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Biofuels will be a key part of the net-zero solution.

This article emphasizes the importance of Biofuels in the goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions. Throughout the piece it is argued that while electrification and renewable energy are essential, biofuels are crucial for sectors that are difficult to decarbonize, such as aviation, shipping, and heavy industry. Since Biofuels can decrease the amount of greenhouse gas emissions when produced in a sustainable manner, they are a great clean energy source. Continued innovation and investment in biofuel technologies are critical in making sure it becomes popularized enough to be utilized as a global strategy to combat climate change.

The importance of biofuels in achieving net-zero carbon emissions is directly connected to environmental science by addressing how biofuels can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the complex challenge of reducing carbon emissions in carbon-energy dependant industries. Environmental science explores sustainable options to mitigate climate change, which biofuels can provide. I think by providing a renewable energy source alternative to fossil fuels, biofuels contribute to environmental science’s goal of creating sustainable energy systems that reduce any negative ecological impacts and promotes environmental health.

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Biden-Harris administration invests in domestic biofuels and clean energy technologies.

A USDA press release August 16th announced a major investment by the Biden-Harris administration to raise domestic biofuels and green energy technology. The investment aims to increase green energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by supporting advanced biofuel production and innovation. The funding will allow for new innovations  in biofuel technology and improve supply chains, adding to economic growth and sustainability. The investment showcases the administrations commitment to advancing in eco-friendly solutions to environmentally damaging current energy sources.

The USDA’s investment in biofuels and clean energy directly impacts environmental science by developing new sustainable energy solutions. By funding new developements in biofuel production processes and infrastructure, the administration aims to reduce greenhouse gass emissions and the reliance on fossil fuels, facing crucial environmental challenges. This move is in suppport of the transition to cleaner energy sources, which is very important for mitigating climate change andpromoting sustainable energy solutions. Increased use of biofuels could mean lowering carbon footprints, and enhance efficiency of renewable energy systems. In my opinion I think this investment is crucial as it aligns with environmental science goals of reducing the ecological impact energy sources have on the environment.

 

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Another green bubble is deflating in biofuels.

This article discusses common challenges in the biofuel industry, featuring how initial optimism has eventually lead to economic and environmental concerns. The industry struggles with high cost of production, limited scalability, and competition from other green technologies. The article argues that biofuels may not be the most viable option of the transition to green energy, which raises questions about the future of biofuels on a global scale.

This article uncovers the sustainability and economic viability of biofuels, key components of green energy. It examines whether biofuels are fit to reduce carbon emissions and climate change. By discussing the financial aspects and environmental impacts of the biofuel industry, the article give light to important questions surrounding biofuel. Will it be an effective long term eco-friendly solution? This argument is really important because when switching to green energy, it is important to discuss which options will be the best for the environment in the long term as if systems are not set up correctly, they could not be as effective as we need them to be or could do damage to the land by over exploiting it for resources.

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Charting a pathway to next-gen biofuels.

Princeton University researchers have developed a model that enhances to supply chain of second-gen biofuels, biomass derived from non-food crops and agricultural waste.the model combines data on crop growth, land use, , and the biofuel production process to evaluate the economic as well as environmental impacts. The study addresses the need for policy incentives in forming biofuel systems, for example: carbon capture tax credits.These findings give insight necessary when designing efficient and sustainable biofuel supply chains for the near future.

This article relates closely to environmental science because it explores improvements in biofuel supply chains, a very important factor in sustainable energy. The research uses environmental data to discover the impacts second-generation biofuels have on the environment, which is a crucial improvement from regular biofuels as it takes more pressure off food supply and land use. Additionally, it also examines policy insentives for carbon capture, demonstrating an intersection of environmental policy and technological innovation in reducing carbon emissions and uplifting sustainable practices. I think this article is a great source of information as it highlights precautions that need to be taken in order for biofuel systems to be sustainable as well as supports developement if eco-friendly energy solutions.

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Inexpensive, carbon neutral biofuels are finally possible.

