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Jake Meisner
Mrs. Corbett
AP Literature
18 November 2011
Biofuels
“The use of biofuelsin the transportation industry is not new. In 1900, German inventor
Rudolf Diesel exhibited his new engine at the World Exhibition in Paris, France. He ran the
engine on peanut oil. In 1912 Diesel suggested that vegetable oils would be the fuel of the future
for his diesel engine….In 1925, Henry Ford a leader in the U.S. automobile industry, promoted
corn-based ethanol as the fuel of the future for the automotive industry”(Environmental Science:
In Context). If these great pioneers of the automotive industry saw the potential of biofuels, why
does society not utilize them? It is clear that many biofuels have the ability to supply the
necessary power to motor vehicles, and yet the world relies on gasoline like it is the only source
of power. The current energy crisis is plaguing the world because of its complete and utter
dependence on oil and other petroleum products. Society clearly needs to have a viable long-
term replacement for petroleum before the world‟s supply finally depletes. One such option
exists in biofuels due to their ease of synthesis and their economic, environmental, and social
benefits.
Verily, biofuels are an extremely viable option for the long term energy security of the
world because of their wide range of applications and derivations, and most biofuels are easily
synthesized. Biofuels utilize once living matter by converting the mass into a usable energy
source. These renewable sources of energy can be applied in many different types of fuel, the
most successful options being ethanol and biodiesel. For these two, the chimerical processes
transfer the fatty acids within the natural oils of the feedstuff into triglycerides that can be

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combusted and used for fuel (Solomon).These processes are easily accomplished and can be
done with relatively small amounts of chemicals. This ease provides an extremely viable option
of renewable energy consumption for all nations in that even the most undeveloped nations
possess enough technology to accomplish the synthesis of at least one biofuels. As a matter of
fact, Applied Energy claims, “Through „liquid-liquid‟ extraction, converting used cooking oils
can essentially become a cottage industry for useable biodiesel” (Berrios et al.). Waste products,
such as used cooking oils, are very valuable feedstuffs in the synthesis process of biofuels.
Berrios highlights the fact that all societies have the ability to produce usable biofuels on at least
some scale. There have been several successful implementations of biofuels in nations such as
Brazil. “Brazil focused on turning sugarcane into ethanol….By 2007, most automotive fuel sold
in Brazilcontained 70% gasoline and 30% ethanol, about 4 million cars were burning pure
ethanol, and most new vehicles contained “flexible-fuel” engines that could burn pure gasoline,
pure ethanol, or any blend” (Climate Change: In Context). Brazil utilized its resources and
converted excess sugarcane into usable fuel for its citizens. This provides a blueprint for other
nations to use in that countries can often use their staple cash crops to produce fuel. In order to
accomplish the goal of energy independence, it is crucial for all of society to realize that biofuels
are not necessarily complicated and unobtainable energy solutions.
Equally important to the success of biofuels are the economic benefits that come with
their utilization. Dependence on oil has contributed in many nations, particularly the United
States, to the economic crisis that the world is dealing with presently.“Every day, modern nations
consume enormous amounts of energy to fuel their mighty economies. The vast majority of this
energy comes from nonrenewable fossil fuels…Oil is depended on the most, accounting for 40
percent of all energy needs and nearly 90 percent of transportation fuel” (“The Energy

