The fuels produced by renewable resources such as ethanol, methanol, biodiesel, solar and wind (renewable energies) has so many considerable advantages over using declining supplies of fossil fuels.
Renewable fuels have gained in popularity due to their low contributions to carbon cycle, sustainability and in some cases, lower amounts of greenhouse gas effects. The geo-political ramifications of these fuels are also of interest, particularly to industrialized economies which desire not too much dependence from Middle East countries where oil is the most vital product they are offering other countries leading too much controversy and very much involving politics.
According to Hubbert's peak oil theory, petroleum is a finite resource that is rapidly depleting. Of the worldwide total remaining petroleum reserves of approximately 1,277,702,000,000 barrels (about one half of the original virgin reserves) and a worldwide usage rate of 25,000,000,000 per year, only about 50 years worth of petroleum is predicted to remain at the current depletion rate (source: Wikipedia). Petroleum is imperative for the following industries: fuel (home heating, jet fuel, gasoline, diesel, etc.) transportation, agriculture, pharmaceutical, plastics/resins, man-made fibers, synthetic rubber, and explosives.
If the modern world remains reliant on petroleum as a source of energy, the price of crude oil could increase markedly, destabilizing economies worldwide. Consequently, renewable fuel drivers include: high oil prices, imbalance of trade, instability in oil exporting regions of the world, the Energy Policy Act of 2005 the potential for windfall profits for American farmers and industries, avoidance of economic depression, avoidance of scarcity of products due to a volatile ‘peak oil’ scenario expected to begin as early as 2021, (though peak oil is not a new idea) and a slowing of global warming that may usher in unprecedented climate change (source: Wikipedia).
Nations have been working hand in hand in this most challenging times where instability of oil rates plus debates on climate change along with geopolitical instabilities are the main key factors. And this renewable energy have become so in demand due to its lasting promises of advantages and becoming very much attractive to governments who are beginning to see sustainable energy independence as a valuable asset.
While a useful biofuel source, crop residues also play a crucial role in maintaining soil organic carbon stock. This stock of organic carbon preserves soil functions and our global environment as well ensures the sustainable long-term production of biofuel feedstock (source: Science Daily).
Analysis of the experiments indicates that predicted potential long-term effects of changes in management from conventional tillage to no tillage practices provided insights on proposed management options that were not feasible either due to cost or other factors.
"Harvesting substantial amounts of crop residue under current cropping systems without exogenous carbon (e.g., manure) addition would deplete soil organic carbon, exacerbate risks of soil erosion, increase non-point source pollution, degrade soil, reduce crop yields per unit input of fertilizer and water, and decrease agricultural sustainability," says Hero Gollany, the author of the study (source: Science Daily).
Management practices in these experiments ranged from single cropping to two or three year crop rotations; manure, no fertilizer or fertilizer additions; crop residue returned, and crop residue removed. The predictions also factored diverse climates, soil conditions, fertility management, cropping systems, and crop residue removal practices.
These factors determine that too much of everything will do no good also in our environment as well. The diverse usage of renewable energies sometimes are quite catchy and advantageous to us but if we do not put a thorough study on those, we might end up getting a bit complicated effects of this not only in producing these but also in the environment.
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