Scientific American: Not So Fast On Biofuels
来源：百度文库 编辑：神马文学网 时间：2024/04/30 18:28:05
Not So Fast On Biofuels
Twostudies in the latest issue of the journal Science say that producingbiofuels may actually produce more carbon dioxide than we would withconventional fuel. Karen Hopkin reports.
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For years advocates have touted the use of biofuels as aclean-burning alternative to gasoline. Now a pair of studies publishedin the February 8 issue of Science conclude that biofuels may do moreharm to the environment than good. The researchers calculated theindirect costs of growing the crops that are turned into biofuels. Toplant the corn or sugarcane or soybeans from which biodiesel andbioethanol are made, farmers would first need to clear forests andgrasslands. That process, it turns out, would actually generate morecarbon dioxide than we’d save by swearing off fossil fuels. And itwould take centuries for us to pay off that carbon debt.
For example, the scientists figure it would take 319 years of usingethanol made from soybeans to make up for the extra carbon released bychopping down the forests needed to grow the crop. And of course moreCO2 in the atmosphere means more global warming. So biofuels mightactually exacerbate the problem they’re meant to solve. Something tothink about as we move forward on producing ecofriendly fuels. As oneof the scientists put it, we should make sure our cure isn’t worse thanthe disease.
—Karen Hopkin
60-Second Science is a daily podcast. Subscribe to this Podcast:RSS |iTunes
Twostudies in the latest issue of the journal Science say that producingbiofuels may actually produce more carbon dioxide than we would withconventional fuel. Karen Hopkin reports.
',1)">
Download
For years advocates have touted the use of biofuels as aclean-burning alternative to gasoline. Now a pair of studies publishedin the February 8 issue of Science conclude that biofuels may do moreharm to the environment than good. The researchers calculated theindirect costs of growing the crops that are turned into biofuels. Toplant the corn or sugarcane or soybeans from which biodiesel andbioethanol are made, farmers would first need to clear forests andgrasslands. That process, it turns out, would actually generate morecarbon dioxide than we’d save by swearing off fossil fuels. And itwould take centuries for us to pay off that carbon debt.
For example, the scientists figure it would take 319 years of usingethanol made from soybeans to make up for the extra carbon released bychopping down the forests needed to grow the crop. And of course moreCO2 in the atmosphere means more global warming. So biofuels mightactually exacerbate the problem they’re meant to solve. Something tothink about as we move forward on producing ecofriendly fuels. As oneof the scientists put it, we should make sure our cure isn’t worse thanthe disease.
—Karen Hopkin
60-Second Science is a daily podcast. Subscribe to this Podcast:RSS |iTunes