Biofuels and Their Effects on Water Resources

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Biofuels and Their Effects on Water Resources
Due to desires to decrease greenhouse gas emissions, the increasing concerns of trade balances and geopolitics, as well as the growing rise of the price of crude oil, nations worldwide are taking bigger steps in establishing sustainable energy alternatives [1]. In order to meet more sustainable energy needs there has been an increase in the demand of biofuels. With this increase in demand comes the increase demand of water, which is already a limiting factor in food production in many parts of the world. Here I explore the effects of biofuel production on water sources, and how biofuels can possibly remediate degraded water resources. Although the increase production of biofuels can further exacerbate already scarce water, sustainable energy produced from biomass has a great potential to use sources of water that are considered unsuitable for consumption. The sustainability of biofuel production through the use of marginal lands can be improved through the use of degraded water resources. Nitrate contaminated ground water, as well as other degraded water resources have the potential to be used for feed stock productivity [2]. This can also lead to the restoration of contaminated water resources.
Water is a finite resource that plays an important role in all aspects of human life. However the demands of water supply are increasing due to population increase, economic activity, and the impacts of climate change [2]. It is estimated that about 1.2 billion people in the global population live in areas where water is scarce [1]. Approximately 7130 km3 of water is evapotranspirated by crops per year worldwide, biofuel crops account for an additional 100 km3 of water that is evapotranspirat...

... middle of paper ...

...ective, environmentally friendly, and can even help remediate contaminated water resources.

Bibliography

1 Fraiture, C et al (2007) Biofuels and implications for agricultural water use. Water Policy 10 67-81. DOI: 10.2166/wp.2008.054
2 Gopalakrishnan, G et al (2009) Biofuels, land and water: A systems approach to sustainability. Environ. Sci. Tecnol.43 DOI:10.1021/es900801u
3 Kivaisi, A (2001) The potential for constructed wetland for wastewater treatment and reuse in developing countries. Ecological Eng, 16, 546-560.
4 Greeway M (2005) The role of constructed wetlands in seconday effluent treatment and water reuse in subtropical and arid Australia. Ecological Eng, 25, 501-509. DOI: 10.1016/j.econleng.2005.07.008
5 Pittman, J. K et al. (2011). The potential of sustainable algal biofuel production using wastewater resources. Bioresource Tech, 102(1), 17-25.

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