Biofuels: Opportunities, Challenges, Risks, and Sustainability

The global energy and fuel crisis is not unheard of; with fossil fuel depleting at an exponential rate, along with their deleterious effects on human health and environment, there is an urgent need of a suitable alternative. Biofuels are viewed as a possible solution to solve issues relating to greenhouse gas emissions, global warming, and climate change. However, the establishment of biofuels as the possible fuel source of the future can have a negative impact on biodiversity and natural ecosystems, coupled with habitat loss and fragmentation. With the growing awareness of biofuels worldwide, policy makers are designing new laws and strategies, particularly in industrialized nations, for the sustainable use of biofuels. Though numerous life-cycle assessment (LCA) studies have focused on the environmental impacts of biofuel use, the results obtained are often not satisfactory. The aim of the present chapter is to consolidate and clarify the different challenges, risks as well as opportunities that are associated with the sustainability of biofuels. In this chapter, we have highlighted the fact that for the establishment of biofuel as a sustainable fuel source, several important parameters work in collaboration, some of which have been discussed here, and need extensive study in this regard. The role of nanoscience and technology in the biofuel industry has also been briefly highlighted in this chapter.