Using Energy Crops for Biofuels or Food: The Choice PDF Download

Author: Annoula Paschalidou
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 3319639439
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 121

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Book Description
This book performs a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis to examine the current food crisis and how it relates to the use of crops for energy. It analyses how energy crops may help solve humankind’s environmental changes and summarises the economic and practical changes of cultivating and utilising energy crops. Two of humanity’s greatest challenges are the need for more food production as well as growing demands for energy. Biofuel cultivation has been identified as a solution to growing energy use, and biomass power plants offer a rare renewable energy source that requires only basic technology. In this context, a dilemma arises concerning whether energy crops should be used for energy or to help remedy the food crisis. SWOT analysis allows us to organise and weigh different pros and cons against each other in terms of economics, job creation, environmental impacts, the climate change agenda, and European Union (EU) directives that promote biofuels over fossil fuels. By pursuing this approach, the book helps researchers and decision-makers cut through the many competing arguments in connection with this complex subject.

Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309187516
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 416

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Book Description
In the United States, we have come to depend on plentiful and inexpensive energy to support our economy and lifestyles. In recent years, many questions have been raised regarding the sustainability of our current pattern of high consumption of nonrenewable energy and its environmental consequences. Further, because the United States imports about 55 percent of the nation's consumption of crude oil, there are additional concerns about the security of supply. Hence, efforts are being made to find alternatives to our current pathway, including greater energy efficiency and use of energy sources that could lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions such as nuclear and renewable sources, including solar, wind, geothermal, and biofuels. The United States has a long history with biofuels and the nation is on a course charted to achieve a substantial increase in biofuels. Renewable Fuel Standard evaluates the economic and environmental consequences of increasing biofuels production as a result of Renewable Fuels Standard, as amended by EISA (RFS2). The report describes biofuels produced in 2010 and those projected to be produced and consumed by 2022, reviews model projections and other estimates of the relative impact on the prices of land, and discusses the potential environmental harm and benefits of biofuels production and the barriers to achieving the RFS2 consumption mandate. Policy makers, investors, leaders in the transportation sector, and others with concerns for the environment, economy, and energy security can rely on the recommendations provided in this report.

Author: Bharat P. Singh
Publisher: CABI
ISBN: 1845938852
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 537

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Book Description
Providing comprehensive coverage on biofuel crop production and the technological, environmental and resource issues associated with a sustainable biofuel industry, this book is ideal for researchers and industry personnel. Beginning with an introduction to biofuels and the challenges they face, the book then includes detailed coverage on crops of current importance or with high future prospects, including sections on algae, sugar crops and grass, oil and forestry species. The chapters focus on the genetics, breeding, cultivation, harvesting and handling of each crop.

Author: N. El Bassam
Publisher: Earthscan
ISBN: 1849774781
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 545

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Book Description
This completely revised second edition includes new information on biomass in relation to climate change, new coverage of vital issues including the "food versus fuel" debate, and essential new information on "second generation" fuels and advances in conversion techniques. The book begins with a guide to biomass accumulation, harvesting, transportation and storage, as well as conversion technologies for biofuels. This is followed by an examination of the environmental impact and economic and social dimensions, including prospects for renewable energy. The book then goes on to cover all the main potential energy crops.

Author: Dwight Tomes
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 1441971459
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 361

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Book Description
This comprehensive volume developed under the guidance of guest editors Prakash Lakshmanan and David Songstad features broad coverage of the topic of biofuels and its significance to the economy and to agriculture. These chapters were first published by In Vitro Cellular and Developmental Biology In Vitro Plant in 2009 and consists of 15 chapters from experts who are recognized both for their scientific accomplishments and global perspective in their assigned topics.

Author: David Pimentel
Publisher: CRC Press
ISBN: 1439834636
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 457

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Book Description
Biofuels and food are dependent on the same resources for production: land, water, and energy. The conjuncture of food, energy, and climate crises demands a new direction in how to harness agriculture to the joint tasks of energy-saving, emissions reduction, and food security. Global Economic and Environmental Aspects of Biofuels focuses on the all-important question of the efficacy of biofuels as a solution to the global energy problem. Written by a distinguished team from five countries and multiple disciplines including agronomy, petroleum engineering, ecology, and meteorology, the book addresses the use of biofuels produced from crops and various organic materials as alternatives or supplements to petroleum. Key Features Discusses biofuels within the context of the world population problem, food, malnutrition, resource depletion, and climate change Asks the critical question whether the production of ethanol from corn, sugar cane, crop residues, and other organic materials has proven too costly in both economic and environmental terms Analyzes the uses and interdependencies among land, water, and fossil energy resources in food versus biofuel production Includes case studies on the economic and environmental impacts of biofuel production and use from the United States, Europe, Brazil, and tropical environments Explores the future production of biodiesel and ethanol from salt-water algae and tropical palms, while recognizing the technological problems that must be resolved in processing these materials This book examines key environmental and economic issues associated with the production of ethanol as a fuel, from corn, sugar cane, crop residues, and other organic materials. It brings together the opinions of a number of U.S. scientists and experts from Spain, Italy, the United Kingdom, and Brazil, and highlights the remarkable agreement among the contributors on the pros and cons of biofuels as an answer to future petroleum shortages. This mix of contributors and opinions presents a well-rounded view of the subject that puts a spotlight on unresolved concerns and complexities that are often overlooked.

