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The Challenges of Biofuels in Ohio

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The Challenges of Biofuels in Ohio THE CHALLENGES OF BIOFUELS IN OHIO: FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF SMALL-SCALE PRODUCERS A thesis presented to the faculty of the College of Arts and Sciences of Ohio University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Masters of Science John Carl Izaak McHenry March 2008 2 This thesis titled THE CHALLENGES OF BIOFUELS IN OHIO: FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF SMALL-SCALE PRODUCERS by JOHN CARL IZAAK MCHENRY has been approved for the Program of Environmental Studies and the College of Arts and Sciences by Michele Morrone Associate Professor of Environmental Health Benjamin M. Ogles Dean, College of Arts and Sciences 3 Abstract MCHENRY, JOHN CARL IZAAK, M.S., March 2008, Environmental Studies THE CHALLENGES OF BIOFUELS IN OHIO: FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF SMALL-SCALE PRODUCERS (159 pp.) Director of Thesis: Michele Morrone The increased interest in renewable biofuels, such as biodiesel and ethanol, has come in the wake of higher domestic fuel costs after many years of low consumer prices. With the increase in the price of petroleum-based fuels and growing concern over the reliance on foreign oil from unstable parts of the world there has been more interest to look for cheaper, more sustainable energy resources. While domestically produced sustainable energy sources have the potential to spur growth for domestic farming communities, they have also been touted as being more environmentally friendly. There is also discussion about the potential for biofuels powering a large number of vehicles for the United States transportation sector while producing lower emissions and greenhouse gases. Some see this as a way to help reduce the effects of global warming but issues such as the availability of limited feedstock to produce the biofuels and bigger pictures such as food versus fuel are also a growing concern. There are technical drawbacks to biofuels such as decrease in power, solvency issues, public perception, price competitiveness, feedstock availability, the waste stream produced and whether or not this waste can be dealt with in a sustainable manner. There are also issues related to the net energy gain from producing biofuels, which must also be addressed. 4 In terms of acres harvested, Ohio is one of the top ten agricultural states in the country and produces significant amounts of corn and soybeans, the main feedstock for biofuels. Many view biofuels as a way to stimulate the state economy while producing a more environmentally friendly domestic fuel. With new alternative fuels there are certain challenges in order to make these fuels more widely available. In this thesis I will explore the challenges of biofuels from the perspective of small-scale producers in Ohio that have a production rate of less than 5 million gallons per year. Approved: _____________________________________________________________ Michele Morrone Associate Professor of Environmental Health 5 Dedication This thesis is dedicated to the people who use their ingenuity and creativity to work towards a future built on principles that support a sustainable community. 6 Acknowledgements I would like to acknowledge the Environmental Studies Program for giving me the opportunity to work in the program and broaden my perspectives in Environmental Policy and Planning. I have greatly appreciated this challenge. Thanks to Michele Morrone for her support and guidance throughout the thesis process as well as the support provided to me during my data collection. Thanks also to Geoff Buckley and Ben Stuart for their additional input as well as to Gene Mapes for her guidance early on. I would also like to thank the anonymous interviewees who took the time to participate in my data collection and for their honest, and sometimes candid, responses. Finally I would like to thank my family and friends for all of their support during this endeavor. Special thanks goes to John K. McHenry, Kelly Gaskill, Patsy Graves, Brett Thompson and Julia Phillipson. Their support allowed me the freedom and flexibility to make the completion of this thesis possible. 7 Table of Contents Page ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................................... 3 DEDICATION ............................................................................................................................................... 5 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .......................................................................................................................... 6 LIST OF TABLES ........................................................................................................................................ 9 LIST OF FIGURES .................................................................................................................................... 10 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION TO BIOFUELS .................................................................................. 11 BIOFUELS ................................................................................................................................................. 11 BIODIESEL ................................................................................................................................................ 12 BIODIESEL VERSUS DINO-DIESEL ............................................................................................................ 16 RUDOLF DIESEL ....................................................................................................................................... 20 ETHANOL ................................................................................................................................................. 21 E 85 .......................................................................................................................................................... 23 ETHANOL INFRASTRUCTURE ................................................................................................................... 25 PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY ......................................................................................................................... 27 CHAPTER 2: URGENCY BREEDS INNOVATION .............................................................................. 30 CREATION OF A CONSUMER SOCIETY AND THE NEED FOR OIL ............................................................ 30 OIL AND TRANSPORTATION .................................................................................................................... 31 MIDDLE EAST OIL ................................................................................................................................... 32 OPEC ....................................................................................................................................................... 35 PEAK OIL ................................................................................................................................................. 36 STRAIGHT VEGETABLE OIL AND WASTE VEGETABLE OIL AS A BIOFUEL ............................................ 39 CHAPTER 3: BARRIERS OF BIOFUELS .............................................................................................. 42 LAND IMPACT ISSUES IN BIOFUEL PRODUCTION ................................................................................... 42 FOOD VS. FUEL ......................................................................................................................................... 43 FORESTS VS. FUEL ................................................................................................................................... 45 OHIO AGRICULTURE ............................................................................................................................... 46 BIOFUEL COMPETITION .......................................................................................................................... 48 PRICE AND AVAILABILITY OF BIOFUELS ................................................................................................ 49 GREENHOUSE GASES ............................................................................................................................... 51 NON-TECHNICAL BARRIERS ................................................................................................................... 54 RESISTANCE FOR BIOFUELS .................................................................................................................... 56 CHAPTER 4: METHODOLOGY ............................................................................................................. 58 SITE .......................................................................................................................................................... 58 SAMPLE .................................................................................................................................................... 58 ACCESS AND SAMPLE SELECTION ........................................................................................................... 59 INTERVIEWS ............................................................................................................................................. 59 TRUSTWORTHINESS ................................................................................................................................. 61 CONCERNS...............................................................................................................................................
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