2007 Essay Contest Winners

Sarah Hagan

1st Place Essay – 2007
Sarah Hagan
Deer-Creek – Lamont Public Schools
11th Grade

Biofuels: A False Hope for America’s Energy Crisis

Biofuels, a hot topic in the world today, are actually nothing new.  Henry Ford’s Model T was actually designed to run on either ethanol, a type of biofuel, or gasoline (Lavelle par. 6).  Ethanol was pushed aside in favor of petroleum because gasoline was cheaper to produce.  With oil prices rising, biofuels are gaining popularity and interest (Lavelle par. 7). The two main types of biofuel are biodiesel and ethanol.

Biodiesel, formed from natural resources including vegetable oils and animal fats, is used as a diesel replacement (What is Biodiesel? par. 1).  It can also be made from used fryer oil (Aronow par. 2).  If blended with diesel, biodiesel will run in most regular diesel engines without any modifications (What is Biodiesel? par. 1).  Ethanol is an alcohol-based fuel that is most commonly produced from corn.  It is often blended with gasoline to help cut carbon emissions (Ethanol par. 1-2).  To make ethanol, the corn is ground up, and the sugar is either dissolved from the material or the starch is turned into sugar.  Microbes, or microorganisms, are fed the sugar which they then turn into ethanol and carbon dioxide (How is Ethanol Made? par. 2).  Another type of ethanol, cellusoic ethanol, is made from waste materials including saw dust, waste paper, and corn stalks.  Instead of relying on starch, cellulosic ethanol relies on cellulose, a material found in the cell walls of plant cells.  Cellulose can be transformed into sugar; however, it is more difficult than transforming starches into sugar. (How is Ethanol Made? par. 1)

The world is in the midst of an energy crisis.  Every year our demand for oil grows 2 percent.  Some experts believe that oil production will soon peak and that may even lead to the ceasing of the production of oil (Motavalli par. 4).  Other concerns that have led to the consideration of biofuel as a viable alternative to gasoline and diesel include recent oil prices and the fear of global warming.  The country is currently learning that too much dependence on any single item presents a problem.  Finding an alternative to petroleum-based fuel has proved to be extremely costly and time-consuming.  However, it is something that must be done.  Biofuels do not currently present a long-term solution for our energy crisis.

The production of biofuels is presenting as many problems as opportunities.  The nation relies nearly solely on corn for raising pigs, chicken, and cattle.  With more and more corn being used to make ethanol, corn prices have doubled from two dollars a bushel to four dollars a bushel since 2006 (Lavelle par. 14). With the lucrative corn market, many farmers are switching to planting corn instead of soybeans.  This has led to soybean prices increasing thirty percent (Hagenbaugh par. 12).  Since corn is involved in the production of almost everything we eat including cereals, sodas, meats, and dairy products, these higher prices in the supermarket may “spark inflationary concerns” (Hagenbaugh par. 6-7).  Due to rising corn prices, Mexico has faced escalating tortilla prices; the government was required to step in to control pricing (Hagenbaugh par. 8).   As more biofuel is produced, food prices will continue to rise.  Analysts estimate that producing biodiesel could require the soybean crop of the entire country (Jackson par. 6). A spokesperson for the National Biodiesel Board (NBB) even stated that it is not realistic to grow crops for biodiesel.  The NBB also estimates that biodiesel could only supply ten percent of the fuel needed for America (Mottavali par. 55-56).

Corn depletes the soil of its nutrients and requires more fertilizers and insecticides than crops such as soybeans (Lavelle par. 18).  The fertilizer used on corn to replace the nitrogen the corn sucks from the soil is derived from natural gas.  Atrazine, a common pesticide used on corn, is petroleum-based.  So, we are still dependent on fossil fuels (Carrels par. 9).  These chemicals often end up tainting our water supply (Lavelle par. 18).