Researchers at UC Riverside have recently developed a carbon-neutral and cost-effective method of producing biofuels using advanced biomass pretreatment technology: CELF (aka co-solvent enhanced lignocellulosic fractionation). CELF treatment enhances the efficiency of breaking down plant matter by using tetrahydrofuran, a solvent that can be produced from biomass sugars. This allows for better lignin utilization, making fuels more self-sustaining. This new technology shows the potential to reduce carbon emissions and could transform the Biofuel industry. 

The article explores advancements in biofuel technology and production that may in turn positively affect the environment and have a serious impact on environmental science. By introducing a cost-effective and carbon neutral technique to creating biofuels, the research highlights crucial environmental issues like reducing greenhouse gass emissions and the reliability on fossil fuels. This advancement in technology plays a part in sustainable fuel by using biomass efficiently and may alleviate the complexities associated with climate change, making it an important topic to environmental science. I personally think the research presented in this article was very important to environmental science as this technology could have major positive impacts on the environment and be influential in the environmental science sphere.

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Meat production phase: the whole world

Article 5:perkins, john. “Red Meat Production Surges in July.” Brownfield Ag News, 22 Aug. 2024, www.brownfieldagnews.com/news/red-meat-production-surges-in-july/. 

 

This article is a report about how red meat production has increased throughout the month of July with production levels of red meat reaching record highs. Both pork and beef increased in production throughout the month which meant that slaughter rates also increased throughout the month with more livestock being killed that month than any other month of the year so far. This was driven by an increase in market demand for red meat.  This report shows that meat consumption is not slowing down like some activists are trying to get it to, instead production is increasing.

 

This article is relevant to environmental science because it shows that resource depletion and greenhouse gas emissions from meat production are increasing. This makes me feel concerned about the environment but I also believe that meat production is extremely necessary for humans to live healthily so it just highlights the need for more sustainable and environmentally friendly meat-producing systems. I also believe that humans need to be careful about how much livestock they produce because the more land we use for farming there will be less biodiversity which can be dangerous for ecosystems and the environment. So far this year pork and beef production has increased by 1 and a half percent which is not sustainable to do every year which makes me feel concerned and realize that humans need a solution quickly.

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Meat production phase: the whole world

Article 4:IowaFarmBureau, Teresa Bjork. “Are There Antibiotics in Meat and Poultry?” Iowafarmbureau.Com, 30 May 2024, www.iowafarmbureau.com/Article/Are-there-antibiotics-in-meat. 

 

This article discusses the use of antibiotics in farm animals which can be dangerous to humans if eaten. Farmers and veterinarians have to keep their animals well so when they get sick they give them antibiotics however if the meat from these animals contains antibiotics that can be harmful to humans. The article says that there are strict regulations on antibiotic farming in the US however when you research antibiotic restrictions across the world they become a lot less strict which can cause health issues for people, especially in third-world countries.

 

The antibiotic from the animals can also have environmental effects such as antibiotic-resistant bacteria spreading into ecosystems. When this bacteria enters soil it can cause the soil to be unhealthy and cause issues for the growth of the plants in the area which causes environmental issues for the ecosystems around it. So even if the meat is safe from the antibiotic, plants that humans eat could be hazardous with the antibiotics from the animal. This highlights the need for more sustainable farming practices as this is just one of the many environmental issues that mass livestock farming causes. My opinion on this issue is that across the world farmers need to find a balance between keeping their farm animals healthy as well as ensuring that their farm animals will be healthy to eat. This could also be a potential benefit for lab-grown meat because it is not livestock it would stop issues like these causing healthier ecosystems. 

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Meat production phase: the whole world

Article 3:Levasseur, Pierre, et al. “Potential Unexpected Effects of Meat Reduction in Diet: Could Educational Attainment Influence Meat Substitution Strategies? – Agricultural and Food Economics.” SpringerLink, Springer Berlin Heidelberg, 30 Jan. 2024, link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40100-024-00298-7. 

