Valdmanis, R. (2022, December 01). Factbox: How a revamped U.S. biofuel program could help Electric Vehicle Makers. Retrieved January 25, 2023, from https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/how-revamped-us-biofuel-program-could-help-electric-vehicle-makers-2022-12-01/

According to Reuters, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed to create a new revenue stream for electric powered cars and trucks. This would be done by giving electric vehicle manufacturers access to the market for renewable fuel credits (RINs) by increasing the concentration of biofuels in gasoline and diesel. This proposal both reduces emissions and helps farmers, as they’d make profit from an increased demand for their goods. Mainly, it would help electric vehicle makers increase their revenue because they’d be able to generate and sell RINs to refiners after proving that they use clean energy. To prove this, the manufacturers would have contracts with power generators. Additionally, the market would be very dependable because oil refiners are required to accumulate billions of RINs per year, so they’d always be willing to buy them. The EPA predicts that this proposal could produce millions or even billions of dollars for electric car manufacturers, which would greatly help them make their automobiles be accessible to the general public.

This article shows a new side of the EPA’s new proposal – the economy of green energy. While it doesn’t discuss any of the usual issues with switching to biofuels, such as excess greenhouse gas emissions due to increased farming, it does go over how it would boost electric car manufacturers’ profits. This would be great for making the switch to cleaner transportation, so I’m glad that an increase in biofuels would support the transition.

Douglas, L. (2022, December 15). U.S. biofuels proposal would lift near-term greenhouse gas emissions, EPA says. Retrieved January 25, 2023, from https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/us-biofuels-proposal-would-lift-near-term-greenhouse-gas-emissions-epa-says-2022-12-15/

According to Leah Douglas, the EPA predicts that their proposal to increase the concentration of biofuel in gasoline and diesel will lead to a short-term increase of greenhouse gas emissions for around three years. This is because creating new tilling for corn, soy, and other plants releases carbon from the soil. However, the EPA is confident that there will be significant reductions in the long term. They predict a net reduction of anywhere from 128 million to 1.16 billion metric tons of greenhouse gasses, which is equivalent to taking 28 to 250 million cars off the road for a year. According to the EPA’s analysis, the increased usage of ethanol could decrease greenhouse gasses by 99 million metric tons, but it could also increase them by as much as 13.8 million metric tons over 30 years.  Unfortunately, there would likely be a dramatic increase in climate disasters after the emissions that this plan would initially create, according to professors such as Valerie Thomas. 

Overall, scientists seem unsure of the implications of making this switch to biofuels. Different research teams contradict each other, and all of the predictions mentioned in this article admit that there is a huge variation in the results that switching to biofuels could have. Since some scientists confess that it could possibly lead to a long term increase in greenhouse gasses, I’m not sure this is a good idea. I’m even more doubtful of the EPA’s decision because of the three years where there would be a dramatic increase in carbon dioxide and methane in the atmosphere because of the increase in crops, since we are already experiencing so many storms due to climate change. A switch to biofuels, even if hugely beneficial in the long term, may push many endangered species to extinction.

Dlouhy, J., & Chipman, K. (2022, December 01). Biden proposes overhaul of US biofuel law to boost EV makers like Tesla. Retrieved January 25, 2023, from https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-12-01/biden-proposes-overhaul-of-us-biofuel-law-to-boost-ev-makers-like-tesla

On December 1, 2022, The Biden Administration announced its plan to increase the use of renewable natural gas to power electric vehicles. While the 2005 Renewable Fuel Standard pushed for ethanol and biodiesel based alternatives for vehicles, the new proposal is focused on decarbonizing transportation in general. To achieve this, the EPA plans to increase the amount of biofuel in gasoline and diesel by as much as 22.68 billion gallons by 2025. In addition, officials aim to protect current oil refineries. EPA Administrator Michael Regan and Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm emphasize “strengthening the economics of our critical energy infrastructure” and “support[ing] the union workers who operate these facilities” while taking on alternative fuel sources.

This article demonstrates a balance between maintaining a strong economy and taking care of our planet, by supporting the current systems while looking for replacements. The new proposal is more generalized than the previous one, which I think will likely lead to less results overall, due to a less specific goal. In addition, since producing biofuel also releases greenhouse gasses, uses chemical fertilizers, and leads to an increase in global food prices, it’s not necessarily going to benefit us much to use a higher concentration of it in gasoline and diesel. A better solution would also focus on decreasing overall gasoline and diesel usage.

