Biofuels, perspectives, risks, and opportunities

Abstract

The phenomenon of global warming, its causes and effects, constitute one of the greatest concerns of our generation, and its debate extends to different scenarios with analyses and perspectives of various natures in social, economic, and scientific fields. In this case, the issue was addressed from the viewpoint of using alternative energies that could imply the country's possible participation in the planning and eventual production of biofuels. This work was carried out in the Industrial Safety course, taking advantage of updated knowledge and information in a debate expressed in social, economic, and technical terms. From it, we can highlight that the need to replace fossil fuels by finding another type of renewable energy is evident. This option must be subject to certain conditions, such as economic, environmental, and social sustainability, the ability to meet energy needs, and to provide a development opportunity, especially for poor countries. However, based on the analysis of the information obtained and the debate held, it was concluded that biofuels do not meet the cited conditions; therefore, under current circumstances, they cannot be considered a permanent solution to the energy and environmental crisis.