...a classic example of the distribution problem of scarce resources. There is actually enough water in the world for everyone's needs, and it is not a resource that is ever 'used up' in the way that other resources can be consumed. The amount of water in the earth's water cycle - evaporating from the sea, then falling as precipitation over land - is constant, the problem is one of distribution - it is not always located where it is needed. Read more: http://businesscasestudies.co.uk/nestle/sustainability-and-water/the-basic-economic-problem.html#ixzz1oPYHca55 Case Study of Biofuels and the poor Case Study: India Biofuel Policy and Potential in India Due to increased energy demand, India must import energy to meet current demand. There is potential for biofuels to leverage indigenous sources of inputs, potentially increasing income and opportunities in rural areas. Yet the development of a biofuel sector could increase staple food prices and increase...
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...RESEARCH QUESTION: WHY CAN’T MALAYSIA BE A MAJOR CONSUMER OF BIOFUEL? I Introduction While demand in the growing biofuels industry, Malaysia can’t be a major consumer of biofuels as there are some issues in the social impact,ecosystem services, technical consideration for the use of biofuel-based and Malaysia Government Policy sector II Body A One of the reasons Malaysia can’t be a major consumer is the issue in social impact. 1 Competition between food and fuel a Some commodities like maize,sugar cane and vegetable oil can be used either as food or biofuels sources.(Wikipedia,2012) b Human food chain can be affected due to this competition.(Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule,2008) 2 Food price increase a Food prices will increase due to higher demand for biofuels usage.(Doornbosh and Steenblik, 2007) b Higher cost of raws material compared to fossil fuels (Steven and Lee, 2010, p.948) 3 Lack of public awareness about the use of biofuels a Most Malaysian do not realize that Malaysia will run out of oil in 19 years if alternative energy sources such as biofuels are not used. (Prime Minister’s Department,2005,p.22) b Dissemination of information about the benefits of using biofuels is less widespread in the media causing fewer people to take note of the biofuel industry. (Bentley Motors,2008,p.3) B Another reasons is the issue in ecosystem services. 1 Soil erosion and deforestation ...
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...BIOMASS ENERGY POLICY The Policy Vision for Biomass is: To transform traditional biomass energy to modern energy in order to use the available biomass resources sustainably The policy goal for Biomass is: To increase the modern use of biomass energy from 10% to 86% of total energy consumption in Uganda by the year 2020 Table of Contents BIOMASS POLICY 4 1.0 Introduction 4 1.1 Biomass 5 1.1.1 Biomass energy flows 6 1.1.1.1 Forestry 6 1.1.1.2 Agriculture 7 1.1.1.2 Agricultural residues 7 1.1.1.4 Live stock 8 1.1.2 Biogas through anaerobic digestion 10 1.1.3 Biofuels for Transport by fermentation 11 1.1.4 Direct combustion for generation of electricity 12 1.1.5 Pyrolysis 12 1.1.6 Gasification 13 1.1.7 Transesterification 13 1.2 Benefits of using biomass 13 1.3 Barriers to efficient use of Biomass 14 1.4 Advantages of Biomass Energy 15 2.0 THE POLICY VISION, GOAL, PRINCIPLES, OBJECTIVES, STRATEGIES AND TARGETS 17 2.1 The Policy Vision 17 2.2 The Policy Goal 17 2.3 The Key Policy Principles 17 2.4 The Policy Objectives 18 2.5 The Policy Strategies 19 2.5.1 Legal and Institutional Framework 19 2.5.2 Data Acquisition, Information Dissemination (Awareness) and Capacity Building, Monitoring and Evaluation 20 2.5.3 Financing and Fiscal Policy 20 2.5.4 Poverty Eradication, Equitable Distribution, Social Services and Gender 21 2.5.5 Research and Development...