Biofuels are praised by scientists and environmentalists as being carbon neutral.  Carbon dioxide, one of the byproducts of burning fossil fuels, is being blamed as one of the causes of global warming.  Corn converts carbon dioxide into oxygen.  Then, when corn is used to produce ethanol the carbon is released back into the air (Carrels par. 9).  Therefore, some assume that ethanol does no harm; however, there is more to consider. Unlike gasoline, ethanol cannot be transported through pipelines.  Therefore, it must be transported by trains, trucks, or barges.  This means emitting more carbon dioxide into the air (Halperin par. 8).  Other things that need to be taken into consideration include the energy consumed and the carbon dioxide emitted in planting, fertilizing, harvesting, transporting, cooking, and producing the ethanol.  Many ethanol plants are fueled by coal.  Because of the vast amount of energy needed to produce ethanol, some studies find that ethanol uses more energy than it produces (Carrels par. 9).  It takes seven gallons of gasoline to create ten gallons of ethanol (Carey par. 13). Ethanol has a lower energy content than gasoline; therefore, it takes about 1.5 gallons of ethanol to drive as far as one could on 1 gallon of gasoline (Lavelle par. 22).

We should continue to look into different options for meeting our energy needs.  Great strides are being made in biofuel research.  Making biodiesel and ethanol from waste materials may prove to be a viable option.  Oklahoma has the potential to become a leader in energy production once again.  It will require hard work and the support of all Oklahomans.  In the mean time, we should all try to limit our energy consumption.  Simple measures such as purchasing a more fuel-efficient car will impact the world.  We must always strive to look for better ways of doing things.  Biofuel has potential.  With more research and experimentation, Oklahoma could be at the center of biofuel production. 

Works Cited

Aronow, Louisa. “Fueling Brazil’s Future.” Americas Vol. 56 No. 6:46-51. SIRS: Environment #62
Carey, John and Adrienne Carter. “Food vs. Fuel.” Business Week Online 2007: 80-83. Academic Search Elite. EBSCOhost. Coweta High School Media Center, Coweta. 28 Feb. 2007. http://web.ebscohost.com.

Carrels, Peter. “Global Warming Threatens-Corn-Based Ethanol not Solution.” Aberdeen News. 4 Mar. 2007. www.aberdeennews.com. 25 Mar. 2007.

Ethanol. 14 June 2006. U.S. Department of Energy. 24 Mar. 2007 www.eere.energy.gov/afdc/altfuel/ethanol.html.

Hagenbaugh, Barbara. “Corn has Deep Economic Roots.” USA Today 25 Jan. 2007. Academic Search Elite. EBSCOhost. Coweta High School Media Center, Coweta. 28 Feb. 2007. http://web.ebscohost.com.

Halperin, Alex. “Ethanol: Myths and Realities.” Business Week Online. 19 May 2006. www.businessweek.com. 25 Mar. 2007.

How is Ethanol Made? 13 Oct. 2004. U.S. Department of Energy. 24 Mar. 2007 www.eere.energy.gov/afdc/altfuel/eth_made.html.

Jackson, Bill. “Greenhouse Gases: Problems and Opportunities.” Greeley Tribune 22 Feb. 2007. Newspaper Source. EBSCOhost. Coweta High School Media Center, Coweta. 26 Feb. 2007. www.ebscohost.com.

Lavelle, Marianne and Bret Schulte. “Is Ethanol the Answer?” U.S. News & World Report 12      Feb 2007:30-39. Academic Search Elite. EBSCOhost. Coweta High School Media Center, Coweta. 28 Feb 2007. http://web.ebscohost.com.

Motavalli, Jim. “The Outlook on Oil.” E Magazine Vol. XVII Jan./Feb. 2006:26-39. SIRS:Environment #66.
What is Biodiesel? 30 September 2005. U.S. Department of Energy. 24 Mar. 2007 http://www.eere.energy.gov/afdc/altfuel/whatis_biodiesel.html.

Abby Winstone

Abby Winstone – 1st Runner Up
Ninnekah High School, Ninnekah, OK
11th Grade

Answering Our Fuel Crisis

What will happen when we run out of the nonrenewable resources that are used for energy?  Will we simply stop using energy, or find an alternate source?  Actually, alternate forms of energy are already being discovered and used in many areas where our resources are being quickly depleted.  Biofuels, although they may not be the complete solution to our energy needs, are one of the many options to answer our energy crisis.

What are biofuels?  Biofuel is any fuel that is derived from biomass-recently living organisms or their metabolic byproducts, such as manure from cows (Biofuel).  Why should we use biofuels?  The answer is simple: Biofuel is made from materials that would ordinarily become waste and pollute our environment but can provide an alternate source of fuel for our changing world.  Biofuels are biodegradable and are relatively harmless to the environment (Biofuel).  Most researchers have considered the fact that the use of gasoline and other nonrenewable fuel sources will have great consequences in the near future, such as releasing toxic emissions harmful to the ozone.  Use of biofuels reduces toxic air emissions, and greenhouse gas buildup (Biomass Today).  Many of the environmental problems that our world deals with today are the result of harmful chemicals released in the burning of fossil fuels.

