"Using vegetable oils or animal fats as fuel for motor vehicles is in effect running them on solar energy. All biofuels, including ethanol, are derived from the conversion of sunlight to energy (carbohydrates) that takes place in the green leaves of plants.
"Plants take up carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere; burning plant (or animal) products in an engine releases the CO2 uptake back into the atmosphere, to be taken up again by other plants. The CO2 is recycled, atmospheric CO2 levels remain constant. Thus biofuels do not increase global warming -- unlike fossil fuels, which release large amounts of new (or rather very old) CO2 which has been locked away from the atmosphere for aeons. "In fact biodiesel can actually reduce CO2 levels in the atmosphere: for example, growing soybeans takes nearly four times as much CO2 out of the atmosphere as the amount of CO2 released in the exhaust from burning soybean oil biodiesel." -- Greenhouse gases and global warming http://journeytoforever.org/biodiesel.html#greenhouse But the reduction is only temporary, in the end it all returns to the atmosphere anyway -- see "[Biofuel] CO2 emissions" for a good explanation from Tom Kelly: http://snipurl.com/rmgo Sat Jun 10 2006 Best Keith >Logan- think of it this way. The plant 'consumes' the CO2, we burn it >to which releases CO2, the plant then takes THE SAME CO2 out of the >atmosphere. So there is a NET 0 addition of new CO2... As opposed to >burning Coal, oil, natural gas, which is Carbon long ago stored in the >earth (taken out of the atmosphere a long time ago). Think of it this >way: carbon that is on the surface of the earth is .... OK to burn, >let's say. But carbon that needs to be dug up, drilled, or is otherwise >NOT on the earth's surface should remain where it is, and not be burned >or consumed. > >-----Original Message----- >From: Logan Vilas [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] >Sent: Wednesday, July 26, 2006 8:07 PM >To: biofuel@sustainablelists.org >Subject: Re: [Biofuel] Fluorescent fuel? > >The plants require co2 for all of their growth, stem, seeds, leaves, >roots >and we only use a portion of the plant for making fuels. Wouldn't that >left >over part of the plant be using more co2 then is put out by the burning >of >the oil? > >Logan Vilas > >-----Original Message----- >From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of bob allen >Sent: Wednesday, July 26, 2006 9:23 AM >To: biofuel@sustainablelists.org >Subject: Re: [Biofuel] Fluorescent fuel? > >only in that the process in theory is carbon neutral, and replaces >fossil fuel which is carbon positive. > >first we stop increasing the CO2... > > > >Joe Street wrote: > > So if we use a plant to remove CO2 from the atmosphere and that plant > > makes oil that we then burn and release CO2 to the atmosphere how is > > that supposed to reduce atmospheric CO2? > > > > Joe > > > > Bob Molloy wrote: > > > > snip > > > >> Phytoplankton, like other plants, absorb carbon dioxide as they grow. > > >> Scientists have examined the possibility of stimulating growth of the > > >> single cell plants as a means of reducing the amount of CO2 in the > >> atmosphere. > >> CO2, liberated by burning fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas, is >widely > >> held responsible for global warming. > >> > >> Bio Fuel Systems said its new fuel would reduce CO2, was free of >other > >> contaminants like sulphur dioxide and would be cheaper than fossil >oil > >> is now. > > _______________________________________________ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/