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...Sarju Patel BC607 Assignment 7.1 Oil Producers vs. Oil Users Oil is a unique and finite commodity. Every person in the world is affected by oil and it plays a vital role within modern society. It has also been associated with conflict since the First World War. The importance of oil is such that nationals and ethnic groups are prepared to go to war for this commodity if necessary. As such, a unique set of economic circumstances and policy issues surround oil. These include oil’s links to industrialization, economic growth, the distribution of wealth, and global warming. Oil is vital to the functioning of the economy of individual countries as well as the global economy. It plays an essential role in transport systems (ground, air and sea), agriculture, chemicals, and the military. Thousands of products are made using oil including plastics, pesticides, paints, inks, synthetic fibers, solvents, medicines, and other vital everyday use products. The reality is that oil is all around us, even when it is not being used in vehicle or other transport engines. Since oil is a finite commodity, concerns about when the supply of oil will decline and run out is of paramount importance and concern. The world’s supply of readily accessible oil is declining simply because more oil is being extracted than being discovered. New technologies that gain access to reservoirs previously hard to access may extend the life of these reserves. However, demand for oil in developed...
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...moving more towards biofuels and/or ethanol fuel, with the intent of getting America off the reliance of buying oil from countries that are not friendly towards us or that have terrorists ties, so with that came numerous studies from various research companies on the effects of biofuels. But nobody thought about the Unintended Consequences of the new emission standards. A recent study done by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), did a research article entitled, “Unintended Consequences of Transportation Carbon Policies: Land-Use, Emissions, and Innovation.” This article discusses the differences between two proposed policies: a National LCFS (Low Carbon Fuel Standards) or CAT (Cap and Trade). Some of the unintended consequences of that it lists under the LCFS policy would be 1) most existing fleet vehicles would not be able to use the ethanol amounts that would be required under the policy. 2) It would create a shift in agriculture. Under their policy it would require an additional 27 to 39 million acres of land to produce the production of energy producing crops. 3) Land use costs would be between $147 million and $693 million. Whereas, under the CAT policy which does not require more ethanol than what is currently being blended. Most current vehicles can safely use the 10% blend that is being used currently. The CAT policy would only acquire additional acreage of 1.2 million acres. The land-use costs would be zero under the CAT policy. They also go on to...
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...palm cultivation in Indonesia: private large-scale plantations and two types of smallholder models, i.e., nucleus estate smallholders, or NES, and independent smallholders. Smallholders manage nearly half of the overall plantation area; unfortunately government statistics do not distinguish between different types of smallholders. It is believed that smallholder operations have contributed significantly to the expansion of oil palm estates in recent years (World Bank 2010). Between 2006 and 2010, the area of oil palm plantations increased by 2.37 million ha, bringing the total productive area of plantation estates to 5.9 million ha (Slette and Wiyono 2011). This was partly because of biofuel and oil palm policies, which took effect in 2006 aiming to promote the production and use of biofuels. Overall, however, this expansion is more...
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...Fuel for Thought Fuel that made from biological materials such as plants and animals is defined as biofuel. “Fuel for thought-All biofuels are not created equal”, is an article written by David Tillman and Jason Hill. This article describes how biofuel has made a complete circle from when it was first introduced 100 years ago. In the beginning hay and oats were our first transportation biofuels. These in turn were replaced by gasoline. In present day biodiesel from soybeans and ethanol from corn have started taking the place of diesel and gas. Switching to ethanol and biodiesel has been something of a positive as it helps reduce the threat of climate change and ease dependence on foreign oil. The downside, however, is that we are in conflict with some of our most important needs: food, energy, and a livable environment. (Hill) We are now coming into problems finding and providing answers to the food, fuel, and environment dilemma. If properly produced there are biofuels that can provide climate friendly energy. The difficulty is figuring out where and how to grow them. Our most abundant lands are being used for food production. As demand for energy and food inflates, competition for rich fertile lands could possibly increase food prices and force some of the poorer people into starvation. There is also the threat of extinction of many different plants and animals. Rainforests and other eco systems would potentially be destroyed to make room for new farms. We will...
