Biofuel

Ukrop's, a community-serving and environmentally friendly grocery chain in Virginia, has begun another sustainable program. The supermarkets, which fry their own chicken, will use the soy oil from the fryers to convert into bio fuel.

Southside Fuel, a local company, will process the used oil from the frying vats into a standard 15 percent biodiesel, the most that the current trucks can handle.

Ukrop's expects to produce around 60,000 gallons of bio fuel each year, about one fourth of its needs. This is really an incredible amount and will really cut down on their carbon emissions.

These types of changes are the ones that our country really needs. Not only seeking out alternative energy sources, but the ones that are already lying in front of us. The chicken oil was already in the store, without any further purpose. What a great way to recycle and reuse a substance that would have gone to waste!

Many other stores and restaurants could switch to this method, saving them money and decreasing their carbon footprints. We don't necessarily have to grow corn and soy for the sole purpose of creating fuel - this method causes many criticisms and concerns. We can just creatively utilize the resources we already have.

Apparently biomass - anything from crops like corn to dead wood and straw- is getting a lot of attention these days. First, there was that whole controversy about using biofuels in place of gasoline. Now, the United Kingdom government is offering grants to farmers and business owners to produce and use biomass for heating and fuel.

The government tries to avoid the former downfalls by only selecting inedible matter, such as grass and straw. Therefore, the new program hopefully will not have much of an effect on food supplies.

Some people wonder, doesn't the burning of all that plant material still release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere? How does using biofuels even help the greenhouse gas situation?

Well, here's the answer in a nutshell. Carbon continuously cycles throughout the atmosphere and the earth. It's in the air, animals breath it out, plants take it in, burning and decomposing releases it. However, all these activity takes place above ground, meaning that the net amount of carbon always stays the same.

When people discovered fossil fuels, they began to release large stores of carbon that were sequestered below the ground into the air. Therefore, the net amount of carbon in our atmosphere is increasing. It takes a much longer time for carbon to become stored in the forms of fossil fuels underground than it does for fossil fuels to be burned and release carbon. So, now we have this problem.

Are biofuels our savior? I don't think so. Whatever impact their usage has will be minimal, mainly because they only make up a small fraction of our total energy output. However, programs such as this one show that governments are becoming more aware of environmental concerns, which can lead to larger changes in the future.

Individuals also can make a difference. Conscious Lifestyle is still accepting applications for its 2008 ventures. You will receive money, mentoring, webspace, and other opportunities to help achieve your goal. This link takes you to more information.

This image is from www.alternate-energy-news.info.

According to a new study, cutting down forests to grow crops for fuel causes more environmental damage than using biofuels can ever offset.

The quick moves to pass legislation to expand subsidies for crops, such as corn, that can be turned into biofuels was the first red flag. Can we stop the trend of businesses doing things that seem green, but are better for their bottom lines than for the environment?

Interestingly enough, one of the researchers brought environmental responsibility back to the basics: reducing consumption and improving fuel efficiency. We don't need to, nor should we, burn forests. What is needed is conscious living and reasonable public policy. To read the article, "Can't See The Forest For The Biofuels" go to Wired Science.