There is no question that ethanol is leading the biofuel revolution. The clean-burning fuel created by converting harvests, primarily corn, into grain alcohol, can fuel most cars when combined in small amounts with unleaded gasoline. Because the components required to produce ethanol and other biofuels are available domestically, biofuels are considered by many to be the key to energy independence.
But they are not a viable solution to our energy problems. Biofuel production – theoretically a positive development in sustainable energy – actually contributes to two of the most imminent environmental crises facing us today.
Ironically, one of them is the oil decline. As world oil prices continue to skyrocket, scientists, lawmakers, fuel manufacturers and distributors alike are scrambling to find more cost-effective and environmentally efficient ways to meet America’s energy needs. Biofuels are being manufactured from the crops of farmers largely from the Midwest, and shipped across the country. Although E85 – 85 percent ethanol, 15 percent gasoline – is typically slightly less expensive than gasoline, it also contains 27 percent less energy per gallon, meaning more fill-ups. Transporting that biofuel to gas stations around the country means more trucks on the freeways – using oil we would save by filling up with ethanol. The irrigation, fertilization and pesticides involved in corn production also require a great deal of fossil fuel.
According to a recent report in Science Magazine, when the deforestation that is required to produce ethanol and soy biodiesel is taken into account, these biofuels result in approximately double the emissions gasoline does. And it’s a vicious cycle: More biofuels means increased crop demand, higher prices and more deforestation, boosting petroleum energy consumption and defeating the low-emissions purpose of biofuels.
The second environmental issue to which biofuels contributes is the global food crisis. Corn currently costs 51 percent more than it did a year ago, and soy costs about 20 percent more. One reason for the rapid price escalation for these crops is the new and increasing dependence on crops to convert into biofuels. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, citizens from highly developed countries spend upward of 20 percent of their income on food. But in underdeveloped countries that number can be as high as 80 percent. By converting crops into fuel, we are causing the price of staple foods to skyrocket as demand increases and supply decreases. About a fifth of American farmers’ corn supply is currently used for ethanol production, and that percentage will increase with the push for ethanol. It’s happening all over: By fall 2008, all Oregon gas stations will be required to sell 10 percent ethanol gasoline, known as E10. At the federal level, in 2007 President Bush signed legislation requiring five times the current biofuel production, or 36 billion gallons per year, by 2022.
It’s clear there is no quick solution to the energy problems we face. Proactive steps must be taken, by individuals, by farmers and by corporations to bring us closer to clean energy without further exacerbating the world’s thin food supply. America needs to take another hard look at electric cars. Money must be invested in the sciences to turn innovations in wind and solar power into realities.
But most of all, we must all be aware of the resources we’re using, whether we’re talking about biotechnology or the most basic foods. As citizens of the world’s most influential nation, our actions at home are perpetuated abroad. Until the catchall solution to the energy crisis comes along, we need to hold ourselves accountable and start making serious lifestyle changes. Driving an SUV with biofuel does not make the action sustainable. After all, the amount of ethanol it takes to fill an SUV tank could feed a person for a year. It’s time to stop thinking about what we want and start thinking about what we need.
[email protected]