The Brazilian biofuel industry: achievements, challenges, and geopolitics

What is the role of energy in today’s world? Arguably, there are three points which are important to keep in mind. First, energy is an essential input to production in a world of increasing consumption and demand for goods and services. Therefore, energy is an essential resource for development. Second, energy is at the heart of environmental debates. The large-scale production and utilization of energy has created a number of ecological implications that cannot be left unchecked – most notably global climate change. Finally, energy is also a key part of geopolitics, particularly liquid energy – petroleum – on which the whole world depends, but which is produced primarily by a handful of countries.

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