Author: Ayhan Demirbas
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 1848820119
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 343

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Book Description
Biofuel is a renewable energy source produced from natural materials. The benefits of biofuels over traditional petroleum fuels include greater energy security, reduced environmental impact, foreign exchange savings, and socioeconomic issues related to the rural sector. The most common biofuels are produced from classic food crops that require high-quality agricultural land for growth. However, bioethanol can be produced from plentiful, domestic, cellulosic biomass resources such as herbaceous and woody plants, agricultural and forestry residues, and a large portion of municipal and industrial solid waste streams. There is also a growing interest in the use of vegetable oils for making biodiesel. “Biofuels: Securing the Planet’s Future Energy Needs” discusses the production of transportation fuels from biomass (such as wood, straw and even household waste) by Fischer-Tropsch synthesis. The book is an important text for students and researchers in energy engineering, as well as professional fuel engineers.

Author: Ramesh C. Ray
Publisher: Academic Press
ISBN: 0128223928
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 503

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Book Description
Sustainable Biofuels: Opportunities and challenges, a volume in the "Applied Biotechnology Reviews series, explores the state-of-the-art in research and applied technology for the conversion of all types of biofuels. Its chapters span a broad spectrum of knowledge, from fundamentals and technical aspects to optimization, combinations, economics, and environmental aspects. They cover various facets of research, production, and commercialization of bioethanol, biodiesel, biomethane, biohydrogen, biobutanol, and biojet fuel. This book discusses biochemical, thermochemical, and hydrothermal conversion of unconventional feedstocks, including the role of biotechnology applications to achieve efficiency and competitiveness. Through case studies, techno-economic analysis and sustainability assessment, including life cycle assessment, it goes beyond technical aspects to provides actual resources for better decision-making during the development of commercially viable technology by researchers, PhD students, and practitioners in the field of bioenergy. It is also a useful resource for those in adjacent areas, such as biotechnology, industrial microbiology, chemical engineering, environmental engineering, and sustainability science, who are working on solutions for the bioeconomy. The ability to compare different technologies and their outcome that this book provides is also beneficial for energy analysts, consultants, planners, and policy-makers. The "Applied Biotechnology Reviews series highlights current development and research in biotechnology-related fields, combining in single-volume works the theoretical aspects and real-world applications for better decision-making. - Covers current technologies and advancements in biochemical, thermochemical, and hydrothermal conversion methods for production of various types of biofuels from conventional and nonconventional feedstock - Examines biotechnology processes, including genetic engineering of microorganisms and substrates, applied to biofuel production - Bridges the gap between technology development and prospects of commercialization of bioprocesses, including policy and economics of biofuel production, biofuel value chains, and how to accomplish cost-competitive results and sustainable development

Author:
Publisher: Fao
ISBN:
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 108

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Book Description
"A potent argument for bioenergy development lies in the ability of the sector to unlock agricultural potential by bringing in much needed investments to raise agricultural productivity to spur food security and poverty reduction. This document presents the BEFS Analytical Framework (AF) developed to test this argument. Agriculture lies at the heart of the BEFS AF and allows governments to consider viable pro-poor strategies for bioenergy development. The set of tools within the BEFS AF offers an integrated approach to decision-making that combines the technical viability with the country's prevailing social and economic development objectives. This document explains the rationale and structure of the BEFS AF, provides a general overview of the tools and their application, and illustrates how the analytical information generated assists policy makers in making informed decisions concerning the many varied consequences of bioenergy developments on food security, poverty reduction and agriculture development and economic growth."--Provided by publisher.

Author: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309484529
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 511

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Book Description
To achieve goals for climate and economic growth, "negative emissions technologies" (NETs) that remove and sequester carbon dioxide from the air will need to play a significant role in mitigating climate change. Unlike carbon capture and storage technologies that remove carbon dioxide emissions directly from large point sources such as coal power plants, NETs remove carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere or enhance natural carbon sinks. Storing the carbon dioxide from NETs has the same impact on the atmosphere and climate as simultaneously preventing an equal amount of carbon dioxide from being emitted. Recent analyses found that deploying NETs may be less expensive and less disruptive than reducing some emissions, such as a substantial portion of agricultural and land-use emissions and some transportation emissions. In 2015, the National Academies published Climate Intervention: Carbon Dioxide Removal and Reliable Sequestration, which described and initially assessed NETs and sequestration technologies. This report acknowledged the relative paucity of research on NETs and recommended development of a research agenda that covers all aspects of NETs from fundamental science to full-scale deployment. To address this need, Negative Emissions Technologies and Reliable Sequestration: A Research Agenda assesses the benefits, risks, and "sustainable scale potential" for NETs and sequestration. This report also defines the essential components of a research and development program, including its estimated costs and potential impact.