Biofuels

Biofuels are any kind of fuel made from living organisms, or from the waste the produce, for example:

• wood, wood chippings, straw
• pellets or liquids made from wood
• biogas (methane) made from animals' excrement
• ethanol, diesel, or other liquid fuels made from processing plant material or waste oil

In recent years, biofuels have been more commonly associated with the last category - ethanol and diesel, made from crops including sugarcane, corn and rapeseed. They have been offered as an alternative to coal and other fossil fuels, which the planet is running out of due to excessive human consumption. Furthermore, although burning the fuels releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, growing the plants in the first instance absorbs a comparable amount of the gas, thereby reducing the negative impact upon the environment.

However, some have argued that the increased use of biofuels could damage biodiversity. The major adoption of biofuels will reduce habitat for animals and wild plants still further, and may encourage some countries to pursue deforestation at a faster rate in order to make a profit from selling the biofuels. Moreover, if increased proportions of food crops such as soy and corn are used for fuel, this may push food prices up and have a detrimental effect upon the world's poorer citizens.

Useful Websites

www.biofuel.org.uk

General information on biofuels, the processes by which they are made, and their uses

www.environment.about.com/od/fossilfuels/a/biofuels.htm

The pros and cons of biofuels, and links to other websites