Coca, N. (2020). Coconut Oil Could Be the Next Disastrous Biofuel. Earther. Retrieved 9 March
2020, from https://earther.gizmodo.com/coconut-oil-could-be-the-next-disastrous-
biofuel-1841816771.

 

The United Coconut Association of the Philippines (UCAP) has stated that they will increase their coconut biodiesel component to 5%. While biofuels burn more cleanly than regular gasoline and typically are more sustainable, increasing coconut harvest in the Philippines may be worse for the environment than it is good. The Philippines are covered in tropical rainforests, and increasing coconut yield may also mean increasing farmland, and cutting down trees. A study funded by the European Commission tells that palm oil biofuels actually have thrice the carbon footprint that regular diesel does. This is primarily because of the destruction of tropical rainforest. The same issue would come with increased coconut plantations. 

 

This article relates to environmental science because it details the positive and negative impacts of producing and using coconut biofuels. Unfortunately, I do not think biofuels are the way of the future. To have biofuels completely replace gasoline would cause a massive loss of land for forests and people. Although biofuels burn cleaner than gasoline does, they do not help enough to bring us out of the deficit we face with carbon emissions. Even if they are more sustainable than fossil fuels, all the resources that need to be put into their production somewhat negate that as well. While I do think biofuels have a place in certain areas, like aviation or powering areas without other sources, I cannot see them taking over powering transportation.