Tag Archives: biofuel

Peak soil: Industrial agriculture destroys ecosystems and civilizations. Biofuels make it worse.

Posted on August 31, 2017 by

Alice Friedemann. 2017. Peak Soil.   Last updated: June 4, 2017, first published 2007 [ Formerly titled: Why Biofuels are Not Sustainable and a Threat to America’s National Security.  Shorter versions appear in the following books: Jacqueline Langwith, ed. 2008.  “Opposing … Continue reading →

Posted in Alternative Energy, Biofuels, Biomass, Energy, Peak Biofuels, Soil, Soil | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

U.S. GAO on mutually dependent water and energy

Posted on May 26, 2017 by

[ This post contains excerpts from a Government Accountability Office on the interdependency of water and energy.  Mutual dependencies make the essential systems that keep us alive more fragile, since disruption in one can cause shortages or failures in related … Continue reading →

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Are biofuels a sustainable and viable energy strategy?

Posted on November 9, 2016 by

[In 2000, Melanie Kenderine at the U.S. Department of energy stated that: “This nation has abundant biomass resources (grasses, trees, agricultural wastes) that have the potential to provide power, fuels, chemicals and other bio-based products” (136). That’s a good point … Continue reading →

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National Algal Biofuels Technology Roadmap, Department of Energy

Posted on November 5, 2016 by

[ This is the best document of the many I’ve read. If my post Dozens of reasons why the world doesn’t run on algal biofuels didn’t convince you that the scientists are NOT likely to come up with something, get … Continue reading →

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Biofuel distribution wastes valuable diesel fuel

Posted on June 14, 2015 by

Biofuels can’t use the existing refined petroleum distribution pipeline system, by far the cheapest way to move fuel — 17.5 times cheaper than truck, 5 times less than rail, 2.25 times less than barge, on average (Curley), so delivery of … Continue reading →

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New land converted to cropland to grow biofuel crops equal to 34 coal-fired power plants

Posted on April 25, 2015 by

Summary of article below: Between 2008 and 2012 over 7 million acres new land, much of it grasslands, were converted to croplands, damaging native ecosystems, and mimics the extreme land-use change that led up to the Dust Bowl in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Biofuels | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

GAO on why ethanol, and other non-drop in fuels, face pipeline & installation at service station challenges

Posted on April 9, 2015 by

[The challenges that ethanol faces in being put into new or modified pipelines and added to gas stations are issues faced by all alternative fuels (methanol, CNG, LNG, DME, diesohol, CTL, hydrogen, and so on) in a transition from gasoline … Continue reading →

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Biofuels do not scale up enough to power society

Posted on April 9, 2015 by

Richard, T. August 23, 2010. Challenges in scaling up biofuels infrastructure. Science. (329)   Below are excerpts from this paper.  Look at the impossible scale of biomass required: 150 EJ/year = 15 billion metric tons of plant biomass = 200 billion … Continue reading →

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Biogas

Posted on November 28, 2014 by

Hayes, Denis and Gail. 2015. Cowed: The Hidden Impact of 93 Million Cows on America’s Health, Economy, Politics, Culture, and Environment.    W.W. Norton & Company. Digesters are more about controlling pollution than generating electricity. If every ounce of manure from … Continue reading →

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Germany National Academy of Sciences report: Don’t use biofuels

Posted on August 10, 2012 by

July 26, 2012.  Bioenergy — Chances and Limits. German National Academy of Science (Leopoldina Nationale Akademie der Wissenschaften). Page 30-56 English Version. A major motivations for using bio-energy is to reduce climate change from carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by substituting … Continue reading →

Posted in Algae, Biofuels, Biomass, Biomass EROI, Wood | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments