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Benefits of renewable energy Essay
benefits of renewable energy in south africa
advantages and disadvantages of renewable sources of energy
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The world has begun to realize the importance of finding sustainable, renewable forms of energy. One of the most highly prioritized forms of energy is liquid, so that we can begin to manage our dependency on fossil energy. In the midst of this search, ethanol, a fuel additive which can be utilized in a variety of vehicles has become a popular alternative to fossil fuel. Many view Ethanol as the fuel of the future. Bioethanol, which is currently the most prominent type of ethanol, is made from the fermentation process of crops such as sugar or corn. This can be done in two ways, through dry or wet milling, the main difference between the two being that in dry milling the grains are mashed together, while in wet milling they are soaked in water for 24-48 hours before the process begins. Both of these processes generate C02 emissions; however the C02 is generally captured and used for other things(1).
Many nations, with the United States and Brazil leading in production, have begun to use Ethanol fuel as a renewable liquid energy source. Over the past six years ethanol production in the United States has nearly quadrupled, and the government is spending over three billion dollars in subsidies for the industry(1). However many people believe that the numerous drawbacks of actually producing and utilizing Ethanol outweigh these benefits, and that we should divert our attention and funding towards more viable renewable resources.
The benefits of ethanol fuel seem to be fairly straightforward. The most popular reason cited for using bioethanol is that because it contains a high level of oxygen it is more clean burning than straight gasoline. According to some estimates "ethanol use in the U.S. reduced CO2-equivalent greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 7 million tons", and is expected to reduce emissions by 1.7 billion tons by the year 2050(2). Such a dramatic reduction of ozone forming materials helps to improve air quality in cities where the fuel is used. Ethanol also does not contain many of the toxins that fossil based gasoline does, making it more biodegradable and safer in the instance of a spill(3). Additionally corn-based fuels are renewable, we have the capabilities to grow large amounts of corn, whereas we cannot produce anymore fossil energy and are limited by the supplies that we already have.
The idea that ethanol is a clean burning, renewable resource sounds lovely in theory, however in practice Ethanol isn't particularly sustainable.
The U.S. government spends billions of dollars every year subsidizing corn production, livestock feed, processed foods, and ethanol production account for the greatest uses of corn in the United States. Supplying the livestock and processed food industries with cheap corn ultimately leads to an American diet that is heavily based on the consumption of meat and sugary processed foods. This diet is thought to contribute to America’s obesity epidemic. Corn subsidies also encourage production of ethanol. Ethanol may be no better than fossil fuels because of the required energy inputs and the environmental damage caused by its production.
In conclusion, Corn Ethanol Biofuel has many negative and positive effects. It has a negative effect because it releases greenhouse gases but positive effects as well because it is inexpensive to produce and use, and is a renewable source. The future of corn ethanol is uncertain: “Corn-based ethanol will most likely not be the staple fuel source in the future, as it is only a short term solution and poses problems in the long run. Ethanol contains 33% less energy than gasoline, and corrodes engines that it is used in. Average production and final sales are 62 cents/gal higher than conventional gasoline. Even though political support is waning, Congress will most likely not abandon corn ethanol.” ("Future of Corn Ethanol.) I think corn ethanol
When we say ethanol production we are referring to the use of ethanol as a hybrid fuel for automobiles. What hybrid fuels means is that instead of running a car solely off of ethanol or gasoline alone, ethanol is actually blended in with standard fuel grade gasoline to create the ethanol fuel hybrid. Ethanol is derived from alcohol; it is a grain alcohol that is typically broken down from corn, although it can be obtained by other means such as Brazilian sugar cane, wheat, barley and potatoes (West). The way ethanol is created, according to Larry West in an article titled How is Ethanol made, is by fermenting plant sugars from photosynthesis, treating them with enzymes followed by then inserting tiny microbes to feed on the sugar that will finally b...
In conclusion, the fact that biofuel is renewable unlike other natural resources such as coal, nuclear fuels, and petroleum makes it an excellent energy solution. However, there are still several major problems that need to be fixed before biofuel is recognized universally and used on an industrial scale.
Cellulosic ethanol will not be able to meet its mandated output because in the past four years since demonstration and pilot sites started popping up it has only just started t...
Ethanol production was developed in hopes of severing our ties with fossil fuels in favor of alternative energy, such as biofuels. Although, VOCs emissions are released during production of ethanol in a factory, the quality of air is greatly improved when burning ethanol versus fossil fuels. Burning ethanol instead of fossil fuels reduces the amount of cancer-causing greenhouse gases that go into the atmosphere. Ethanol production ranks at the bottom of industrial water usage, but is still not out of the woods with the abundance of water usage needed in corn feedstock and ethanol manufacturing and processing facilities. Many acres of land are needed to grow corn crops, however, many corn farmers are successful in growing more corn on less acreage.
