Most ethanol biofuel is produced using starch-based crops or by dry and wet-mill processing. The majority of ethanol plants (around 90%) are dry mills because of their lower capital costs. The process of dry-milling entails grinding corn into flour, which is then fermented to create ethanol and additional co-products of carbon dioxide and distillers’ grains (Our Endangered World, 2022). In addition, ethanol is made from cellulosic feedstocks that primarily include residues from crops and various plants. However, this process is more complicated compared to using starch-based crops.
An argument supporting biofuel’s use pertains to its benefits in reducing landfills and waste. Because biofuels are produced from by-products of manufacturing, agriculture, and other businesses, it allows minimizing the volumes of waste that is left behind significantly. Since many countries experience challenges when managing their landfills, biofuel effectively addresses the issue (Our Endangered World, 2022). The argument against the use of biofuels is that its production is impossible without large volumes of water, which is a non-renewable resource that must be preserved. For example, I have researched the use of water in biofuel production, and the resource is used to irrigate the crops grown specifically for biofuel production and during the manufacturing process. Thus, biofuel cultivation will inevitably result in water resource depletion that most countries cannot afford.
References
Clark, M. A., Douglas, M., & Choi, J. (2018). Biology (2nd ed.). OpenStax.
Cooper, G. M., & Hausman, R. E. (2014). The cell: A molecular approach (6th ed.). Sinauer Associates.
Our Endangered World. (2022). 16 important pros and cons of biofuels to know.