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...BIO-FUELS With the rising need for development with sustenance, the importance of biofuels is rapidly creating a wave amongst the current manufacturers. Bio-fuel is presumed to be an innovative successor to the fast depleting non-renewable sources of energy. What is bio-fuel? A biofuel is a fuel that is produced through contemporary biological processes, such as agriculture and anaerobic digestion, rather than a fuel produced by geological processes such as those involved in the formation of fossil fuels, such as coal and petroleum, from prehistoric biological matter. The history of bio-fuels dates back to several centuries and had been discovered as a primitive resource much prior to the discovery of electricity and fossil fuel. They...
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...Alternative fuel sources should take the place of fossil fuels because it will create a less contaminated environment such as using biofuel instead of conventional diesel. Creating and using Biofuel is better for the environment. Biofuel is becoming more readily available to consumers. Using Biodiesel in the transportation industry will reduce carbon emissions. What is “Biofuel” (Speight, 2008, p. 221), and how can we use it to decrease the effects of pollutants our air from transportation? “Biofuel” is created from “Biomass”, “Biomass is a renewable energy resource” (Speight, 2008, p. 221), that we should utilize. For example, “Biomass” can be obtained from crops, wood, and municipal and industrial waste (Speight, 2008, p. 222) because the carbon in “biofuels” has been already used by the plants, when it is rereleased into our atmosphere, it does not add more carbon into our environment (Speight, 2008, p. 241). “Biodiesel can be made from a variety of sources. Typically, alcohol is mixed with fats, oils, or greases from vegetable or animal sources. It is a bit like running your car on a can of supercharged Crisco. “ (Harrington, 2008, p. 118) Biodiesel can be used as an additive to reduce emissions from vehicles, and it can be used in its raw form for diesel engines. (Energy, 2010) “Biofuels are important because they replace petroleum fuels and can be used to fuel vehicles, but can also fuel engines or fuel cells for electricity generation” (Speight, 2008, p. 241)...
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...Algae biofuel in Indonesia: Challenges and Future Prospects Andre Budinarta A0113820W Ang Ee Meng, Samuel A0113625N Pham Trong Binh A0091176A National University of Singapore Introduction Objective This paper will look into the possibility of using algae for energy security in Indonesia. The prospects of algae being advantageous for the economy to undertake will be discussed. This paper will also focus on the development of such energy facilities in Indonesia. Background The consumption for electricity has been increasing in Indonesia (CIA World Factbook, 2013). This was due to the positive growth the economy has been experiencing in recent years (Trading Economics, 2013). In addition, the population is expected to increase from its current 239.9 million to 278.5 million by 2030 (The World Bank Group, 2011). This will lead to a surge in the demand for energy and electricity in the future. In light of today’s depleting fossil sources, there is a need to search for energy alternatives, for energy security. The government has actually implemented policies involving other forms of energy, such as solar, wind and biodiesel. As of 2012, renewable energy accounted for 11.5% of total energy production (Global Energy Statistical Yearbook, 2013). Algae, a 3rd generation biofuel, have not been brought forward by the government due to the lack of research and development capabilities in the country (Winston, 2013). Despite this, there...
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...Biofuels and the underlying causes of high food prices Alessandro Flammini October 2008 The development of this report was coordinated by Maria Michela Morese and Jonathan Reeves (Global Bioenergy Partnership Secretariat). The views expressed in this report reflect those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Global Bioenergy Partnership or those of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. For info: alessandro.flammini@fao.org ACRONYMS ADB Asian Development Bank DDG Dried distillers grains DEFRA Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs EU European Union FAO Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations GHG Greenhouse Gas OECD Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development PRC People’s Republic of China UAE United Arab Emirates US United States of America USDA Department of Agriculture of the United States WFP World Food Programme of the United Nations WTO World Trade Organization Table of contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ..................................................................................i BACKGROUND.....................................................................................1 THE CAUSES.......................................................................................4 THE CLIMATE ISSUE ......................................................................... 4 INTERNATIONAL STOCK LEVELS......................................................... 5 INCREASED GLOBAL FOOD...
