Governments around the globe are aggressively seeking policies to
increase biofuel production on marginal lands, which hold herbaceous
vegetation that cannot support food crops. Utilizing marginal land in
biofuel production may offset the amount of Carbon Dioxide (CO2)
released by 10 million vehicles traveling 20,000 KM each year. In
addition, using nitrogen-rich fertilizer on marginal lands will increase
production of biofuels by 50% with little to no harmful environmental
impact. Increasing biofuel production will decrease the world’s reliance
on fossil fuels and reduce greenhouse gas emission.
Bio crops are currently grown on fertile agricultural land in large quantities. This fertile land could otherwise be used to grow desperately needed food crops. Herbaceous vegetation are areas of low growing non woody plants, such as wildflowers and fern. Marginal lands of herbaceous vegetation, including most midwest states such as Iowa, Arkansas, and Texas are of no use to for either food production or energy production. According to the US Department of Energy Biomass Program, an agency that develops technology for biofuel and energy production, using marginal lands could help us reach 25% of the 2022 plan that would use biofuels as a major source of transportation fuels. This agency works through all the processes of biofuel production including growing bio crops, to building efficient refineries, to working with other companies to develop ways for biofuels to be more efficient in transportation. An estimated 21 billion liters of ethanol can be produced on only 11 million hectares, about half the size Massachusetts is on, of marginal lands. This is 21 billion liters of ethanol that could not have been produced before. This increase in biofuels will push for a reform in transportation fuels that will lead to lower cost of energy.
Oil
prices are above $100 per barrel, and they are only going to keep
rising. However, producing large quantities of biofuels will be a
better alternative if we can keep the production cost down. In a study
of 10 midwestern states shows there is a plentiful amount of marginal
lands to produce bio crops. To keep biofuel production cost at a minimum
the US Department of Energy Biomass Program plans to build refineries
within 80 miles surrounding the marginal lands.Although fossil fuels have been used for more than 100 years, they are extremely harmful to the environment; which is a major factor in why these 35 countries have began relentlessly pushing for newer, more efficient, and larger bio fuel policies. Greenhouse gas emissions released by the burning fossil fuels are at the highest point they have ever been according to a study done by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, a group that studies the effects of human interactions on the environment. The practice of reducing these high amounts of emissions is called greenhouse gas mitigation, processes that reduce the pollution, loss of life, and loss of property from greenhouse gases. By reducing the amount of fossil fuels that are used, and increasing the amount of biofuels that are used, we can increase mitigation, while still using the same amount of energy. The nature article presents a study done on these marginal lands that shows that herbaceous vegetation is more effective at mitigation that planned crops such as maize, wheat and poplar. These marginal lands are very non arable, they are not suitable for most crops to grow on because they are not very fertile, so the growing of bio crops will not interrupt the growing of food crops. Using marginal lands to their full potential could eliminate bio crops on fertile agricultural land so that we can have more food grown and more biofuels produced every year.
Biofuels have not proven to be an alternative for fossil fuels just yet, but using marginal lands for bio crops is the next best step for biofuels. Most of the world is pushing towards alternative fuels; biofuels are proving to be the next alternative as they would be the most affordable, least harmful to the environment, and all while increasing food crop productions.
Works Cited
Gelfand, Llya, Ritvik Sahajpal, Xuesong Zhang, Cesar Izaurralde, Katherine Gross, and Philip Robertson. "Sustainable Bioenergy Production from Marginal Lands in the US Midwest." Nature.com. Nature Publishing Group, 16 Jan. 2013. Web. 28 Jan. 2013. <http://www.nature.com.libproxy.lib.unc.edu/nature/journal/v493/n7433/full/nature11811.html>.
1st picture accredited to US Department of Agriculture.
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