Some biofuels in use today have been utilized for centuries, such as wood and plant materials.  New forms of biofuels, however, are food crops, grassy and woody plants, residues from agriculture or forestry, the organic component of municipal and industrial waste, and fumes from landfills such as methane (NREL: Learning- Biomass Energy Basics).  Another newfound source of energy is the peanut.  The oil is being extracted to produce usable fuel energy.  Not only do the new forms of energy reduce the use of fossil fuels, but also make the environment a safe, cleaner place.  The increasing use of biofuels can also have a positive impact on our economy.  The use of biomass can reduce dependence on foreign oil because biofuels can be produced locally.  (NREL: Learning -Biomass Energy Basics).  Using biomass creates new business opportunities and jobs.  The use of biomass supports the United States Agriculture and Forest product industries by using: paper mill residue, lumber mill scrap, municipal waste, corn, and soybeans (NREL: Learning- Biomass Energy Basics).  These alternate forms of fuel come in many different forms; however, biomass is the only renewable energy source that can be converted directly into liquid fuel.  The two most common biofuels are ethanol and biodiesel (NREL: Learning Biofuels).  Ethanol is an alcohol, the same as in beer and wine, but is modified to make it undrinkable (NREL: Learning Biofuels).  The production of ethanol has come a long way and appears to be a promising resource for the future.

There are two sides to every argument, especially those that involve our environment and something as essential as our energy source.  Some scientists believe we should utilize the resources that are normally wasted such as plant and animal compost and methane gasses.  With the depleting nonrenewable resources that are so heavily relied on fading fast, it is essential to discover alternate ways to produce energy.  The production of biofuels is one way we can provide our world with a sustainable, alternate energy source.

With the use of biofuels becoming more popular, the prices of corn and other crops produced to make biofuels has gone up.  This price increase helps the farm economy by creating a new market for these products.  The price increase however, is not good for everyone; for example, the price of animal feed is also increasing, which hurts the ranching economy.  Another problem we face with the increased planting and production of biomass to produce fuel is soil erosion.  It is essential that we also manufacture equipment that is soil-friendly.  We may find in the long run that the energy needed to harvest the biomass exceeds the energy gained from the biofuel itself.  Because of this, we must discover a way to make the energy products an economically wise answer to the fuel question.

Oklahoma is know for its energy production service, and also for its agricultural side.  These two fields can be combined in the production of biofuels (Kerr Center Institute).  Oklahoma has already found an active role to play in biofuel production.  Oklahoma has thousands of acres of land poorly suited for producing crops, yet can and does almost naturally produce a very usable resource-switchgrass (Ag at OSU).  The market for switchgrass itself is not very good.  However, a new development has arisen; to produce ethanol from the native Oklahoma grass.

Both sides of the argument should definitely be addressed in deciding an alternate fuel source.  I believe there may not be such a thing as a completely sustainable resource for our world, however I do believe that we must work together to find different ways to fulfill our energy crisis.  Biofuel seems to be one of the most promising alternatives in action today.  The continued use of biofuels will have an overall positive influence on our economy and environment as a whole.  Using biofuels is one of the many answers to the sustainable resource question.

Works Cited

Addison, Keith.  “Biofuels.”
Biofuels: Journey to Forever.  12 Feb. 2007
http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html.   

Causley, Fred.  “Growing Potential...Biofuels: Home Grown on the Range.” 
Online at OSUOklahoma State University.  9 March 2007
www.okstate.edu/ag/agedcm4th/ag-news/ag@osu/sp98/sp98_5.htm.

Ho, Kevin.  Biofuel.  4 Feb. 2007.  Columbia University/Wikipedia.  8 Feb. 2007
file://A:Biofuel@20encyclopedia.htm. 

Kerr Center.  “2007 Essay Contest.”  Kerr Center Institute.  1 March 2007
NREL: Learning-Biofuels.  22 January 2007.  National Renewable Energy Laboratory. 
4 Feb. 2007  www.nrel.gov/learning/re_biofuels.html?print.

