The Difference of First Generation Biofuels and the Second Generation Biofuels

The first generation biofuels made from sugar, starch, vegetable oil, or animal fats using conventional technology. The ingredients for the production of first generation biofuels are often seeds or grains which are including corn, soybean, and wheat. After fermenting, it produces ethanol which can be mixed with gasoline. Besides, sunflower seeds, which are pressed to yield vegetable oil that can be used in biodiesel.Second-generation biofuel production processes can use a variety of non food crops. These include waste biomass, the stalks of wheat, corn, wood, and special-energy-or-biomass crops.

The advantages of the first generation biofuels are these foods are already available to biofuel through experiment. It can reduce the emission of carbon dioxide during many experiments. However, the first generation biofuels requires the use of food crops such as sugar cane, corn, wheat. These crops are required for food, so if too much biofuel is made from them, food prices could rise and shortages might be experienced in some countries. Corn, wheat and sugar beet also require high agricultural inputs in the form of fertilizers, which limit the greenhouse gas reductions that can be achieved

The goal of second generation biofuel processes is to extend the amount of biofuel that can be produced sustainably by using biomass comprised of the residual non-food parts of current crops, such as them stems, leaves and husks that are left behind once the food crop has been extracted, as well as other crops that are not used for food purposes, such as switch grass, cereals that bear little grain and more fibre, and also industry waste such as wood chips, skins and pulp from fruit pressing etc.

The problem that second generation biofuel processes are addressing is to extract useful feedstocks from this woody or fibrous biomass, where the useful sugars are locked in by lignin and cellulose. All plants contain cellulose and lignin. These are complex carbohydrates (molecules based on sugar). Lignocellulosic ethanol is made by freeing the sugar molecules from cellulose using enzymes, steam heating, or other pre-treatments. These sugars can then be fermented to produce ethanol in the same way as first generation bioethanol production. The by-product of this process is lignin. Lignin can be burned as a carbon neutral fuel to produce heat and power for the processing plant and possibly for surrounding homes and businesses.

written by Maggie

work cited

http://www.biofuelstp.eu/fuelproduction.html#first

Second Generation Biofuels

The second generation biofuels is meaning biomass-to-liquid technologies.Since the first biofuels used grain, including corn, soybean, and wheat as main ingredients, the global food crisis raises in a short time. The first generation biofuels has many limitations. Consequently, the scientists dedicated to find a new way to produce second biofuels. The scientists found an amazing manner to replace first biofuels. The aim of second generation biofuels operation is to expand the quantity of biofuel which can be produced in a recycling or unwasted way. The primary classification can be divided into four parts.

First of all, the ingredient of second generation biofuels are mainly agricultural waste such as the stems of wheat, the stems of corn, tree trunk, husk, and leaves…etc. These things are left behind once the food crop has been extracted. Secondly, the other produces that are not used for food purpose such as grass, and cereals. Besides, grass and cereals are carried more fiber than grass. Thirdly, the industry waste also can be making into biofuels such as wood chips, skins and pulp from fruit pressing.

The deliberate direction of second biofuels is on the premise that not to compress agricultural crops; however, the second generation biofuels are technically more complicated and expensive. Because the techniques are crudeness at present, the production of second generation biofuels is still little. If scientists can cheapen the cost of producing the second generation biofuels efficiently, it will have more potential.



written by Maggie

work cited

Biofuel Information
http://biofuel.org.uk/

The biofuel factor in rising food prices
April 15, 2008

http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel_food.html

Why Biofuel?

People may be wondering why we have to make biofuels. Using biofuels actually has three benefits: environmental, agricultural and economic benefits.

The environmental benefit has always been the most important reason why people use biofuels. Tests show that biofuels don’t pose a threat to environment or human health. Biofuels contain no sulfur or aromatics. When people use biofuels in a conventional diesel engine, the unburned hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide will be substantially reduced. For instance, ethanol is used as an additive to replace other gasoline additives. Recently, research has showed that increased use of ethanol-blend fuel would reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector. A 20% blend of biodiesel with petroleum diesel produces 12-18% fewer greenhouse gas emissions than petroleum diesel. The blend of 10% ethanol and 90% gasoline produces 3-4% fewer greenhouse gas emissions than gasoline. All these statistics show that biofuels produce fewer emissions than fossil fuels do.

Agricultural benefit is another benefit. Encouraging the production of biofuels will also affect the agricultural market. Take the United States for example. Ethanol is the dominant biofuel in the United States. It is estimated that about 16% of the U.S. corn crop is used for ethanol production, the third-largest use of American corn, behind animal feed and export purposes. Because farmers can earn more from value-added products, they will invest in biofuel processing plants. If biofuels use a high proportion of crop, the price of crop will definitely rise. According to one study, farmers grow corn near an ethanol plant receive an average of 2-5% more for their corn.

Figure: Demand for Corn for Ethanol Production in the United States

Using biofuels can also be economic. To many fleet managers, biodiesel is their least-cost strategy to comply with state and federal regulations. When people use biodiesel in engines, major engine modifications are not required; that is, operators keep their fleets, refueling stations and skilled mechanics. Nothing is changed except for air quality. What’s more, people don’t have to change the storage facilities. The standard storage facilities used for petroleum diesel can be used for biodiesel as well. And biodiesel can be operated in any diesel engine so the operator don’t have to worry that they have to spend lots of money buying new facilities for biofuels.

