There is a an extremely high demand for biofuels in America and a need for alternate renewable energy resources. Corn is the main biofuel used now, but it causes issues such as an increase in food price. There is a federal mandate for a production of biofuels other than corn of 79 billion liters by 2022, and large grasses such as switchgrass and micanthus might be the answer. Producing uses less water than corn and and has higher ethanol volumes per acre. Switchgrass is a prarie grass and micanthus is a sterile hybrid, already used in Europe. Madhu Khanna, a professor of agricultural and consumer economics at U. of I says they are the most promising alternate nonfood biofuels available for large-scale production that help climate change migration and energy security.
Environmental News Network
From: Editor, Science Daily
Published November 2, 2010 08:56 AM
This article is bias in favor of the grass because it only states the positive aspects of this biofuel while exluding the negative qualities and effects. It is pro-environmentalist because it is automatically refering to a more environmentally friendly energy resource being the best to use.
V. Energy Reources and Consumption
G. Renewable Energy
Environmental advantages
VI. Global Change
B. Global Warming
Reducing Climate Change
The prospects of using the grass as biofuel could help control the cost of food while providing better nitrogen fixation and carbon capture. These grasses are seemingly the best fit for mass production, and since Miscanthus is already cultivated as a biofuel crop in Europe, it could work well for a larger group of people as well. However, all positive things were said about the grasses as biofuel, and no negatives were mentioned in the article, so it is possible that taking these grasses would deplete an animal's food chain, or upset the growth of the area in general.
ReplyDeleteLibby Gerstner, 7th period.
The idea of using biofuels in the world today is a great thought however ethanol in particular has been proven to be very cost inefficient. If these grasses are proven to be efficient economically than it would be a great alternative but until then I would not be willing to back up these biofuels.
ReplyDelete