Economic growth: industry needs power!

1. Biofuels: To Grow on Land or at Sea? “Plough versus pond” Terrestrial biofuel crops: e.goil-seed rape, palm oil (biodiesel); wheat, sugar beet, corn, maize (bioethanol). Aquatic biofuel crops: microalgae (biodiesel); seaweed (bioethanol). 1st generation biofuels: made from food crops 2nd generation biofuels: made from non-food crops or waste e.g. miscanthus grass 3rd generation biofuels: “advanced and sustainable biofuels” e.g. microalgae. Costs? Of production? Distribution? Price at the pump? Where’s the profit? Social Impacts – the “whys?” Stuck in the past: Is our infrastructure e.g. internal combustion engine a “technological dinosaur”? Consumer demand: transport Infrastructure reliant mainly on liquid fuels. Economic growth:industry needs power! Can biofuels power the ‘new’ economy? Where will they come from? Space: is there enough land to grow food AND fuel crops? Ownership? Who owns what? Farmers own the land; The Crown Estate owns the seabed – but who owns the water? Price rises: fuel and food. Spiralling costs of fossil fuels. Biofuels causing steep rises in basic food stuff! Food security or energy security? “Food versus fuel debate”. An island nation: we must make more use of the sea! Is aquaculture the new agriculture? Labour: New jobs! Diversifying livelihoods. Land-based farming-highly mechanised=low labour costs. Not so for algae farming. Impact of minimum wage? Multiple uses: e.g. seaweed farm: fuel, food, coastal protection, tourism (diving), fish nursery etc = many different stakeholders. Palm oil plantation? Taxation: biofuels from land get tax breaks. Why is it not the same for algae fuels? Politics: EU subsidies? Common Agricultural Policy for farming; nothing for aquaculture Safety: Which is more dangerous, farming on land or at sea? Costs – in money and lives? Knowledge and Technology – the “hows?” Timescale:Agriculture has been around for 10,000+ years. We have domesticated many arable crops. Intensive algae farming about 50 years old with no domesticated strains. We are land farming experts; we are algae farming novices! Can we do it? Farmers farm, fishermen fish. Who grows algae? Fertilisers:nutrients for growth? Cost? Source? Application – how much and how often? Impact? Growing season: how many crops and how often? Water:need to irrigate or fill ponds/tanks? Using drinking water or ‘grey’ water? Harvesting and access:farm mechanisation (tractors, combine harvesters). How to harvest algae? Light:photosynthesis? Natural or artificial? Is light needed – if not why not? Supply chain: we want ‘drop-in’ fuels. Are there ‘designer’ biofuels? Climate change? Replacing fossil fuel use. Reducing CO2 emissions? Fixing/storing carbon? Environmental Impacts – and the “what ifs?” Pollution of land, water and air: which will have the biggest impact? Environmental versus social ethics: Are we prepared for industrial-scale algae farming? Life-cycle assessment or “cradle to grave analysis”: Examining the environmental impacts at all stages of production. Do biofuels do more harm than good? Which is better- land or sea? Habitat loss or habitat creation? Monocultures? Polycultures? Impacts on biodiversity? Genetic modification? GM crops are a reality. Can they be contained? If so, how? Synthetic organisms – there is already an ‘artificial’ algae! Pesticides: Land farming has had its ‘Silent Spring’ moment. What about algae farming? From left to right: EU biofuels directive – oil-seed rape a key feature; legal requirement for 10% biofuel content in petrol by 2020; growing oil rich microalgae in outdoor ponds; oil palm plantation in Indonesia; farming seaweed for bioethanol; the food versus fuel debate. (credits: Green Guide Spain; Wikipedia; Seambiotic; Greenpeace; Bio Architecture Lab Inc; Columbia Daily Tribune.)