Is biofuel harmful to the environment
The annual global production of biofuels has skyrocketed over the past decade. The reason is that it has been advocated as a means to mitigate climate change, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and dependence on fossil fuels.
Biofuel is made from renewable resources— biomass materials from plants or animals—and it’s considered to be an alternative to fossil fuels, like petrol and diesel. It’s true that biofuels can cause harm to the environment if they’re produced in a way that’s unsustainable or damaging to the land. But when grown properly, they don’t produce any additional greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
While biofuels do not produce as much air pollution as fossil fuels do, they still have some negative effects on the environment. One of these is that they take up land that could be used for growing food crops or even natural vegetation. This can lead to food shortages and increased prices for those who rely on these crops for survival.
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Another effect of biofuel production is on biodiversity: the number of different species of plants or animals within an area. Biofuels can harm biodiversity because they use land that would otherwise be available for natural vegetation or wild animals to live in. They also affect soil health and water quality in some areas by using fertilizers or pesticides on crops grown for biofuel production purposes instead of using organic methods which do not require these chemicals at all times (or ever).
However, compared to burning fossil fuels like coal or oil, biofuels have less of an impact on our climate. Because they’re made from organic materials and don’t include non-renewable resources like coal or oil (which take millions of years to form), biofuels have a smaller environmental footprint than conventional fossil fuels do.
Despite the push from the government for biofuels, there is a lack of proper regulations and policies. Along with collective efforts, if proper policies are implemented, biofuels can evade the negative environmental consequences and be utilized properly.