Fuel switching to biofuels seems like a promising idea in theory and if done correctly it can have many positive impacts on mitigating anthropogenic carbon dioxide, however biomass requires land for growth and/or agricultural processes.
To minimise conflict with food production they would demand extending agricultural land and replacing natural grassland ecosystems with bio-fuel plantations (Read and Parshotam 2007; Read 2008). This in turn could lead to elevated emissions of N2O that counteracts the CO2 offsets created (Crutzen et al. 2008).
The IPCC (2010) has also stated that biofuel has the potential to increase food prices and have a threat to worldwide food security. This is likely to met with public opposition as food prices increase, however an offset could be realised in the cut in energy costs.
To minimise conflict with food production they would demand extending agricultural land and replacing natural grassland ecosystems with bio-fuel plantations (Read and Parshotam 2007; Read 2008). This in turn could lead to elevated emissions of N2O that counteracts the CO2 offsets created (Crutzen et al. 2008).
The IPCC (2010) has also stated that biofuel has the potential to increase food prices and have a threat to worldwide food security. This is likely to met with public opposition as food prices increase, however an offset could be realised in the cut in energy costs.
There are also some sustainable development challenges which are likely to present themselves as a result. Some important trade-offs between environmental and social criteria
exist and need to be considered in future bioenergy developments.
When using the case of sugarcane, the environmental sustainability criteria (formed from the Roundtable for
Sustainable Biofuels) favour mechanical harvesting due to emissions being avoided from sugarcane field burning required in manual systems.
Several organisations have voiced concerned about the substantial number of workers that will be displaced by these new systems. Also, the mechanised model tends to favour further concentration of land ownership, potentially excluding small- and medium-scale farmers and reducing employment opportunities for rural workers (Huertas et al., 2010).
So biofuels could possibly have negative impacts on sustainable development, which is one of the things it is trying to promote!
Although these are problems which need to be addressed I personally feel that it is possible and biofuels look like a good alternative to fossil fuels.
Several organisations have voiced concerned about the substantial number of workers that will be displaced by these new systems. Also, the mechanised model tends to favour further concentration of land ownership, potentially excluding small- and medium-scale farmers and reducing employment opportunities for rural workers (Huertas et al., 2010).
So biofuels could possibly have negative impacts on sustainable development, which is one of the things it is trying to promote!
Although these are problems which need to be addressed I personally feel that it is possible and biofuels look like a good alternative to fossil fuels.
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