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Bioenergy crops (bioethanol fuel) Alice (Intro (Relevance to the real…
Bioenergy crops (bioethanol fuel) Alice
Intro
Relevance to the real world
Prevalence of motor vehicles --> use of bioethanol fuels
Middle east --> trying to move away from their dependence on oil and fossil fuels
Need to find an alternative source of fuel --> showing the need for alternatives such as bioethanol fuels
Points for bioethanol fuel
More environmentally friendly than fossil fuels: no contribution to global warming (environmental)
Points against bioethanol fuel
Food vs fuel debate (ethical)
Bioethanol fuel
Type of bioenergy crop - renewable energy source made by fermenting the sugar and starch components of plant by-products - mainly sugarcane and crops like grain, using yeast.
Sustainable form of fuel for vehicles
Background information
Photosynthesis
Chemical reaction in the leaf --> 6CO2 + 6H2O --> C6H12O6 + 6O2
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General process of production of fuel from plants
Produced through sugar fermentation process --> Glucose produced by plants is separated into ethanol and carbon dioxide
Ethanol is burnt --> CO2 and H2O is produced --> CO2 is used by plants for photosynthesis
General info
Until 1958 (discovery of oil) crops were used as the main source of energy
Declining reserves of fossil fuels, realisation that CO2 emissions are increasing climate change --> need to reduce fossil fuel dependence (promotion of bioenergy)
Ethanol can be used as fuel in two ways
Blended with gasoline (5 --> 27.5%) reduces petrol use
Pure ethanol (85%) but can only be used in specially designed engines
Pros
Environmental - doesn't contribute to global warming (not much harm to environment)
Represents a closed CO2 system --> products of photosynthesis --> used for fuel --> CO2 produced by cars gets reused by plant
CO2 is a greenhouse gas --> greenhouse gases = global warming, therefore this process has no contribution to global warming
Doesn't release any harmful emissions except for steam, heat and CO2 --> CO2 is used by plants for photosynthesis
Economic
Increase in job opportunities
E.g. farming, factory, distribution
Cons
Uses up a lot of land
Uses up a lot of space
Space could alternatively be used for urban development instead (economical point of view)
Desertification of land
Depletion of nutrients from being over used with plants
Need to expend additional money to use fertilisers (to try and restore nutrients) - environmental
Food vs Fuel (Ethical)
Third world countries where people are starving and the crops are being used to generate fuel
Industry is using mass amounts of plants such as corn and sugar canes to produce petrol
Some farmers may sacrifice food crops for biofuel production because of the lucrative prices of bioethanol
Thesis statement
For = bioenergy crops are a sustainable and environmentally friendly alternative to fossil fuels
Good alternative that if handled wisely (not much interference with food production) can become an effective solution
Conclusion
Bioenergy crops provide the only source of alternative energy that can reduce the use of fossil fuels in transportation
While biofuels release less harmful emissions and is better for the environment than fossil fuels the growth of bioenergy crops should be handled in a way that does not interfere with food production