The Feedstock Challenge. (2022, August 5). Biofuels International. Retrieved August 15, 2022, from https://biofuels-news.com/news/the-feedstock-challenge/

The product and condition of biofuel can be important, however what can be more crucial is the pretreatment process. When oils and fats are processed, they need to be pretreated before they can be used as a biofuel. Each type of feedstock requires different treatment. For example, hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) requires strict quality requirements than other processes. When using crude feedstock, it’s important that each delivery of it is analyzed for impurity before it can be used. Regardless if it’s used as a biofuel or not, the operation of the pretreatment is key for how effective and reliable the product is.

As many value the significance biofuel can bring us it is important to look at the hard work that goes into the pretreatment process for creating it. With biofuel possibly becoming more practiced in the future, it is really important that we have companies dedicated to pretreating the materials and supplying most of the pure fats and oils that will be used. As the backbones to producing biofuel, I believe that they are the reason we can utilize these materials and help solve the climate crisis going on in the world.

Saleh Ahmed, A., Rezaur Rahman, M., & Khusairy Bin Bakri, M. (2022, August 5). New bio-energy source for biofuel from indigenous kepayang fruit in Malaysia. Taylor & Francis Online. Retrieved August 15, 2022, from https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17597269.2022.2107652

Kepayang fruit has been found as a great source for renewable biofuel production. It can be used to manufacture bioethanol, which is ethanol produced from plants and used as an alternative to gasoline. The process involves acid hydrolysis, fermentation, and distillation for bioethanol production. After multiple bioethanol and industrial ethanol tests, the kepayang fruit flesh produced high glucose and bioethanol concentrations. Additionally, 35 °C was tested as the best temperature for producing the largest bioethanol concentration.

The experiment this article has provided is helpful in showing a reliable source that can be used for biofuel effectively. It would be great to see the use of this bioethanol take place and see the positive impact it makes on the environment. However, the article doesn’t seem to go into any depth on the positive uses of this biofuel, especially in engines and vehicles. In other research and experiments, many demonstrations showed similar results. In the future, I hope to see more research done on kepayang fruit so we can utilize it as another great source for biofuel.

Harvey, F. (2022, July 14). Halt use of biofuels to ease food crisis, says green group. The Guardian. Retrieved August 15, 2022, from https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/jul/13/halt-use-of-biofuels-to-ease-food-crisis-says-green-group

As biofuel use mainly comes from crops, another issue arises which is food insecurity. Most crops used in the process are wheat, maize, and edible oils. With the Covid pandemic, war in Ukraine, and climate breakdown, The World Food Programme has warned that the rising prices are generating a food crisis around the world. Wheat and maize export from Ukraine is already under serious threat due to the Russian invasion. Shipments have been held up and harvests have been damaged by the war. Ending the EU’s requirement for biofuels would free up nearly a fifth of the potential wheat exports from Ukraine, which is enough to make a noticeable difference to limited food supplies. Additionally, the UK raised a proposal to review their use of biofuels, given the food security concerns.

Even though the implementation of biofuels in our daily lives seems beneficial to helping stop the climate crisis around the world, this article brings up an interesting opposition to that idea. The goal of biofuel is to help keep us and our atmosphere healthy, yet the growing food insecurity from it is hurting some of us more than we notice. Although the use of biofuel isn’t the main cause of growing food insecurity, it is contributing to the rising prices of crops. As amazing as it is that crops are being harnessed as a great source for biofuel, I believe we should take advantage of other recycled materials to ease the growing food crisis in the areas that need the most help.

Mofijur, M., Ashrafur Rahman, S. M., Nguyena, L., Mahlia, T. M. I., & Nghiema, L. D. (2022, February). Selection of Microalgae Strains for Sustainable Production of Aviation Biofuel. ScienceDirect. Retrieved August 15, 2022, from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0960852421017508

After 17 candidate microalgae strains were evaluated, Chlorella sp. NT8a was found as the most suitable strain for use in aviation fuel production. Although it may seem like the perfect alternative, jet fuel requires the right density, heating value, and freezing points. Chlorella sp. NT8a does not meet these international jet fuel standards just yet but with the right processing and modification, this microalgae strain can be utilized as a beneficial alternative to fuel for the aviation industry.

