- In recent years, the term “biofuel” has come to mean the last category – ethanol and diesel, made from crops including corn, sugarcane and rapeseed.
- A recent UK government publication declared that biofuels reduced emissions “by 50-60% compared to fossil fuels”.
- Ethanol for fuel is made through fermentation.
- Sixty percent of new cars can run on a fuel mix which includes 85% ethanol.
Problems:
- Asian countries may be tempted to replace rainforest with more palm oil plantations, reduce habitat for animals and wild plants still further
- If increased proportions of food crops such as corn or soy are used for fuel, that may push prices up, affecting food supplies for less prosperous citizens.
comment:
Ethanol might be the latest renewable source of energy. In the future, this may alleviate issues on scarce and depleting resources. Advancement in technologies also has helped human to utilise this new source of energy more efficiently.
Questions:
1. “Decaying, dying, dead.” Is this a fair assessment of the environment in your part of the world?
2. Is man destroying the environment too rapidly?
by Julianti Ng
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