Brazil to increase diesel bio fuel content

Brazil is going to increase diesel bio-fuel content to 5 per cent from January 2010. It is expected to raise the production of bio-diesel in Brazil by  an additional  2.4 billion litres next year. The Brazilian President, Lula da Silva however warned the bio-fuel industry against reliance on edible soy oil for its production as this could  affect food supplies in future.

Brazil is the world's top sugar producer and hence promoter of cane-derived ethanol for automobiles. Its flex-fuel cars, launched in 2003, incorporate technology enabling them to run solely on ethanol, gasoline, or any mixture of both.

Flying with biofuel   

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) recently approved biofuels for commercial flights by 2010 in order to drastically reduce the industry's carbon footprint. IATA believes that aviation biofuel could reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 80 per cent on a full carbon life-cycle basis which has the potential to save 600 kgs of emissions per flight of Boeing 747-400 planes. This new fuel will be compatible with  present engines and will enable countries to reduce carbon emissions as required by the Kypto Protocol. But this will mean an increase in the  demand  for  biofuels which in turn will further  exacerbate global food shortages and strain water supplies. There is obviously no such thing as a free lunch!.

New gen bio fuels to add to global warming   ---

 According to latest studies advanced biofuels which are considered  low-carbon alternatives on  average will emit more carbon dioxide than  gasoline over  the next few decades.  Governments and companies all over the world are pouring billions of research dollars into developing advanced fuels from wood and grass to cut carbon emissions in order to curtail the use of  corn-based biofuels.  

But the truth is the cellulosic biofuels will actually lead to higher carbon emissions than gasoline per unit of energy  over the time period of 2000-2030 as land will be  required to plant fast-growing poplar trees and tropical grasses. These  will  not only displace food crops, but also  enhance deforestation  - another potent cause of increased carbon emissions.

Biofuel crops also require nitrogen fertilisers, a source of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide that exacerbate greenhouse gas emissions and so enhance climate change problem.

This study tells us to think very carefully about both short and long-term consequences. A related study in the Science journal also reveals that the United Nations had exaggerated carbon savings from biofuels and biomass by ignoring deforestation and other land use changes.

Thus it is important to take into account  how the land had been managed before it was planted  with biofuels.  The world also hopes that the  forthcoming talks in Copenhagen result in a new global climate deal  to protect forests and agriculture lands by rewarding land owners who store carbon in their crops and trees.  

Algae to fight climate change

Fluctuations in oil prices and need to reduce the emission levels to ease climate change, have led  experts to look upon  algae which are fast-growing and full of fat  as a great potential source of renewable energy.  Algae can easily absorb carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, and  do not disturb food crops growing lands. The process of producing cheap fuel on large scale from algae is yet to be researched. University labs and start-up companies across the North America are getting involved in the  process.

ExxonMobil has come forward to invest $ 600 million into algae research in  partnership with a California biotechnology company. The scientists are confident that they will eventually find a cost-effective way to convert lipids from algae ponds into fuel and can realistically look forward to using this fuel in cars, trucks and aeroplanes in about twenty years.  Algae have a big craving for carbon dioxide which is a by-product of burning fossil fuels, industrial smoke and other forms of carbon dioxide emissions.

A California company Sapphire Energy has already announced a  cross-country road trip with algae-tinged gasoline. The trip is meant to raise awareness with a tag line  "Coast to Coast on Slime". Another California company is looking at fattening fish on algae and then processing the fish for oil.  The  Midwest Research Institute began studying algae as an energy source three years ago but  currently it costs up to one hundred  dollars to make a gallon of algal fuel.