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Crisis”).Universally, the use of petroleum products is hampering economies. Without a
sustainable alternative, OPEC, being the goliath cartel that it is, can impose its will on the
world.CBC Bioenergy states, “The utilization of sustainable energy helps stimulate local and
national agricultural economies because they supply a sense of job security for farmers when
their primary crops are not in season” (Bryan, King, and Wang).This utilization of off-seasons
allow for farmers to produce feedstuffs such as corn, rapeseed, the jatropha plant, algae, etc.
Many of these products are low-cost and low-maintenance crops that produce large amounts of
natural oil needed for the formation of the biofuels. The economic effects of this idea would
include a larger income for farmers and less imports on petroleum products based products
(particularly oil). Another economic effect that is often overlooked in this process is the
development and/or expansion of the refining systems within nations. This is an important aspect
of the system because although most biofuels can be produced in a domestic setting, the large-
scale production of these fuels can be expedited by using laboratories to extrude the natural oils
and to complete the finished product, and this industry supplies thousands of jobs which
contributes to the overall health of every nation‟s economy. Some argue that the production of
biofuels actually hampers the economy, and they base this argument on the assumption that their
production raises the cost of food. Agronomy for Sustainable Development (EDP Sciences)points
to a study in which,
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) calculated that biofuel production
contributed only 5% of the 45% increase in global food costs that occurred between
April 2007 and April 2008. A Texas A&M University study concluded that energy
prices were the primary cause of food price increases,noting that between January
2006 and January 2008, the prices of fuel and fertilizer, both major inputs to
agricultural production, increased by 37% and 45%, respectively (Bessou et al.).
This shows that biofuels are, in fact, not an economic depressant. Moreover, because of the

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effects on the agricultural and refinery industries, biofuels actually increase economic potential
by supplying jobs and by decreasing dependence on foreign oil.
In comparison, the environmental benefits of employing biofuels are immense. Oil usage
has caused considerable increases in the world‟s carbon footprint, and these increases are
deemed to be a factor in some of the world‟s leading environmental problems such as global
warming. Biodiesel, as an alternative fuel, is one of the premier sources in terms of clean energy.
To begin with, “Biodiesel became the only alternative fuel to have successfully completed the
EPA's Tier I and Tier II Health Effects testing …The Tier I testing conclusively demonstrated
biodiesel's significant reductions in most currently regulated emissions as well as most
unregulated emissions—especially those associated with cancer and lung disease” (Charles).Not
only does this biofuel pass the EPA tests, but it also surpasses petroleum-based fuels in toxicity
and in carcinogen content. Without these harmful chemicals in the air, the world becomes a
much safer place and the threat of terrible diseases, like cancer, could develop into a nominal
concern. There is yet another type of environmental improvement in the combustion of the fuel
itself. Demirbas declares, “Biofuels, except biohydrogen, are oxygenated compounds.
Oxygenated structure would increase the efficiency of converting the potential combustion
energy to power….Finally, biofuels burn more completely, thus increasing combustion
efficiency” (“Combustion Efficiency”).Not only are the fumes of the biofuels less toxic, but the
amount of them, due to the relative combustions, is also better for the environment. Moreover,
the lack of fumes produced by the biofuels decreases air pollution as a whole, and if people were
to accept these fuels as legitimate replacements on a large scale, then the air in big, over-polluted
cities such as Tokyo, New York, Beijing, etc. becomes much safer to breathe. Clearly biofuels

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serve as a much cleaner source of energy than do fossil fuels such as gasoline and coal, and
should society choose to accept these sources, the world would be much less polluted.
Despite the lack of attention that biofuels receive, their social benefits also serve as an
attractive force to their gathering. One such benefit lies in the use of ethanol. “Sugarcane ethanol,
while also supplying jobs to farmers…also encourages further job creation to those not in the
agricultural field” (Kline et al.). Scientists, engineers, etc. in all nations benefit from the use of
biofuels because men and women of high intelligence are needed to supply infrastructure, design
refineries, etc. Also, unskilled laborers receive jobs because they would be needed to harvest the
feedstuffs for the production of biofuels.Perhaps just as important is the supply of energy to rural
areas.Conservation Biology highlights, “More than two billion people in the world do not have
access to affordable energy services, and this seriously affects their chances of benefiting from
economic development and improved living standards….Women, older people and children
suffer disproportionately because of their relative dependence on traditional fuels and their
exposure to smoke from cooking, the main cause of respiratory diseases” (Groom, Gray, and
Townsend).The varying effects of fossil fuels on human life clearly highlight serious issues in
their use. Biofuels, on the other hand, show possibilities clean-burning fuels that do not cause the
despair that fossil fuels have been known to cause. Clearly, the social benefits of biofuels pose
enough reason to utilize the clean energy rather than suffer the consequences of burning
gasoline, coal, and other harmful fuels.
By and large, biofuels make a compelling argument for their superiority to their
counterparts, the fossil fuels. Although some claim that biofuels are only pushes for “green
energy” and that they are not long-term solutions to the world‟s oil addiction, but this is not the
case. Biofuels, especially ethanol and biodiesel, are in use today and are allowing many nations

