS, you don’t have to use existing crop land!!!!
who ever said biodiesel’s would completely replace our current system. I know the current one needs to be replaced but one step at a time. if biodiesel was available to customers they could make a choice. only so many could be made for that reason. Second there are devoloping new ways to grow drops on vertical farms. its pretty interesting this could be one way to better support the food vs fuel consumption
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hey,
your post is so effective. the chart is so informative. i like your blog. i hope you will publish more posts on biofuel and other related blogs.