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...Drilling For Oil In ANWR, Is It Worth It? Alexander Payne - Engineering Student, University of West Florida Abstract - This report will take an objective look at the possibilities of drilling for oil in Alaska. We will take a look at all of the possible benefits and good that could come out of this, as well as all of the drawbacks and negative effects that can come from drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. This report will also take a look at some possible alternatives to drilling for oil in ANWR that could possibly reap the same benefits, if not more. Index Terms – Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Porcupine Caribou, Mineral Rights, Surface Rights, Aleuts, Eskimos, Tlingits, Crude Oil, Fossil Fuels, Solar Energy, Wind Energy, Cellulosic Ethanol, oil rig, oil spill. Introduction: Oil and its uses 1 What is Oil? There many things referred to as “oil”, but in our case, oil is a liquid substance derived from petroleum that is used as a fuel source in hundreds of different applications, and it is also used as a lubricant. Oil is considered to be one of three main fossil fuels, the other two being coal and natural gas. As you probably know, fossil fuels are nonrenewable because it takes far too many years for nature to reproduce what we are taking away from it. 2 Uses Of Oil Just about anything you can think of that runs off of an engine more than likely uses oil. Just to name off some other uses, oil can...
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...of malnourished children in South Asia would fall from 76 to 52 million between 2000 and 2050, and from 24 to 10 million in East Asia and the Pacific. Climate change will erase some of this progress, causing the number of malnourished children in 2050 to rise to 59 million in South Asia and to 14 million in East Asia and the Pacific, increasing the total number of malnourished children in Asia by about 11 million. F. To counteract the effects of climate change on nutrition, South Asia requires additional annual investments of 1.5 billion USD in rural development, and East Asia and the Pacific require almost 1 million USD more. Over half of these investments in both regions must be for irrigation expansion. Source: International Food Policy Research Institute, Climate Change: Impact on Agriculture and Costs of Adaptation, 2009 As the world population continues to grow in almost all continents, great pressure is being placed on arable land, water,...
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...The Quest for Biofuels: Issues and Concerns Biofuels have been billed as an important component in the United States bid to become less dependent on foreign energy. As the price of crude oil continues to increase, and as the country sets its sights on becoming less dependent on foreign oil the pressure is mounting to increase the production of biofuels. In addition, the global energy demand is continuing to increase and known petroleum supplies are decreasing (CAST II, 2007); the need for a sustainable substitute for current fossil fuels has become more evident than ever. The rise in costs of traditional energy sources has raised this issue to prominence in many American households as well. Several government agencies and working groups have set goals, targets, and timelines for reducing the use of fossil fuels and the substitution of biofuels to fill the energy demand. This push for the use of biofuels will have dramatic effects on many sectors of the American economy and many new problems and issues will arise that need to be considered. Currently grain-based ethanol production is the primary means by which biofuels are produced in the United States. Corn is the grain of choice in this production system. The annual production capacity of ethanol has increased rapidly in recent years, from 1.7 billion gallons in 2000 to 4.3 billion gallons in 2006 (CAST, 2006). It is also projected that the annual production capacity will increase to 7 billion gallons by 2008 (CAST, 2006)...
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...ambitions for economic growth and human advancement. It is a challenge that transcends borders and requires solutions not only at national levels but at the international level as well. The WTO is one part of the architecture of multilateral cooperation. It provides a framework of disciplines to facilitate global trade and serves as a forum to negotiate further trade openness. Freer trade is not an end in itself; it is tied to crucially important human values and welfare goals captured in the WTO's founding charter, the Marrakesh Agreement. Among these goals are raising standards of living, optimal use of the world's resources in accordance with the objective of sustainable development, and protection and preservation of the environment. The issue of climate change is not part of the WTO's ongoing work program and there are no WTO rules specific to climate change. However, the WTO is relevant because climate change measures and policies intersect with international trade in a number of different ways. First, trade openness can help efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change, for example by promoting an efficient allocation of the world's resources (including natural resources), raising standards of living (and hence the demand for better environmental quality) and improving access to environmental goods and services. Second, the WTO is relevant because national measures to mitigate and adapt to climate change may have an impact on international trade (as they may modify conditions...
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