Ecological Dimensions of Biofuels

Presented by : Geonyzl L. Alviola

History of Biofuels

Nikolaus August Otto• One of the first inventors in the use of

ethanol

Rudolf Diesel inventor of the diesel engine. He designed his diesel engine to run in peanut oil and later Henry Ford designed the Model T car which was produced from 1903 to 1926.

• This car was completely designed to use hemp derived biofuel as fuel.

Why do we have to give attention to Biofuels?

• Fossil fuel supply and Climate Change

What is a biofuel

• Biofuels are fuels produced directly or indirectly from organic material including plant material and animal waste

• Or it is also known as agro fuel.

Emissions of major air pollutants from diesel engines

For every unit of fossil energy used in the entire biodiesel production cycle,

3.2 units of energy are gained when the fuel is burned, or a

positive energy balance of 320 percent.

Fuel Energy yield Net (loss) or gainGasoline 0.805 (19.5%)Diesel 0.843 (15.7%)Ethanol 1.34 34%Biodiesel 3.2 320%

Energy Yield

Types of Biofuels

There are 4 chief Biofuels categories:

The 1st generation of biofuels comes from sugar, starch & vegetable fats that are solely dependent on food-crops. It also can be sourced through animal fats.

e.g; biofuels are bio-diesel, Bioethanol & biogas.

Colorado’s Solix Biofuels harvests algae with a field of bioreactors that take a kind of painter’s dropcloth to bubble CO through its system

“Third generation” biofuels?

Marine algae: 10 times the oil content of oil palm(Botryococcus braunii produce 75%of their dry weight as hydrocarbons)

The US has 113 ethanol distilleries and 77 more are under construction. Potential capacity: Over 44 billion liters (about 5% of US fuel consumption) (Mcneely,2008)

“Business Advisory: 16 Ethanol Plants Filing Bankruptcy, Many More to Come” DTN 20 June 2008.

(Acosta et al, 2016)

The bioethanol imports were as high as 339 million liters in 2014, but are expected to decline to 251 million liters in 2016 due to increase in domestic ethanol production

• The survey results further showed that crops, which are not widely used and do not offer alternative household use (e.g., perennial grasses), are not perceived as important and not preferred bioenergy feedstock.

• In the Philippines, for example, offers from private companies in Compostela Valley Province in Mindanao to inter-crop coconut plantations with perennial grasses have not been well accepted by the farmers because it will limit their access to useful by-products.

• (Acosta et al, 2016)

Impact to society, soil, water and biodiversity?

Ecological benefits and costsSocial and economic benefits and costs

Biofuels as a stimulus to rural economiesEffects of biofuels on land ownership and control

Effects of biofuels on food security

2000-2005, Indonesia planted 1.6 million haof oil palm, with US$110 million in governmentsubsidies. 9.8 million ha of forest were lost.

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Forest growing on peat soils in Indonesia are burned to make way for

oil palm plantations

Releasing more carbon than will ever be stored by the palms

Using US maize to produce ethanol increased tortilla price in Mexico

Status of British Birds

• If fuel quality is not maintained there could be a net cost to the country from the introduction of biofuel due to engine damage by low-quality fuel (Ung et al, 2009)

• No sulfur content release to the atmosphere but it increase Nitrogenous gas which could cause acid rain.

Loss of Rainforests

Water Use Increases

Soil Fertility

Poplar trees Switchgrass harvest in the Netherlands

Soybean harvest

Price of Corn

Effects of Palm oil Plantations

• tends to reduce freshwater and soil quality, and adversely affects local communities which are dependent on ecosystem products (such as food and medicines) and ecosystem services (such as regulation of the hydrological cycle and soil protection) provided by the forests (Fitzherbert and others 2008).

Continue…..• From an ecological point of view, oil palm

monocultures:

• might form impervious barriers to species’ migration and

• result in greater susceptibility to plant diseases. • Conversion of natural forests increases habitat

fragmentation and biodiversity loss. • Abiotic edge effects include vulnerability to wind,

desiccation and occurrence of fires (Danielsen et al, 2009)

• Gain clear understanding of economic, environmental and social impacts of bioenergy production & trade before making policy

• Be guided by risk assessment of comparative advantages, land availability and food security impacts

• Encourage investment on better environmental technologies and practices for all renewable sources of energy

• Do not expect biomass to be a main source of energy – conservation often remains the most cost-effective option

• Use overall land use plans as the basis for planning bioenergy production at the landscape scale

• (Mcneely, 2008)

Some recommendations

References• Acosta L., Macandog D, Kumar K, Cui X, Eugenio E, Macandog P, Salvacion A and Eugenio J. 2016 The Role

of Bioenergy in Enhancing Energy, Food and Ecosystem Sustainability Based on Societal Perceptions and Preferences in Asia. Agriculture. 6:19. doit:10.33390/agriculture 6020019

• Danielsen F, Beukema H, Burgess Parish F, Brühl CA, Donald, PF, Murdiyarso D, Phalan B, Reijnders L, Struebig M & Fitzherbert EM, 2009. Biofuel plantations onforested lands: double jeopardy for biodiversity and climate. Conservation Biology 23: 348–358

• Fitzherbert EB, Struebig MJ, Morel A, Danielsen F, Brühl CA, Donald PF & Phalan B 2008. How will oil palm expansion affect biodiversity? Trends in Ecology and Evolution 23(10): 539-545

• German, Schonevel and Pacheco. 2011. The Social and Environmental Impacts of Biofuel Feedstock Cultivation: Evidence from Multi-siteResearch in the Forest Frontier. Ecology and Society. Accessed from http:///www.ecologiyandsociety.org/vol16/iss3/art24. 16(3):24

• Mcneely J. 2008. Biofuels Biodiversity and Energy Security: What are the environmental and social impacts?. Scope Conference on Biofuels. Gummersbach, Germany.

• Mendoza, T.2007. Are Biofuels Really Beneficial For Humanity? Philippine Journal of Crop Science (PJCS). 32(3):85-100.

• Republic Act No. 9367. An Act to Direct Use of Biofuels, Establishing For the Purpose the Biofuel Program Appropriating Funds Therefore and for Other Purpose. S.no. 2261. H. no. 4629.

• Rodolfo. 2007. ‘Peak Oil’: The global crisis of demanding petroleum supply and its implications for the Philippines. The Asian Studies Journal. In Press.

• Ung L, Sovuthea H, Yang J, Zhang Y and Zhang Y. 2009. Status and Potential for the Development of Biofuels and Rural Renewable Energy: Cambodia. Asian Development Bank. P. 59.

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