BCB311

Monday, March 06, 2006

WHAT IS BIOFUEL AND HOW USEFUL IS IT?

Biofuel is a gas or liquid, such as ethyl alcohol that is made from
plant material (biomass). Most biomass is burned directly for heating,
cooking and industrial processes or indirectly to drive turbines and
produce electricity. Burning wood and manure for heating and cooking
supplies about 11% of the world's energy and about 30% of the energy
used in developing countries.

Advantages foe using biofuels is that there is a large potential supply
and that its' costs are moderate, but if harvested unsustainably it
can become nonrenewable. Other disadvantage of using biofuel is that
there may be soil erosion, water pollution and a loss of wildlife
habitat. Some analysts feels that the production of biofuel on a large
scale is not an alternative to the current use of oil and I not even an
advisable option to cover a significant fraction of it.

Michelle Baatjies

Third year BCB student

Email 2431471@uwc.ac.za

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