The cry on global warming seems to be round the corner as a regular feature now a days, even the fuel that we use end up adding greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. Finding fuel, not to mention the right kind of fuel, is equally tough. Two different studies conducted recently conclude that Biofuel, which has been considered as a better option than fossil fuel, can in fact add up to the problem global warming rather than solving it.
To be specific, the fuel made with the corn, soy and palm from US, Brazil and Malaysia, respectively, do more damage than good. The residues from cooking oil, grass and wood would prove much better options. However, the use of the Biofuels can also influence the rise of prices of food items according to these studies.
The article by Jörn Scharlemann and William Laurance, post doctoral fellow and staff scientists respectively, in the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, recently published in ‘Science’ titled ‘How Green are Biofuels?’, breaks the myth of the safety of Biofuels to pieces. The other study by Zah et al. who were commissioned to conduct this study by the Swiss Government gives a precise picture of the issues associated with Biofuel. They listed the advantages of approximately 26 fuels. These fuels were studied taking into consideration the relative reduction of greenhouse-gas emissions and an environmental-impact index.
Overall, these studies guide us in choosing the right kind of fuels and trying to reduce the burden on the atmosphere rather than overloading it with greenhouse gases.
Via: Science Daily
