BIOENERGY FOR EUROPE: WHICH ONES FIT BEST?
BIOENERGY FOR EUROPE: WHICH ONES FIT BEST?
BIOENERGY FOR EUROPE: WHICH ONES FIT BEST?
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58 4 Environmental results: presentation, discussion and interpretation<br />
4.2.7 Traditional firewood versus light oil / natural gas for residential heat production<br />
Use of fossil fuels<br />
Greenhouse effect<br />
Acidification<br />
Eutrophication<br />
Summer smog<br />
Nitrous oxide**<br />
Human toxicity**<br />
* How to interpret the diagram<br />
Advantages for<br />
biofuel<br />
Light oil<br />
Natural gas<br />
Advantages for<br />
fossil fuel<br />
-900 -800 -700 -600 -500 -400 -300 -200 -100 0 100<br />
European inhabitant equivalents* per 100 TJ<br />
The figure shows the results of comparisons between complete life cycles where light oil and natural<br />
gas respectively are substituted by traditional firewood for heat production. The unit refers to an amount<br />
of 100 TJ of heat. This is equivalent to the average heat requirement of about 4,000 inhabitants of<br />
Europe in one year or a firewood production of about 900 ha/a. In this case for example the amount of<br />
fossil fuel saved if firewood replaces either of the fossil fuels is equal to the amount which nearly 800<br />
European citizens would on average consume in one year (this is what is meant by “European inhabitant<br />
equivalents”).<br />
Remarks and conclusions<br />
The results show that both traditional firewood as well as light oil and natural gas have certain ecological<br />
advantages and disadvantages.<br />
• Advantages of the biofuel: use of fossil fuels, greenhouse effect, compared to natural gas also summer<br />
smog<br />
• Advantages of the fossil fuel: eutrophication, compared to natural gas also acidification<br />
• Low or no significance: comparison with light oil only: acidification and summer smog<br />
The data for ozone depletion and human toxicity tend to have a high uncertainty. Therefore these categories<br />
should not be included in the final assessment. (**See Chapter 4.1.2 and for details on all impact<br />
categories 3.3 and 3.4)<br />
A further assessment in favour of or against traditional firewood or light oil / natural gas cannot be<br />
carried out on a scientific basis, because for this purpose subjective value judgements regarding the<br />
individual environmental categories are required which differ from person to person.
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