What is Second-Generation Biofuel Feedstock?

Second-generation biofuels do not compete with natural food crops for land and water. Feedstock such as corn or sugar cane are cultivated after vast areas have been deforestd, but second-generation "energy crops" thrieve in rocky, arid areas unsuitable for other crops.

Some popular biofuels include:
Camelia - Also known as "gold-of-pleasure", this oilseed requires virtually no tilling or weed control, making the biofuel produced from it much less expensive than other oil crops. It has the potential to become a valuable health-food oil too, possessing exceptionally high levels of Omega-3, Omega-6 and anti-ocidants.

Jatropha - the supper-hardy Jatropha resists drought and pests, grows in soil other crops can't take root in, and produces seeds containing up to 40 percent oil. When the seeds are crushed and processed, the resulting oil is ready for a standard diesel engine. But Jatropha seeds are highly toxic - just three seeds would kill, if ingested.

Algae - Algal biofuels do not affect fresh water resources, they are biodegradable and they can be produced using both seawater and wastewater. They also yield far more energy per acre than other second-generation biofuels crops.

Switchgrass - Ethanol frrom switchgrass - a two-to three-metre tall grass that once dominated the steppes oh central Asia and the plains oh North America - was found to produces 540 percent more energy than is required to manufacture it. One hectare of such grassland can produce 2,170 litres of bioethanol.

The Numbers On Water

• 0.007% of all water on Earth is suitable for direct human use. (Water Partners International)
• 70% of all available water is used for irrigation. (UNESCO)
• 70% of industrial waste in developing countries is dumped untreated into the usable water supply. (UNESCO)
• 30 - 50 times more water is consumed by a child in a developed world, compared to one in the developing world. (UNESCO)
• 507 conflictive events have occured on transnational water sources in the last 50 years. 200 treaties have been signed. 1,228 cooperative events have taken place. (UNESCO)
• 2 million tonnes of human waste are disposed into watercourse around the world every day. (UNESCO)
• 330 million people could be displaced by floods if the global temperature were to rise by 3 - 4 degree C. (HDR 2007/2008)
• 1.8 billion more people could live in water-scare environments by 2080 due to global warming. (HDR 2007/2008)

(Asian Geographic, No. 64 Issue 3/2009, Page 77)

Natural Gas

• Natural gas is one of the cleanest and safest forms of energy.
• It is 90 percent methane, and does not contain the harmful compounds found in other fossil fuels.
• Compressed natural gas (CNG) is in a pressurised gaseous state. liquenfied natural gas (LNG) is in liquid from cooled to -161 degrees celsius.
• CNG is not toxic and disperses quickly; LNG spills on water require no cleanups.
• Using natural gas reduces smog; vehicle emissions are lower because ignition temperatures are higher, thereby making combustion more effecient.

(Asian Geographic, No. 64 Issue 3/2009, Page 33)