Question
- Recently, India has decided to advance the target of 20% ethanol blending in petrol by 5 years. This step aims to reduce air pollution, but on the flip side it also creates problems of water pollution and insecurity of food & water. Discuss.
Background
Recent News
BioFuels
Does Ethanol Blending make sense?
Yes..!!
- Reduced crude oil import bill – Ethanol Fuels cheaper than conventional fuels
- Environment friendly fuel – Reduces Global Warming
- Better income for farmers – Untapped Agri opportunity
- Better Employment Opportunities
- Variety & accessibility of raw material
Does Ethanol Blending make sense?
Does Ethanol Blending make sense?
- Water pollution & Water are major issues with Ethanol production.
- Compared to one gigajoule of fuel from fossil fuels, it takes 78 times as much water to make that much fuel from ethanol.
- To make one liter of ethanol, 10 to 16 liters of toxic by-product waste is released. It is discharged into water sources.
- Over reliance on Ethanol will drive food prices leading to Food insecurity.
- One of the biggest learning lessons from Brazil and its ethanol blending program is intense & recurring droughts due to over use of water resources.
Does Ethanol Blending make sense?
No..!!
- From 1979 to 2021, the production of ethanol increased from 0.5 billion liters to 30 billion liters annually.
- But by December 2021, the level of water sources there has decreased by up to 80%. Leading to worst droughts in last 20 years.
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