■ Biofuel is a renewable energy source as long as it is used sustainably (e.g.,
addressing soil erosion and deforestation).
■ Could supply half of the world’s demand for electricity.
■ Biofuels can be produced anywhere as opposed to fossil fuels, which only
occur in specific locations (e.g., coal, oil, and natural gas).
■ Biofuels are biodegradable.
■ Biofuels can be converted into biodiesel or bioethanol to power vehicles.
■ The combustion of biofuels does not produce SOx, CO, or unburned
hydrocarbons.
■ When biofuels are burned for energy, the carbon they release was only
recently removed from the atmosphere via photosynthesis, not from long-
standing carbon sinks; therefore, it does not contribute to a net increase in
the amount of CO 2 in the atmosphere.
■ If algae is used as the source for the biofuel, several unique advantages
are possible:
- Algae can be grown with minimal impact on freshwater resources. It
can also recover phosphorus from wastewater as a method to reduce
the impact of fertilizer runoff. Ammonia, nitrates, and phosphates that
normally render water unsafe serve as nutrients for algae.
- Algal biofuel can yield up to 100 times more fuel per unit area when
compared with other biofuels, such as corn or sugarcane, and it can be
grown on marginal land that is unsuitable for traditional crops.
- Algae has a faster growth rate than terrestrial crops and can convert a
higher fraction of their biomass to oil than traditional crops can (e.g.,
60% for algae compared to about 3% for terrestrial plants).
- The cultivation of algae does not significantly impact the land,
resulting in less of an impact on wildlife, habitats, biodiversity,
changes to the soil that can result in erosion, salinization,
desertification, loss of soil nutrients, and groundwater depletion.
- Algae cultivation requires significantly less pesticides and fertilizers,
resulting in less environmental impacts due to runoff.
CONS
