Life Cycle Assessments for Evaluating Biofuels Production

• Published in: Our Energy Future p. 155
• Main Authors: Mayfield, Stephen P, Jones, Carla S
• Format: Book Chapter
• Language: English
• Published: United States University of California Press 16.02.2016
• Edition: 1
• Subjects: Alcohols; Alternative fuels; Applied ecology; Applied sciences; Automobiles; Biofuels; Biological sciences; Carbon dioxide emissions; Chemical compounds; Chemistry; Ecology; Electric cars; Energy; Energy engineering; Engineering; Environmental degradation; Environmental impact; Environmental impact assessment; Environmental management; Environmental pollution; Environmental quality; Environmental studies; Ethanol; Fuels; Functional groups; Ground transportation; Ground vehicles; Human ecology; Hydroxyls; Industrial ecology; Life cycle assessment; Motor vehicles; Physical sciences; Physics; Pollutant emissions; Pollutants; Renewable energy; Special purpose vehicles; Transportation; Transportation modes; Vehicles; Zero emission vehicles
• ISBN: 0520278771; 9780520278776

The wide assortment of feedstocks and technologies being considered within the energy market hold great potential for the future generation of biofuels. Even though these biofuel feedstocks will be derived from plants or recycled materials, thus reducing their overall environmental impact compared with fossil fuels, the level of sustainability for each feedstock and fuel type remains highly variable. Clearly, to achieve a sustainable energy future, it will be critically important to consider three important characteristics of each biofuel source and process: energy return on energy investment (EROEI), greenhouse gas emissions, and finally the broader implications on the environment when a