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Growing Away from Petroleum with Biofuels
by Fr. John S. Rausch
December 2006
Nikolaus August Otto, the German inventor of the combustion engine, ran his first prototype on ethanol. Rudolf Diesel powered his Diesel engine on peanut oil. Henry Ford originally designed his Model T to run completely on ethanol until cheap crude oil gushed from the generous reserves of Pennsylvania and Texas becoming the fuel of choice. Today, with possibly half the earth’s cheapest recoverable oil depleted–dubbed "peak oil"-- biofuels have resurged as a promising energy source.
Biofuels are defined as biological fuels that, when burned, do not increase the stock of total carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Actually, biofuels recycle carbon dioxide. They remove it from the atmosphere by photosynthesis as they grow and release the same amount when burned. Biofuels are considered CO2 neutral. Burning a fossil fuel like oil, conversely, releases a surge of additional new quantities of CO2, a significant greenhouse gas, that have been stored underground for millions of years, thus contributing to global warming. With that threat and the disappearance of cheap oil, biofuels now promise an energy earth-friendly future.
Ethanol, an alcohol-based fuel, and biodiesel, made from plant-derived oils, represent the two main types of biofuels. Ethanol delivers an energy content two-thirds that of gasoline, while biodiesal contains 90 percent of the energy of petroleum diesel. The production of both fuels nearly tripled between 2000 and 2005 with biofuels now supplying 2 percent of the world’s gasoline.
While numerous crops lend themselves to fuel conversion, scientists look for the ones that give the highest net energy return. Ethanol from sugarcane in Brazil, for example, yields over 8 units of energy for each unit needed in cane production and ethanol distillation. The Brazilians burn the fibrous remainder as the heat source for the distillation process after extracting the syrup from the cane, thus eliminating the need for additional fossil fuel. U.S. corn-based ethanol relies predominately on natural gas for distillation and yields only 1.5 units of energy for each energy unit used.
Without question, renewable biofuels chart the direction for our energy future, especially in light of global warming and the temptation to secure oil reserves through war. For people of faith, the need for biofuels also invites us to reconsider our impact on the global common good–our place in the world, our society and our personal lifestyles.
First, consider our level of consumption. Between 1950 and 2005 Americans increased their per capita energy consumption threefold. The average American house in 1950 covered 1100 square feet, but by 2005 it had grown to 2340 square feet–more space to heat and cool, more rooms to fill with electric gadgets and electronic equipment. With bigger homes more farm land turned to subdivisions. We chose cars for comfort not gas mileage.
Second, consider ownership patterns. Currently the U.S. government subsidies biodiesel at one dollar a gallon and ethanol at 51 cents a gallon. The vast majority of subsidies go not to farmers, but to energy-producing corporations. Biofuels could spark agrarian renewal with a progressive public policy discouraging concentration and favoring co-op and local ownership.
Third, consider the global dimension. Farmers have traditionally raised food, feed and fiber. Adding fuel, they must allocate a proper land mix so the world’s poor don’t lack food because the wealthy demand fuel. Market forces may endanger global climate by pressuring land owners to expand production by clearing land in environmentally sensitive areas like the Amazon basin.
People of faith decide what they drive, how they live and what they waste. Those decisions, not simply biofuels, will determine the future of God’s creation.
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