Jocelyn-19 says: FRUIT AS FUEL!?

by Jocelyn-19, 26 June 2007


"Fruit could make powerful fuel," reports BBC’s environmental reporter.

“In both the European Union and the United States, politicians have heartily embraced biofuels as a way of reducing emissions of carbon dioxide and dependency on imported oil.”

It is found that fructose in fruits can be converted into an important source of fuel. It can store 40% more energy than ethanol, which is obtained from corn. Given that it does not evaporate as easily and can be conveniently obtained from fruits, plants and glucose, how can we not get excited that this natural “fuel” might be taking over carbon-emitting ones?

Ultimately, wouldn't it be ironic if the solution to the oil crisis and the climate change crisis is delivered once again from nature? It wasn't enough that Newton discovered gravity itself as a result of an apple falling on his head, or biblical Eve before that causing us all to be banished from Paradise eating from the fruit tree!

Hopefully, the switch to biofuels will provide cheap and clean energy services to people who lack them around the globe. It will also create job opportunities and generate more income streams for people in developing countries.

“The impact on society we’re hoping will be far wider than simply ‘we can give you a fuel now with a tenfold reduction in its carbon footprint’. … Imagine now if chemicals that we use in the chemical industry also came from the same feed stock; and that the aircraft we fly to New York in also run on this? There’s the big potential,” said Jeremy Tomkinson of the UK's National Non-Food Crops Centre to the BBC News.


Critics and the UN warn countries on the impacts of using biofuels:

The growing demand for fruits, they say, people may have to clear more lands for plantation. Increased deforestation means there are less trees to absorb carbon in the atmosphere. The switch to biofuels may in turn hamper the ecosystem. Besides, farmers will be encouraged to re-allocate farmland resources to fuel production, bidding up food prices and leading to social instability.

"… the price of food, land and agricultural commodities could be driven up… on the environmental side, the demand for biofuels has accelerated the clearing of primary forest for palm plantations, particularly in SE Asia. Use of large scale mono-cropping could lead to significant biodiversity loss, soil erosion and nutrient leaching,” states the UN report, Sustainable Bioenergy: A Framework for Decision Makers.

Well, the use of biofuels has its drawbacks in the absolute sense BUT COMPARATIVELY speaking, isn't it much more environmentally friendly than using carbon-fuels?
Nevertheless, can't those potential problems be avoided as long as the government define in legal terms the percentage of natural reserves farmlands should retain?

I would rather have blue skies without turning to the alternative - nuclear energy!

What about YOU, What do you think? Tell us by emailing : EDITOR [at] iCubed.us

Source:
Fruit could make 'powerful fuel'










Bookmark with:

Delicious      Digg      reddit      Facebook      StumbleUpon     
Please join our facebook group     
Previous | Next
more recent blogs
MOVIE FRIDAYS: Highlining and Basejumping ... True Freedom is the ability to make your dreams come true
IDEAS TO MAKE LIFE EASIER ... PART II
IDEAS TO MAKE LIFE EASIER ... Part I
DominicM-16 on THE GAMES WE PLAY: Tower Defense Game with a Twist
STAND ON ONE LEG WITH EYES CLOSED AND LIVE LONGER: a simple but effective exercise
iCUBED.us' 2nd VALENTINE'S DAY CORNIEST LOVE SONG LYRICS Competition 2012
Body
more ...
iCUBED.us is a webazine for, by, and about youth aged to 25.

As a regular columnist for iCUBED.us writing around a particular topic, your opinions will be read by students around the world and you end our year-long Blogger's Internship with a writing portfolio as excellent as you make it. We provide the space and some general guidelines, you provide the words.

You have to be invited to join our forums- so if you're aged below 25 be on the lookout for your invitation and for opportunities to introduce yourself to us - the folks who run www.iCUBED.us ... Check in regularly for a chance to compete in one of our "open-to-the-NONmembers' contests"... You might surprise yourself and take first prize.

NOTA BENE:
Any work you submit will not be returned, so please keep a copy. If you mail us a self addressed envelope we will acknowledge receipt by return post.

COPYRIGHT STATEMENT:
All copyrights are assigned to iCUBED.us once works are submitted to us. We retain non-exclusive rights to publish all such work in any format. All content on the website becomes the property of iCUBED.us, however, all contributors retain the right to republish their works elsewhere, with written notice to iCUBED.us.