Written by Melody

Works Cited

"Biofuels - An Energy, Environmental or Agricultural Policy?" Virtual Library.8 Feb 2007. 27 May 2008.<http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/library/PRBpubs/prb0637-e.htm>.

"Why Biofuel?" Us Biofuel Holdings. 27 May 2008.

<http://usbiofuelholdings.com/why_biofuel.php>.

Biofuel Solution

In this article” The Clean Energy Scam”, Michael Grunwald mentions that the first generation is failure. Crops are not appropriate to be an alternative source of energy because they can’t solve the urgent problems but produce more. As a consequence, scientists are researching the substitute sources including municipal trash, agricultural waste, algae, or even carbon dioxide. to be the second generation biofuel. Although we are not sure whether those things can absolutely solve our problem because the results are not very clearly, scientists are confident that using waste will be much better than using grain.
What we can do now to prevent the crisis from worsening? Times magazine brings up some solutions in the article. First of all, the government should establish law to limit biofuel industry, for fearing the corporate will boost price. Secondly, the legislators must set rule to restrict land which plated for crop. Finally, the whole world need more energy efficient lightbulb, home, industry and lifestyle. All of us have the responsibilities to protect environment, and saving as much energy as possible. The most important thing is that we have to correct our concepts toward biofuels—they are not part of solutions but part of problem.
Written By Jennifer
Work Cited
“Guardian .co.uk” Top scientists warn against rush to biofuel 2008. 25 March 2008. http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/mar/25/biofuels.energy1
“The Independent” Biofuel: the burning question 2008. 15 April 2008.
http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/biofuel-the-burning-question-808959.html
“Time” The Clean Energy Scam 2008. 27 March 2008
<http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1725975,00.html>

Biofuel Myth

Biofuel has become a popular issue nowadays. Many people supported it in the beginning; they found biofuel was not as good as they thought. Top scientists pointed out that people believed in several biofuel myths. First of all, biodfuel was clean and green due to a investigation prove the fuel crop can remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere and can reduce fossil fuel consumption. Secondly, biofuel will not result in deforestation. Proponents try to convince everyone that fuel crops are planted on ecologically lands will improve rather than destroy the environment. Thirdly, biofuel will bring rural development. Many famous politicians like Hillary and Obama stongly support biofuel because they believe biofuel can enrich farmers and promote the agribusiness in Iowa. At last, biofuel will not cause hunger.
However, we suffer different kinds of crisis which are all related to biofuel recently. Using crop to produce ethanol, the food demands rise and let the prices increase. Therefore, the whole world is come to a fine pass of food crisis, endangering the poor and hunger. They need to spare no effort and are much harder to get food. Furthermore, there are only few farmers can get job. Due to the global corporate monopolizes the biofuel industry and governments have no strong rules to limit it, many small holders are forced to go out of the market. Moreover, the crop demands increase rapidly and let farmers expanding to the Amazon. And a new report proves that sugarcane ethanol emit 50 % greenhouse gases more than gasoline. All in all, biofuel will lead to more serious deforestation and aggravate global warming. Undoubtedly, it is unwise to use crop as an alternative energy source.
Written by Jennifer
Work cited
Purdue OWL. “International Herald Tribune.” The Biofuel Myths. 10 July 2007
http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/07/10/opinion/edholt.php

The Introduction to Biofuel

Biofuels are produced from renewable resources (plants, organic waste, etc.) and can be used as an alternative to fossil fuels (oil, gas). Ethanol and biodiesel are the two main biofuels widely used today, but there are others, such as biobutanol, at the research and development phase.

In 1900, Rudolf Diesel first brought up that vegetal oil could be used as an engine fuel. He developed the first engine to run on peanut oil. Rudolf believed that the utilization of a biomass fuel would be successful in a vegetable oil powered engine in the future. He wanted to provide farmers the opportunity to produce their own fuel. Rudolf said that the diesel engine can be fed with vegetable oils and would benefit the development of agriculture. However, he died in 1913 before his vision of a vegetable oil powered engine was fully realized. After his death, the petroleum industry was rapidly developing and soon the clean vegetable oil was forgotten.

In the mid 1970s, fuel shortages spurred interest in diversifying fuel resources. Biodiesel like the fatty ester were developed as an alternative to petroleum diesel. Biodiese is the name for a variety of ester-based fuels made from vegetables, such as soybean oil, canola or hemp oil. Then in the 1990s, the devotion to developing biofuel was rising because of its benefits from the reduction of the large pollution. Modern diesels

The use of biofuel is affected by legislation and regulations in all countries. For example, by 1995 in the United States, the government had 10 percent of all federal vehicles used alternative fuels to set an example for the private cars and fuel industry. In 2003, the EU Council of Ministers adopted new pan-EU rules which reduce the tax of biofuels. Then large-volume production occurs mainly in Europe, with the production exceeding 1.4 millions tons per year. Also in 2004, the government of the Philippines decided to use one percent of coconut biodiesel in diesel fuel in government vehicles.




Written by Melody


Works Cited

"BIODIESEL." CYBERCIPID CENTER. 14 June 2008. 3 June 2008.

<http://www.cyberlipid.org/glycer/biodiesel.htm#1>.

"Biofuels-An Energy, Environmental or Agriculture Policy ?" Virtual Library. 8 Feb 2007. 27 May 2008. <http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/library/PRBpubs/prb0637-e.htm#TOP>.