e-portfolio 4 - Summary of 2 articles

While preparing for the roundtable discussion, i had come across many articles about biofuel and i am going to share 2 of them with you.

The first article is about "A Promising Oil Alternative: Algae Energy", it talks about algae being used for biofuel and why it is better than the 1st generation of biofuel. The article starts by stating petroleum quantity is decreasing and we have to find a better and greener subsitute. That is where biofuel comes into the picture; biofuel is currently being produce using corn, soybean, sugar cane and other crops. A much more greener way to use biofuel is to use algae, as it has a rapid reproduction rate, it yields 30 times more energy per acre than other crops and it can be processed into fuel oil. The best thing about algae is that it can grow almost anywhere even in harsh conditions. By using algae instead of crops, amount of land needed will be much lesser. Some power plants are testing algae to be carbon absorber by feeding the algae directly with carbon dioxide. The article also says that even though it is feasible, it will still take years before we can use it to fuel our vehicles.

The second article is about "Are Biofuels a Viable Alternative to Fossil Fuels?", the main purpose of the article is to inform people that biofuel is not that green as they think. The article starts of with food issues in poor countries and the main point is the food vs fuel issue. It says that global warming is the main driving factor that leads the production of biofuel. When biofuel is produced, food available to feed people decreases and in some countries, places, people are starving because of it. Deforestation will also start to take place as more land is needed for crops to produce fuel and food. The article ends saying there are better alternative then biofuel, what is lacking is the political will and humanity which goes beyond economy.

This two article gave me lots of inside about biofuel, its pros and cons, and help me to write my WA 2.


References:

Alternative Energy (2008, April,22). Are Biofuels a Viable Alternative to Fossil Fuels?. http://www.alternative-energy-news.info/biofuels-alternative-fossil-fuels/

Hartman,E.(2008,January,6). A Promising Oil Alternative: Algae Energy. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/03/AR2008010303907.html