Cushman, Lynd, Nichols, Wyman. “Fuel Ethanol from Cellulosic Biomass.” Science. March 1991. Vol 251 (4999):1321
Introduction:The idea of biofuels is a old concept, reaching as far as the ending of the 19th century. Solid in its idea but flawed in its presentation. Biofuels are a alternative energy to fossil fuels that are made from natural methods such as plants and crops and are key in solving the apparent flaws of fossil fuels. While fossil fuels have been in use for over a century, Biofuels have now risen to the popularity and been exposed to the press. At one point of time biofuel were being considered by some of the most brilliant minds ever in human history such as Henry Ford and Rudolph Diesel who believed that biofuels had the potential to be the new evolution s on only to reappear a century later. Now the world faces the struggles of global warming and the depletion of fossil fuels slowly dimming by day. Throughout the last century biofuels have proven to have a place in our society as a new alternative fuel source. Specializing in Being Natural and healthier than fossil fuels, biofuels have had a rough beginning against its competitor due to key situations such as pricing, Side effects, to fuel power. However the idea was passed on a to the later generations, and continued to pasand prolong usage. However through the last decade they have been highly advertised by politicians and Government officials claiming it to be the future of a powerful working society, and to help in making a new energy free world. Through belief Some even claiming that “By 2050, a new generation of sustainable biofuels could provide over a quarter of the world’s total transport fuel, according to a recent report by the International Energy Agency” (last name). With such improvement biofuels should be the obvious answer to providing a better future to th...
Biodiesel is considered an environmentally friendly alternative because it reduces the amount many toxic substances. Plants such as soybeans require carbon dioxide from the air to produce their stems, roots and leaves. During biodiesel production from soybean oil, carbon dioxide is produced and released in the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide is considered a green house gas (GHG). However, this cycle of GHG emission does not neccersarily contribute to the atmospheric carbon dioxide levels. This is because the next soybean crop will reuse the carbon dioxide emitted for its growth. Another important environmental benefit is that biodiesel reduces particulate matter (PM), hydrocarbon (HC) and carbon monoxide (CO) emissions. These benefits occur because biodiesel contains 11% oxygen by weight. Oxygen allows the fuel to burn better, resulting in fewer emissions from unburned fuel. And lastly, biodiesel fuels do not contain any sulfur and does not have an unpleasant smell when it is emitted from vehicles.
Ethanol can be made from many different plant sugars including starch and cellulose. Starch ethanol is the most common biofuel used in the world. It is made from kernels of corn, which is very easy to break down. This means that corn is very easily converted into ethanol. On the other hand, cellulose is not easily broken down into ethanol. Cellulose is found in the cell walls of plants, and resembles plant armor. The cellulose combines with lignin, which makes plants woody. During the process of making ethanol from cellulose, the lignin has to be separated from the cellulose because it is not fermentable. Figure 1 shows the complications of making cellulosic ethanol vs. other biofuels. The question marks indicate where the technology hasn’t
Today our renewable fuel of the future is ethanol. Many of us know ethanol as E85 or other higher levels of ethanol blends. Ethanol is a renewable fuel made from various plant materials known as biomass. Ethanol is non-toxic and biodegradable. Ethanol is a clear, colorless liquid primarily made from corn,sugar or cellulosic feedstocks.The potential benefits of cellulosic feedstock is that it results in lower levels of greenhouse gases emissions into the atmosphere. Cellulosic ethanol use could reduce greenhouse gases by as much as 86 percent. In the United States, ethanol is mostly made up of corn grain. Ethanol is not meant for a fuel substitute but a fuel additive. Of gasoline
...g/what-is-biodiesel/biodiesel-basics) .This source is definitely a viable option for America, the implementations might start out a little costly. Companies and industries that use fossil fuels need to start going in the direction of renewable resources to sustain their businesses. By implementing a government incentive to these companies, perhaps it will make the process smoother.
...s that the fermentation leading to the creation of ethanol has made billions and billions of dollars in profit, along with giving millions of people jobs. It is amazing that something that has had such a large impact on the world (as the fermentation of ethanol has) begins on the molecular level.
The concept of this essay is to stress that biofuels are a viable and sustainable energy source than fossil fuels, showing its advantages but not ignoring its disadvantages which also enlightens us about the cleaner and renewable natural resources. Biofuels is an alternative source of energy which can end the global dependence on fossil fuels.
The process of alcoholic fermentation begins with the use of enzymes. The enzymes begin to break down the long chains in starch molecules, a polysaccharide that consists of a large quantity of glucose molecules (C6H12O6) joined by glycosidic bonds as seen in figure 1, into single glucose molecules, a monosaccharide with six carbons and five hydroxyl groups. After the starch has become sugar, the enzymes are used once again, this time to convert the sugars into ethyl alcohol and carbon dioxide, CO2, as seen in figure 2 (World of Scientific Discovery, 2007). The carbon dioxide produced is released into the atmosphere, leaving water and ethanol, the alcohol, behind. Ethanol is a colorless flammable liquid with a molecular formula of C2H6O, giving it a molar mass of 46.07 grams per mole. Ethanol is also characterized by a melting point of -114°C or 159 K.