Pros And Cons Of Bio-Fuels

Bio-fuels are fuels formed from the decomposition of biological matter. Usually derived from plant, bio-fuels exist in all three states of matter: gas, solid, and liquid.

What is the difference between bio-fuels and fossil fuels?

Bio-fuels differ from fossil fuels in several ways. The following will show you how:

• Fossil fuels are bad for the environment because of the pollution they generate. Bio-fuels on the other hand are much saver for the environment.
• Fossil fuels use up far too many resources because they take a very long time to build whereas bio-fuels can be generated in days.
• Bio-fuels are renewable sources of energy and fossil fuels are not.
• There are several types of bio-fuels

To make it easier to distinguish the different forms of bio-fuels they have been categorized into four groups:

1. First Generation
2. Second Generation
3. Third Generation
4. Fourth Generation

First generation bio-fuels: First generation bio-fuels are derived from starch, vegetable fats, sugar (which is derived from food crops), and animal fats. Typical examples of this bio-fuel group are bio-diesel, vegetable oil and bio gas.

Second generation bio-fuels: Second generation bio-fuels is derived from waste biomass. This adds a more balanced option to the first generation of bio-fuels. Examples for this group are diesel generated from wood, and various kinds of alcohol.

Third generation bio-fuels: Third generation bio-fuels comprise of bio-fuels derived from algae. These algae are farmed on large scales. Being environmentally friendly they are a favorite choice for many alternative oriented people. Algae bio-fuels decompose without harming the soil.

Fourth generation bio-fuels: Fourth generation bio-fuels are derived by a method in which micro-organisms are raised to work with carbon dioxide to generate fuel.

Biggest advantages of bio-fuels:

Bio-fuels prove advantageous in many ways. They:

• lessen the burden on gradually-vanishing fossil fuels.
• they are extremely environment-friendly.
• they help to reduce carbon emissions into the atmosphere.
• they are cost effective to the end user.

Disadvantages of bio-fuels:

Unfortunately there are also some negative aspects of using bio-fuels which we look at here to give you the whole picture. Paradoxically bio-fuels can also hurt the environment, even though we said they were environment-friendly. The biggest drawbacks of these fuels are outlaid below:

• Since first generation bio-fuels are derived from food, many economists argue that this is counter-productive to feeding an increasing number of people worldwide. They argue that instead of wasting valuable food resources to generate bio-fuels we are to use those crops for human consumption - as they were intended to.
• Another huge negatives is the fact that bio-fuels require masses of farming land to grow all the crops needed for production. In the process natural habitats of animals and plants are being destroyed.