CAIRO: When it comes to Earth and the environment, emitting carbon dioxide into the atmosphere in itself is non-problematic since CO2 is an integral part of the carbon cycle. Humankind has released millions and millions of tons of carbon dioxide as a by-product of their existence; we breathe, cook and warm ourselves and as a result carbon dioxide is emitted. So what is the big deal with CO2 emissions that made them the headlines of news over the past decade? The problem is that we release “new” carbon dioxide. CO2 that was captured by biomass over millions of years is released in only a few. The release link of the carbon cycle is running on overdrive, and the capture link can't keep up. This caused the accumulation of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere over the years, which magnified the greenhouse effect. Recycling the generated carbon dioxide is crucial in order to reduce the stagnation of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Using more renewable fuel is not only vital for the sustainability of humankind, but is essential for the health of the environment as well. Introducing biofuels. Biofuels are derived from RENEWABLE biomass, with a big emphasis on renewable. Fossil fuels are also sourced in biomass, but unlike biofuels the generation of fossil fuels takes more patience; millions of years are required to produce the energy rich resource, while biofuels could be “harvested” more than once a year. It is interesting to mention that the idea of the use of biofuel is as old as the idea of the vehicle with an engine. When Henry Ford designed his Model T automobile in 1908, he expected ethanol to be the fuel. He had quoted ethanol, as ‘the fuel of the future'. He further stated that ‘the fuel of the future is going to come from apples, weeds, sawdust-almost everything'. Even so, the low price of petroleum and its availability caused petroleum fuels to be used almost exclusively as the main energy source in the Model T and subsequent vehicles. Nevertheless, due to rising energy demand and the stagnation of fuel production, we live an energy crisis, and biofuels are becoming attractive once again. Since the late 1970s, Brazil has fermented sugar cane to ethanol, and added it to petroleum, producing “gasohol” (blends of ethanol and gasoline between 5% and 25%), reducing its reliance on fossil fuels. Today many countries use gasohol to fuel automobiles, including the US, EU, Australia, and Thailand. The 2007 – 2008 food crisis proved to be decisive for the first generation of biofuels (biofuels produced from feedstock that have been traditionally used for food). Food prices increased rapidly, which some say has a lot to do with the increased demand by biofuels, this caused social and economic destabilization of both developed and developing countries. In Egypt, a boy was killed during food riots in Mahalla. Many people did not approve of substituting energy for food, with very convincing arguments. The second generation of biofuels, however, evaded the problems of the first; they are generated from non-food feedstock, which ranges from rice straw and other agricultural residues to organic municipal waste. The production of second generation biofuels in Egypt has started to draw investment to the sector. The availability of agricultural residue (rice straw, corn stover, and bagasse) triggered a study performed for the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) in Egypt, which foresaw economic feasibility in producing bio-alcohols. On the other hand, other biofuels entrepreneurs see the answer not in agricultural residues, but in Jatropha, which is a poisonous, evergreen shrub that originated in the Caribbean and was introduced to Egypt approximately 50 years ago. It was primarily used as a decorative plant. The oil recovered from the seeds of the plant could be processed into an effective biodiesel, with calorific values comparable to petro-diesel, and usable in a standard diesel engine. Jatropha is very cost effective when it comes to the production of biofuels. The plant resists aridity and could grow in the most uninhabitable of land. It does not need pesticide or fungicide, as its properties make it resistant to pests. It could be intercropped with other plants. Each hectare traps 10 tons of carbon dioxide per year, making it one of the tools to fight global warming. A study by the Ministry of Agriculture experimented with the use of sewage on desert terrain in Abu Rawash, and the results have been very promising, with yields reaching 2 tons of seeds per hectare and increasing with time. The third generation of biofuels takes us one more step. It generates biofuels which are indistinguishable from their petroleum counterparts. An interesting source of biomass for this generation is marine and freshwater algae. Algae are surprisingly a very efficient and productive source of biomass, as almost the whole plant photosynthesizes. It is claimed that algae can produce 30 times more energy per hectare than soybeans for example, and is capable of producing vegetable oils rivaling those of petroleum in calorific value. In Egypt, three companies specializing in Integrated Seawater Agricultural Systems (ISAS) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to use the abundant land and seawater resources in Egypt to produce algal biofuels for export. Production of algal biofuels in Egypt would no doubt reduce our contribution to global warming, as the process is almost carbon neutral. Moreover, if you were impressed by the first three generations of biofuels, wait until you discover the fourth generation. Research groups announced that they were able to “design” trees that store considerably (30%) more carbon than their ordinary counterparts. They claim that these biomass crops are viewed upon as efficient ‘carbon capturing' machines that trap carbon dioxide into their branches, trunk and leaves. During the processing of the biomass, methane, hydrogen and carbon dioxide are produced. They propose that carbon dioxide is then captured and geo-sequestered i.e. stored into depleted oil and gas reserves or un-mineable coal seams. This produces essentially carbon-negative fuel. Only biomass allows for the conception of such an idea. The utilization of biomass is definitely one of the main pillars of sustainable energy. It is interesting to see that the human race, after reducing their reliance on renewable biomass as a source of energy since the Industrial Revolution, has started to turn back to it in the form of biofuels. History seems to repeat itself, but this time we are starting to learn the lesson and take notice of what effect we have on the world around us. Eco Options Egypt
