4 ms·
A relevant video examining the potential alternatives to jet fuel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_BK7PRugK4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_BK7PRugK4 A TL
by dharmab 5y ago
A relevant video examining the potential alternatives to jet fuel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_BK7PRugK4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_BK7PRugK4
A TL;DW is that biofuels are unscalable and worse for the environment than standard fuels. Hydrogen is not yet viable, and would require entirely new aircraft designs. Electricity will likely never be viable for all but the smallest low-range aircraft. E-fuels (fuel made using carbon capture) is not yet viable, but may be a viable long term option.
- tpmx 5y agoSince it's a 25 minute video (ugh): what's the tl;dw for why biofuels are unscalable and worse for the environment?
- londons_explore 5y agoMost of the worlds farmland is used to feed the worlds population and farm animals. The worlds use of fuel is many times greater in terms of calories than use of food. That means if we want to use farmland to grow fuel, we're going to need a lot more farmland. We already farm most of the land that's viable for farming. So there isn't really much more available without destroying a lot of ecosystems and chopping down rainforest...
- tpmx 5y agoCounterpoint from a Swedish perspective: https://www.svebio.se/en/our-mission/is-there-enough-land/ https://www.svebio.se/en/our-mission/is-there-enough-land/
- dharmab 5y agoThe energy put into the process to grow and ferment the plants or algae is high enough to outweigh the offset use of fossil fuels. It's an energy negative process. The same creator has a 15 minute video on that topic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpEB6hCpIGM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpEB6hCpIGM