The use of microalgae-based biofuel for aviation has great potential for being a substitute for regular jet fuel. As planes remain among the most polluting means of transport, it is important to find a way for air travel to contribute less CO2 emissions while still being able to fly us around. This solution could easily be the answer although Chlorella sp. NT8a still needs processing in order to meet the jet fuel standards. This means that the solution to biofuel use in air travel isn’t far from us if only we take action. With help from companies in the aviation industry, revisions to current jet fuel standards and improvements for processing microalgae can be made.

Hyundai Oilbank and Lotte ink biodiesel deal. (2022, August 2). Biofuels International. Retrieved August 15, 2022, from https://biofuels-news.com/news/hyundai-oilbank-and-lotte-ink-biodiesel-deal/

Hyundai Oilbank, a petroleum and refinery company, has signed a deal with Lotte Confectionery, the third-largest chewing gum manufacturer in the world. Both companies are located in South Korea and have signed a deal together to produce biodiesel. Being a food manufacturing company, Lotte Confectionery will supply Hyundai Oilbank with leftover products from the food manufacturing process that can be otherwise used as fuel, like leftover cooking oil. Hyundai Oilbank will be building a biodiesel production facility that takes up 10,000 sq ft and will be completed in 2023.

As pollution continues to become a rising problem for the world, enormous factories run by large companies are a great contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. With most factories around the world using fossil fuels to run their facilities, it is extremely beneficial that both Hyundai Oilbank and Lotte Confectionery have proposed a solution that decreases fossil fuel consumption a great amount and harnesses recycled materials as a source of fuel. Not only does this slow down the rate at which we dig fossil fuels from the ground, but it takes advantage of other by-products that would otherwise be thrown away or wasted. In the future, I hope to see other manufacturing companies take action and salvage the materials that are usually wasted. With help from companies like Hyundai Oilbank and Lotte Confectionary, we can encourage others to follow in their footsteps.

Melvin, J. (2022, August 26). California sets sights on zero-emission vehicle future to chagrin of oil, biofuel groups. S&P Global Commodity Insights. Retrieved August 28, 2022, from https://www.spglobal.com/commodityinsights/en/market-insights/latest-news/energy-transition/082622-california-sets-sights-on-zero-emission-vehicle-future-to-chagrin-of-oil-biofuel-groups

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) is proposing a ban on the sales of new gas-powered cars, including vehicles powered by biofuels, to be put into effect by 2035. Although California’s goal to become carbon neutral in the next decade or so is admirable, groups such as the American Petroleum Institute are against the push because it will “eliminate consumer choice, limit innovation and jeopardize progress towards our shared climate goals.” Others are frustrated because of the lack of flexibility in the marketplace and claim the goal is “one of the most expensive and inefficient ways to address emissions and climate change.”

This article sheds light on the downfalls of pushing for a sudden shift to zero carbon emissions, indicating that renewable energy such as biofuels are a better way to make the transition. The ban on gas-powered vehicles would eliminate the healthy competition among various technologies which push them to constantly develop better models, and electric transportation would be unaffordable for many Californians. 

USDA begins accepting applications for $100 million in Biofuel Infrastructure Grants. USDA. (2022, August 23). Retrieved August 28, 2022, from https://www.usda.gov/media/press-releases/2022/08/23/usda-begins-accepting-applications-100-million-biofuel

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has been working with the Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program (HBIIP) to decrease the out-of-pocket expenses for businesses to transition their infrastructure and other equipment over to biofuel. In August 2022, the USDA began accepting applications for grants of $100 million to increase biofuel use in the United States. In June, the USDA also provided $700 million in relief to over 100 biofuel producers who had suffered because of the pandemic. In addition, the Biden-Harris Administration’s promise to lower gas prices for Americans would not be possible without biofuels.

This article discusses a concept very important to transitioning into a carbon-neutral society: grants. With governments and large organizations giving out money to be used specifically for modifying infrastructure to accommodate greener methods, the switch to green energy can finally be made. I’m very glad to see that organizations like the USDA are encouraging this change so much. However, based on other articles I’ve read about the problems with biofuels, I’m not sure if it’s wise to make this change without further investigation.