Introduction
One of the leading causes of global warming in the world today has been identified as carbon emissions resulting from the use of fossil fuels. The levels of pollution have indeed gone up by an alarming rate over the past few decades. This calls for the application of integrated efforts towards the reduction of the various sources of pollution.
The Automobile sector has been identified as one of the leading causes of fossil fuel emissions; this can be attributed to the heavy usage of fossil fuels in the Automobiles that are used on the roads all over the world (EIA, 2007).
In order to reduce the levels of pollution, there is a dire need to adopt new technologies that are aimed at reducing the amount of fossil fuel that is consumed in the automobile engines. Indeed it is very important to note that the problems that are associated with the emissions from the automobiles are not only limited to pollution, but also present numerous health problems to the users of the automobiles.
There have been numerous attempts to address the issue of the pollution that results from the use of automobiles in the transport sector; these efforts have been varied but they have all been aimed at reducing the amount of emissions that result from the use of fossil fuels in the engines of these automobiles.
Efforts ranging from engine modifications to the development of hybrid vehicles and the use of special environmental friendly fuels such as bio-fuels are all aimed at creating a cleaner environment in the greater society. Overall the issue of automobile pollution has been addressed from a variety f angles but there is a need to look at the particular technologies that have been developed and whether they effectively solve the problem of pollution or they further on aggravate the situation (Farrell & Brandt, 2006).
With the increase in the world population the number of vehicles has also been increasing at a very fast rate and the issue of pollution has been posing a great challenge for the entire community. Thus technology remains the only option to enable in the reduction of the amount of emissions as a result of automobile use.
There are various technologies that have been advocated for use in order to enable the reduction of the amount of pollution from automobiles, these technologies include the use of improved gasoline and diesel technology, use of hybrid cars that use fuel cells or the use of bio-fuels as an alternative to the conventional fuels.
In this essay the use of bio-fuels as an alternative to the use of fossil fuels will be considered and the merits that it brings in terms of environmental pollution will be outlined. Ultimately the applicability of the use of bio-fuels in an organization will be considered and the associated recommendations will be given for the use of bio-fuels by an organization (Farrell et al., 2006a).
The Bio-fuel Technology
The use of bio-fuel technology has become advanced over the past few years and it has been adopted in many countries as an alternative to the use of fossil fuels such as petrol and diesel which are considered to be major environmental pollutants. Bio-fuel technology incorporates two products and these include bio-ethanol and bio-diesel; however there are also numerous challenges that arise in an effort to promote the use of bio-fuels as an alternative to the use of fossil fuels (Farrell et al., 2006a).
Some of these challenges may include the sourcing of feedstock and the scaling up of the levels of production so as to be able to produce the fuels on a large scale level. There is also the challenge of engine modifications that are required to ensure that a vehicle can be able to run purely on bio-fuels as most of the current engines can only run on a mixture of bio-fuels and diesel or petrol.
Bio-fuels are a product of living organisms and they result from metabolic action on by-products which may entail both organic and waste products. It is however important to consider that there is an important benchmark that must be met by these products in order to be considered as bio-fuels; 80% of the materials that are used as raw materials for the production of bio-fuels must be renewable materials.
The origin of most of the materials that are used to produce bio-fuels is the process of photosynthesis; in this regard therefore, the process can be referred as having the origin of the energy from a solar source (Graboski, 2002).
Bio-fuels generally entail the use of biomass to provide a suitable source of energy, by decomposing these biomass products, a suitable by-product is obtained and it is this product that is used as an alternative to fossil fuels mainly in the internal combustion engines. As stated earlier on the use of bio-fuels has been spurred by the growing debate on the need to reduce the amount of atmospheric pollution that results from the use of fossil fuels in the internal combustion engines.
The most common bio-fuel technology specializes in the production of bio-fuels from biomass based wastes; these wastes include agricultural manure, crop residues as well as by-products from animals.
One of the biggest advantages that attracts the use of bio-fuels technology is the fact that there is an abundance of wastes that are readily available and can be used to prepare the bio-fuels, most of these wastes can be found in the local areas in large amounts, the conversion of the wastes to bio-fuels also leads to the production of another by-product that can be used as a fertilizer.
The production and use of bio-fuels also ensures that the wastes are used in an environmentally friendly manner; this technology also offers a new business opportunity to the residents who wish to venture in the production of bio-fuels as a source of energy (Perlack et al., 2005)
It is also very important to note that the production of bio-fuel also presents its own unique challenges that must be addressed if the technology is to be successfully adopted by an organization. One of these challenges relates to the competition of the bio-fuel materials with other uses that might be adopted for the same products such as fodder crops.
However, the use of bio-fuels is advocated on the grounds that it presents a unique opportunity due to its ability to integrate well within the existing fuel distribution infrastructure in most of the nations worldwide. With the abundance of domestic supplies for the same, it is essential to note that the growth opportunities offered by bio-fuels for organizations are immense.
Negative environmental aspects for bio-fuels
There are various negative environmental effects that can be associated with the use of bio-fuels and one of these has been associated with the heat trapping of the emissions an aspect which is considered to contribute to global warming to some extent. The effect of the bio-fuel production process depends on the type of feedstock used and the production process and the inputs as well as the assumptions that are made in the process.
There are also a number of concerns that are associated with the conversion of large amounts of land to be used for the purpose of growing the crops to be used for the purpose of producing the bio-fuels. In the production of bio-fuels there is a need to ensure that the issues that are related to the trapping of heat by the bio-fuels that are produced.
