Friday, 9 November 2007
Can biofuels be sustainable?
ENDS is reporting that the Department for Transport has set up a watchdog, the Renewable Fuels Agency, to help ensure that biofuels used in the UK come from sustainable sources. This is timely with the Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation (RTFO) coming into force in April 2009, which will require 5% of all vehicle fuels sold in the UK to be biofuels.
Biodiesel seemed to go from eco-saviour to eco-demon in record time. Originally held up as a carbon neutral solution to transport emissions, the pressure that growing the crops will have on food prices or pristine habitats. Uber green George Monbiot is particularly critical of the industry and his comments are worth reading.
Paul Mobbs, in his rigorous analysis of the global energy situation,
calculates there simply isn't enough land area in the UK to convert to 100% biodiesel. However, Peter Kendall, president of the UK's National Farmers' Union (NFU), says that there is enough agricultural land to deliver the 5% biofuel target without reducing food production. So maybe the new agency could ensure that the 5% target can be met in an environmentally sustainable way.
Of course, as everyone agrees, making biodiesel out of old cooking oil is AOK. I've never seen an analysis of how much fuel could be produced from this source, but if you can get it, take it!
Biodiesel seemed to go from eco-saviour to eco-demon in record time. Originally held up as a carbon neutral solution to transport emissions, the pressure that growing the crops will have on food prices or pristine habitats. Uber green George Monbiot is particularly critical of the industry and his comments are worth reading.
Paul Mobbs, in his rigorous analysis of the global energy situation,
calculates there simply isn't enough land area in the UK to convert to 100% biodiesel. However, Peter Kendall, president of the UK's National Farmers' Union (NFU), says that there is enough agricultural land to deliver the 5% biofuel target without reducing food production. So maybe the new agency could ensure that the 5% target can be met in an environmentally sustainable way.Of course, as everyone agrees, making biodiesel out of old cooking oil is AOK. I've never seen an analysis of how much fuel could be produced from this source, but if you can get it, take it!
Labels: biodiesel, biofuel, george monbiot, mobbs, rtfo, transport
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Old cooking oil is best collected from fast food restaurants and hotels, as collections could be organised commercially without too much of a logistical problem. In private abodes, if we all turn to eating healthier food as we are constantly exhorted to do, there will be a huge drop in the use of cooking oil nationally - and then we would have a biodiesel sourcing problem. Of course, with peak oil now starting to affect prices, it will become prohibitively expensive to heat one's home/office adequately. Anticipated result: we will turn to the age-old tradition of eating fried and fatty food to keep warm instead: calories = units of heat, let us not forget.
Used oil collection should be relatively simple to organise from restaurants and hotels. Private dwellings would be harder to organise, so collection spots need to be designated - probably recycling centres. I am a bit worried that deep frying will wane as a national practice, what with the 'low-fat' lobby. We could definitely have a shortage of biodiesel feeder fuel if that happens. But to look on the bright side of life (if there is one), Peak Oil will drive heating costs so high that people will need to eat fattier food (as well as wear extra jumpers) to keep warm...so maybe deep-frying hasn't yet had its day...as long as we have the fuel to heat it for cooking!
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