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to loosen the grip that OPEC has strung upon the world. Overall, these alternative fuel sources
can be the staple of future fuel sources should society accept them for the power houses they
truly are.

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Works Cited
Berrios, M, et al. “Purification of Biodiesel from Used Cooking Oils.” Applied Energy 88.11
(2011): 3625-3631. Academic Search Complete. Web. 1 Nov. 2011.
<http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=5&hid=104&sid=7b7bef89-8e32-4e40-9cbe-
8918ba848d56%40sessionmgr112&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=a
9h&AN=62273965>.
Bessou, Cécile, et al. “Economics of Biosecurity across Levels of Decision-Making: A Review.”
Agronomy for Sustainable Development (EDP Sciences) 31.1 (2011): 120-128. Academic
Search Complete. Web. 1 Nov. 2011. <http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/
pdfviewer?sid=17c24b94-b582-4c03-b023-
6d834f780fdb%40sessionmgr114&vid=4&hid=122>.
Bryan, Brett A, Darran King, and Enli Wang. “Biofuels Agriculture.” GCB Bioenergy 2.6
(2010): 330-345. Academic Search Complete. Web. 1 Nov. 2011.
<http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=7&hid=104&sid=7b7bef89-8e32-4e40-9cbe-
8918ba848d56%40sessionmgr112&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=a
9h&AN=66589643>.
Charles, Hatcher L. “Biodiesel as a Renewable Energy Source: A New Direction?” Spectrum:
Journal of State Government 77.3 (2004): 13-16. Academic Search Complete. Web. 14
Oct. 2011. <http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=43445edf-857d-
4e49-ad78-00592b2f0c69%40sessionmgr13&vid=7&hid=19>.

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Demirbas, A. “Combustion Efficiency Impacts of Biofuels.” Energy Sources Part A: Recovery,
Utilization & Environmental Effects 31.7 (2009): 602-609. Academic Search Complete.
Web. 25 Oct. 2011. <http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/
detail?vid=4&hid=14&sid=40aeee2d-106f-48e6-8592-
106f752d2466%40sessionmgr10&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=a9
h&AN=36678130>.
Groom, Martha J, Elizabeth M Gray, and Patricia A Townsend. “Biofuels and Biodiversity:
Principles for Creating Better Policies for Biofuel Production.” Conservation Biology
22.3 (2008): 602-609. Academic Search Complete. Web. 1 Nov. 2011.
<http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=3&hid=122&sid=17c24b94-b582-4c03-
b023-
6d834f780fdb%40sessionmgr114&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=a
9h&AN=32549787>.
Kline, Keith, et al. “In Defense of Biofuels, Done Right.” Issues in Science & Technology 25.3
(2009): 75-84. Academic Search Complete. Web. 24 Oct. 2011.
<http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=3&hid=11&sid=a2464b4e-04ef-427b-b319-
108b67451ff9%40sessionmgr12&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=a9
h&AN=37791557>.

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Lerner, Brenda Wilmoth, and K. Lee Lerner, eds. Climate Change: In Context. Vol. 1. Detroit:
Gale, 2008. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 27 Oct. 2011.
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Lerner, Brenda Wilmoth, and K Lee Lerner, eds. Environmental Science: In Context. Detroit:
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Solomon, Barry D. “Biofuels and Sustainability.” Annals of the New York Academy 1185.1
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0008537&documentId=GALE%7CEJ3010373112&userGroupName=cant48040&jsid=a
a45a65df59c3e220d792fc071dab176>.