Zachary Rice

Zachary Rice –
Honorable Mention
Pawnee High School, Pawnee, OK
12th Grade

Renewable Energy:
Are Bio-Fuels the Answer to Our Fuel Crisis?

With the constant rise and fall concerning the manufacturing of fuel, people are seeking new methods of producing alternative types of energy.  Even the government is providing subsidies to conduct ongoing research in this area.  Are bio-fuels the final answer to our current fuel crisis?  Are they truly renewable, and if they are, can they be sustained for a long period of time?  Should we use food crops to produce energy?  These are all very important things to consider regarding this rather controversial topic.  First, one must examine the definition of a bio-fuel.  According to The American Heritage Science Dictionary, a bio-fuel is defined as being a fuel produced from renewable resources, especially plant biomass, vegetable oils, and treated municipal and industrial wastes.  Some people believe that the production of bio-fuels is one way to utilize our current resources to meet our nation’s growing energy needs.  On the other hand, others feel that using bio-fuels is simply a short-term solution to a global problem.  Because no one actually knows when our fossil fuels will be entirely depleted, I believe that it is imperative that we continue to search for alternative means of producing energy.

Proponents of the bio-fuel industry claim that our nation is equipped with agricultural resources to produce these so-called renewable fuels.  Our nation has an enormous amount of land that is not being utilized at this time.  We also have access to animal waste, forests, and landfills that we could possibly use for bio-fuels.  In Resource Insights, “Nonrenewable Renewables: The Hidden Life of Bio-fuels,” according to Kurt Cobb, “Those fuels, ethanol from corn and bio-diesel from soybean soil, are touted as the path to energy independence and clean air and as an answer to global warming.”  Using bio-diesel and biogas as alternative fuels are not only advantageous to the consumer, but also to the environment as well.  The amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere through bio-fuel combustion is less than that of fossil fuels.  Ironically, though, every aspect of the field work, including planting, maintaining, and harvesting these crops, is accomplished by utilizing massive petroleum-powered machinery.

Factions opposed to the mass production of bio-fuels argue that bio-fuels are not sustainable.  Although bio-fuels can be processed from crops that are continually grown and harvested, nonetheless, Cobb concludes, “This style of industrial farming involves huge petroleum and natural gas inputs to fuel the machinery; to make and apply the herbicides, pesticides, and fertilizers; and to irrigate and harvest the crops.”  Furthermore, the consequences to the environment are sometimes devastating.  Soil erosion is a matter of utmost concern.  According to a recent study conducted by David Pimentel and Tad Patzek, soil is eroding ten times faster than it is being replenished.  Some areas require irrigation, which in turn can lead to over pumping.  As a result, groundwater from aquifers in various regions is diminishing more quickly than it can naturally be restored.  Irrigation can also damage the soil by leaving salt deposits, thus making the soil unusable.  Cobb states, “The current production methods for bio-fuels are more like mining operations than farming operations.”

Next, one must take into consideration the supply and demand concerning food crops.  If we continue using commodities such as corn and soybean to produce bio-fuels, then the price of food will eventually increase.  Can the people of our country afford to pay higher prices for food?  Can most of the world’s population afford to pay higher prices for food?  Certainly not!  According to Cobb, “Some 2.7 billion people are currently considered malnourished.”  This is just another problem that would arise if bio-fuels were to become our main source of energy in the future.

In my opinion, we must find some other way to produce energy besides being totally dependent on fossil fuels.  While research is being conducted to find more ways to produce alternative sources of energy, I firmly believe that we should continue to utilize bio-fuels.  However, we must acknowledge the fact that bio-fuels are unsustainable because of the devastating effects that they cause to the environment.  How long does it take for a forest to grow back after all the trees have been cut down and used for biomass?  How long does take for an aquifer to return to its natural state?  Perhaps someday, we will have the technology to produce bio-fuels without using fossil fuels.  Until then, there are many questions that will remain unanswered.  Additionally, our focus should be globally centered.  Our research should be geared toward the development of new technologies to reach untapped fossil fuels.  At some point in the future, I imagine that our fossil fuels will most likely run out.  Nevertheless, it is up to us to preserve the natural resources that are presently under our stewardship.

Works Cited

“Renewable Energy.”  Resource Insight.  20 Feb 2007
http://resourceinsight.blogspot.com/2006/06/nonrenewable-renewables-hidden-life-of.html

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