While recognizing the fact that bio-fuels play a crucial role the reduction of the consumption of fossil fuels that result in most of the carbon emissions in the environment, it is also equally important to consider any negative effects that result from the use of bio-fuels; this will aid in the development of appropriate technologies to ensure that the emissions are reduced and that the production of bio-fuel is wholly adapted as a process that reduces global warming to a significant extent.
The sustainability of bio-fuels as a source of energy can only be proven if it causes a significant reduction in the carbon emissions that usually result from the use of fossil fuels (Williams, 2005).
It is very important to consider the extent to which pollution from the automobile sector causes the depletion of the ozone layer; it is also very important to consider the fact that the depletion of the ozone layer results from the accumulation of the carbon emissions in the environment.
Of equal importance is the recognition of the fact that the automobile sector is considered to be one of the greatest contributors to the issue of global warming, this there is a dire need to control the state of pollution right now and the bio-fuel technology presents a great opportunity to attain the relevant reductions in the amount of emissions that result in automobile pollution (Tilman & Hill, 2007).
The production of lead from the leaded gasoline is considered to be one of the key causes of the automobile pollution; the effects of this pollution are far reaching and they ultimately affect a person’s state of mind.
The effect of the health of a person is usually affected by the carbon monoxide that is emitted from the use of fossil fuels in the automobile engines, the effect of carbon monoxide is very pronounced because carbon monoxide is a very dangerous gas. The vehicular emissions also comprise of carbon dioxide that is considered to be a heat trapping gas; this means that carbon dioxide has the ability to trap and retain heat and cause a subsequent rise in temperatures.
The reduction in green house gas (GHG) emissions that can be achieved through the use of bio-fuels can be quite substantial depending on the source of bio-fuel that is used. Studies have shown that the use of ethanol from sugarcane results to a GHG emission reduction of between 80-100% and between 30% -50% for corn ethanol.
As aforementioned, there are also other negative effects that are associated with the production of bio-fuels that need to be addressed effectively if the bio-fuels produced are to be used to cause a substantial reduction in the amount of emission that is produced by the automobiles that use fossil fuels as a source of energy (Worldwatch Institute, 2007).
There are some gases that are emitted that are potentially harmful and these include Nitrogen II Oxide and these need to be addressed effectively before the use of bio-fuel technology can be adopted in any organization.
Recommendations
Therefore in the adoption of bio-fuel technology in any organization, there is a dire need to consider the following before the technology can be considered to be successful in the organization that has adopted this technology.
The adverse effects that are associated with the use of bio-fuels on the environment can be greatly reduced through the use and practice of sustainable agricultural management practices. It is very important to consider the choice of feedstock which will be determined by the overall demand for the bio-fuels.
The production limits are a key factor to be considered in the bio-fuel production because they ultimately determine the demand and applicability for the bio-fuel production technology.
The use of organic wastes for bio-fuels ensures that the gains that are attained in case of environmental effects are more pronounced as opposed to the use of agricultural land to produce energy crops; biomass in this context can therefore be use for material purposes, later it can be reused and recycled and ultimately the energy content of the biomass material is ultimately regained and the benefits are enhanced.
The use of feedstock rich in cellulose ensures that the bio-fuels that are produced are rich in terms f the energy content and environmental friendliness; therefore in order to maintain the long-term productivity of these systems, it is very crucial to ensure that there is addition of nutrients such as potassium into the process (Williams, 2005).
There could also be consideration for the production of fuels that are more suitable in the process of bio-fuels production. This includes the production of new liquid hydrocarbon fuels that are obtained from cellulosic biomass materials.
The production of the liquid hydrocarbon fuels is seen and considered to be a better alternative as opposed to the production of ethanol from the cellulose; the advantages offered are considered in terms of the yields that are produced and in terms of the environmental effects. It is also important in the reduction of the conflicts that are likely to occur in the competition with the traditional industries that are based on the use of wood for the industrial processes.
It is also important to consider the method of combustion that is used for the bio-fuels. This is because the method of combustion used will ultimately determine the magnitude of the environmental effect that can be attributed to the bio-fuels. The most preferable means of applying bio-fuels is to combust them directly in the engines to produce heat and electricity as opposed to their conversion to liquid fuels such as ethanol.
It is also very important to consider the technologies that might be used to improve the production process for the bio-fuels. The technology used plays a critical role in determining the type of feedstock to be used as well the conversion technology to be utilized. The technology also plays a key role in ensuring that the biomass feedstock is effectively utilized in the production process.
Thus in line with the production process, it is very important to put in place policies to ensure that there is sustainable bio-fuel production and that all the tools are in place to be able to monitor the implementation of the production process (Graboski, 2002). The ultimate goal for any organization adopting this technology should be the attainment of a product oriented certification for the bio-fuels.
It is also very important to develop clear guidelines for the certification of the programs that are implemented by organizations in relation to the production of bio-fuels.
This is important in determining the life-cycle of the products as well as the farming standards for the biomass materials; the criteria to be developed should effectively address all the issues in relation to land use, types of feedstock used and the utility for the products that are obtained.
The use and application of liquid bio-fuels should be considered in line with the potential environmental effects and the aspect of creating competition with the food crops; it is important to consider meeting these goals without resulting to large scale conversion of large pieces of land.
Conclusion
It is quite evident that automobile pollution creates a great challenge in terms of its contribution to the issue of global warming. It is therefore very important for organizations to adopt technologies that are aimed at reducing the carbon emissions by using fuels that do not emit carbon to the environment. The use of bio-fuels presents an attractive alternative to the use of fossil fuels; however there are also environmental and sustainability challenges that should be addressed before bio-fuel technology can be adopted for use in organizations.
References
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