Environmental / Solutions / Alternative Energy Sources / Biofuels

Biofuels are derived from biomass, which are defined as recently living organisms or their by-products. Agriculture for the specific purpose of serving as a biofuel is becoming increasingly prevalent. Examples of crops grown for this purpose include corn, soybeans, flaxseeds and rapeseeds.

Biofuels can be used to generate energy directly without turning it into electricity. Such methods are often used in developing countries when there is little or no electricity. Biofuels serve purposes such as heat generation and such when used in such a context. They can also be mixed with conventional fossil fuels by blending, to create cheaper and more efficient fuels.

While biofuels are typically burnt like fossil fuels, it does not result in a net gain of carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere. This is because the carbon inside biofuels have been recently extracted from organisms that have recently been grown using absorbed carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. This is unlike fossil fuels, whereby the carbon has already been stored for aeons. By burning them, this carbon is released into the atmosphere, inputting new carbon dioxide, adding on to the carbon dioxide already in the atmosphere.