Welcome to my final blog. Yes, the last one ever (so sad!) Today, I will dive into bioenergy and discuss a controversial source: palm oil.
Bioenergy? What’s That?
Bioenergy is a term that refers to energy, heat, or electricity that is created by burning biofuels (something made from a biomass, such as wood chips, corn, etc).
Bio energy is all the rave now due to the burning of fossil fuels becoming so controversial. Bioenenergy can be used to run cars, power factories, and even heat your house!
So What Does Palm Oil Have to do With All of This?
Well, in 2009, the Renewable Energy Directive stated that by 2020, 10% of the energy consumed for transportation needs to be from a renewable resource. In Europe, they found what they thought was the perfect solution: Palm Oil. Palm Oil, once harvested and treated, can be turned into biodiesel. Currently in Europe, 80% of their biofuels come from biodiesel, most of it being from palm oil.
Source: https://www.transportenvironment.org/what-we-do/biofuels
So, it’s a renewable resource, it meets government requirements…what could be wrong with that? Well, palm oil has a bad rep, and there are many reasons why.
For starters, palm oil is killing many rainforests across the globe, specifically in South America, Africa. In order to create more land for palm oil plants, trees are being cut down at a very quick rate. And when I say cut down, I mean they are being burned, putting carbon into the air. Also, this has cut the orangutan population in half.
Source: BBE 1002 Lesson 27
In 2018, more than half of the palm oil imported into Europe was put back into cars. And, as you can see by the picture above, palm oil releases three times more greenhouse gases than fossil diesel; this completely goes against the point for the Renewable Energy Directive! And, the worst of it all is that most people in Europe are putting in into their gas tanks without being fully aware of what palm oil really is/does to the environment.
So, palm oil. A biorenewable resource that works as a biomass to create bioenergy. But it’s killing animals. It’s ruining forests. It’s increasing global temperatures. What does this mean about bioenergy? Is it not as good as fossil fuels?
The Future: Bioenergy or No?
Well, back to square one. Is bioenergy really the answer? It’s hard to say. Europe has come to its’ senses and has decided to ban palm oil from being in transportation (by 2030), so that’s a step in the right direction.
So, does this mean our future will still have fossil fuels or no? Well, the answer is probably yes. Bioenergy is still a relatively new concept, and there isn’t enough behind it to fully support getting rid of fossil fuels. The German Federal Ministry of Consumer Protection says that biofuels and bioenergy is just a bridge for now, and that we will someday convert all of it to solar and wind energy.
I’m sorry if this blog did not clear up the future as much as you would have hoped. I, personally, am not 100% sure what I think is best for powering our cars and heating our homes. Fossil fuels work well, but they may run out. Palm oil is renewable, but it is creating climate issues. So, as far as the future goes, I have no idea what it will hold. As a consumer, however, the best thing we can do is stay educated: know where your energy is coming from, how sustainable it is, etc.
Thanks for reading guys! I loved blogging about sustainability & the environment with you all– always remember to reduce, reuse, ands recycle!
Works Cited:
BBE Lesson #27: Global Perspectives
Pytlik, Walter. “Bioeconomy.” Which Biomass Is the Best Source of Alternative Energy?, 28 Nov. 2011, https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/dossiers/which-biomass-is-the-best-source-of-alternative-energy.
“Why Is Palm Oil Biodiesel Bad?” Visit the Front Page!, https://www.transportenvironment.org/what-we-do/biofuels/why-palm-oil-biodiesel-bad.
Consumption, Resources, and the Environment: What You Need to Know 