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Bio Fuels

Biofuels:   Risky Business
I have always been a proponent for anything that is environmentally friendly, especially when it comes down to curing our never ending addiction to oil.   However, since biofuel technology has entered the automobile industry, there has been a surge to promote this latest alternative fuel choice. The Oregon government recently awarded a $450,000 grant to encourage further development and expansion of biofuel technologies. This grant has caused a heated debate in Oregon because it focuses on whether or not biofuels are a viable substitution to fossil fuels. I believe that supporting such a program would be a fatal mistake. Biofuels are considered a “band-aid” to a much larger concern. Theoretically, biofuel technology is an excellent concept. I believe, however, that biofuel technology will eventually lead to a much greater devastation to the environment as well as to the human race.
Bio fuels are defined as “any fuel with an 80% minimum content, by volume, of materials derived from living organisms and usually these resources are harvested within the ten years preceding its manufacture” (A Summary of Bio-fuel Sources, 2007,   1).   Corn and soybeans are currently the largest producers of biofuel in North America. These crops are harvested and converted into ethanol for fuel.   According to the article, Ethanol Reshapes the Corn Market; it takes 56 pounds of corn to yield 2.7 gallons of ethanol fuel (Food and Beverage Industry, 2007, p. 1). Envision how many pounds of corn are required to fill each car, truck and SUV in the United States every year.
People, who support biofuel technology, believe that the advantages out-weigh the disadvantages. For example, biofuel technology is a renewable resource and allegedly releases very minimal to zero emissions into the environment. Furthermore, biofuel technology will break our long-standing dependence on oil. Although, these are all valid reasons to utilize biofuels, the truth of the matter is that...