 

This article highlights a study about how reduced meat in people’s diets affects them differently depending on their socioeconomic status. When people were from a lower socioeconomic status and reduced their meat consumption they restored to junk food and their BMI and weight went up. On the other hand, when people from higher socioeconomic status reduced their meat consumption they resorted to more plant-based foods and their BMI went down and they overall became healthier. The authors talked about how this study suggests that lawmakers should consider this when trying to reduce meat production or consumption.

 

This article made me realize that while reducing meat production or going towards more lab-grown meat would be great for the climate there are other factors we have to take in. This article is relevant to environmental science not because it delves deep into the effects that meat production has on the environment but because it highlights the interdisciplinary side of the study of environmental science. Reducing meat production would have different effects on different people depending on their backgrounds and that is something that should be taken into consideration when talking about meat production. In my opinion society as a whole needs to be better educated about their diet and the environmental effects of food, as the study shows when people do not have the education or the economic ability to eat healthily they aren’t going to and they are 100 percent not going to care about the effects there food has on the environment. This is why food security needs to be the number one priority of everyone before we start creating laws that help the environment but potentially harm food security.

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Meat production phase: the whole world

Article 2:Ataman, Deniz. “What Is the Environmental Impact of Cultivated Meat?” Foodnavigator, William Reed Ltd, 19 Jan. 2024, www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Article/2024/01/19/what-is-the-environmental-impact-of-cultivated-meat. 

 

This article discusses the positive and negative environmental impacts that lab-grown meat would have. It says that while it has potential, technological innovations would need to be made to reduce the carbon emissions of the bioreactor that current-day lab-grown meats use. With our current technology, lab-grown meat could produce 25 times worse carbon footprint than current-day meat production. The authors also say that lab-grown meat needs more data and testing to accurately see the environmental effects.

 

This article is related to environmental science because it talks about how lab-grown meat could potentially increase or decrease carbon footprint depending on the technology used. This article displays some of the negative environmental impacts that lab-grown meat could have due to the sourcing of the ingredients and the high energy use by the lab. This article made me realize that lab-grown meat is probably a reality that won’t be possible until the distant future because humans don’t usually like to change unless they see the clear benefit from changing and right now there is not a clear benefit for lab-grown meat. My opinion is that I would not want to eat lab-grown meat regularly until there is clear evidence that it helps the environment and that is healthy to eat regularly over a long period. There would also have to be big technological advances for lab grown meat to have environmentally positive effects meaning that these companies are gonna have to convince big-time investors why they should give a lot of money to this production that doesn’t even have a clear benefit wich makes me even more pessimistic.

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Meat production phase: the whole world

Article 1: Jerusalem, Hebrew University of. “Manufacturing Breakthrough Could Make Lab-Grown Meat Affordable.” ScienceBlog.Com, 21 Aug. 2024, scienceblog.com/547086/manufacturing-breakthrough-could-make-lab-grown-meat-affordable/. 

 

Scientists at the Hebrew University of Jurrsealm have taken inspiration from Ford’s famous production line and are trying to use it as inspiration to make lab-grown meat more affordable. They say it could bring costs down to 6 dollars and 20 cents per pound of lab meat. They are proposing this as an alternative to traditional meat production which uses daily agriculture to produce meat. Their process is animal-free which they say would drastically help reduce the effects of meat production on the environment and the climate.  The authors also write that this will create new jobs.

 

This article displays an alternative to traditional livestock meat production which would significantly reduce the negative environmental impacts that meat production has. Meat production today causes many environmentally negative effects such as greenhouse gas emissions and biodiversity loss.  The lab-grown meat would reduce these effects because it would not be reliant on livestock which would help the environment and create better food security for more people as meat could always be produced.  This also would allow cows and pigs to go back into the wild which would allow for more biodiversity as the cows and pigs would have to compete with the food chain. My reaction is that while this article proposes lab-grown meat as a savior to the environment and says it will improve food security, lab-grown meat has never been eaten on a large scale so we don’t know how the production would hold up and we also don’t know if it would cause health problems for people. Lab-grown meat would also have to go through many government approvals all across the world and then have to gain consumer acceptance. So in my opinion lab-grown meat is something to be optimistic about but not put all your hopes in it.