| Biofuel is in one respect the oldest form of man-made | | | | that thrives on detritus will increase the speed at which |
| fuel in the world; long before industry boomed and the | | | | the original biological matter is broken down and |
| industrial period began, biological organic matter was | | | | converted into fuel. It will originally be used in the |
| the cheif source material for fuels. It was only until the | | | | production of ethanol, but it is hoped that the bug can |
| relatively more powerful use of fossil fuels became | | | | increase efficiency of biofuels across the industry. |
| dominant that biofuel found its admirers dwindling; in the | | | | Indeed it is beleived that the bug can also increase |
| age of industry, it has suffered relatively low popularity, | | | | then range of material included in the conversion |
| though that point stands for most alternatives to fossil | | | | process; more hardy, it is beleived to be able to break |
| fuels, which is the source material for over 80% of | | | | down tougher plant and animal life that current |
| annual energy production across the world. | | | | conversion techniques cannot. |
| With the rising interest in climate change affecting | | | | It will certainly strengthen the case for a return to |
| governments, individuals and the world's media, though, | | | | biofuel as renewable energy types gain momentum, |
| fossil fuels are seemingly on the decline; whilst more | | | | and it could perhaps do with the positive press after |
| than three quarters of energy production has | | | | some controversial statistics have begun an |
| conistently come from the source for a number of | | | | increasingly polemical debate on the ethical standards |
| years, this has gone hand in hand with dangerous | | | | of biofuels; the World Bank reported that the |
| levels of carbon emissions, of which it is reported that | | | | consumption of crops across the world for biofuels |
| fossil fuels contribute more than 20 billion tonnes | | | | has resulted in a rise of 75% in world food prices. |
| anually. With experts suggesting that global natural | | | | The debate does not simply centre around economics. |
| resources can only induce half of that figure, and global | | | | On their website, Friends of the Earth have questioned |
| warming increasingly becoming a world concern, | | | | the actual environmental impact of biofuel production, |
| investment into alternative energy has risen by over | | | | claiming that they could actually produce more green |
| 140% in the two years. | | | | house gases than the process reduces; it is generally |
| Of these alternative energy types, biofuel is one of the | | | | argued that CO2 emissions from biofuels are offset |
| most prominent, and it seems that man-made fuels | | | | by the consumption of carbon during the source |
| have come full circle. Though production of the fuel is | | | | supply's lifetime, but the orginsation claims that the |
| substantially lower than solar power and even | | | | combined energy cost of planting, production, |
| hydroeletricity, it remains one of the most important | | | | conversion and transport negates the theory. |
| examples of alternative energy. | | | | On a similar agenda as the World Bank, they take the |
| And indeed, research into the field has reaped | | | | rising food price to be an indication that biofuel |
| rewards, with new developments granting the industry | | | | production could directly affect food supply levels for |
| a potentially greater fuel efficiency. | | | | some of the earth's most poverty stricken populations. |
| Experts have now suggested that the use of a bug | | | | |