An Evaluation of Fossil Fuels' Effect on Public Health and the Economy in Contrast to Biofuels

Abstract

As global energy demands rise, the environmental and economic tolls of fossil fuel dependency have become increasingly unsustainable. In 2025 alone, fossil fuel combustion released approximately 42 billion tons of carbon dioxide globally, severely threatening public health and forcing the global economy into a volatile cycle driven by finite resource depletion. This literature review evaluates the public health and economic impacts of transitioning from traditional fossil fuels to sustainable biofuels. While critics argue that aggressive biofuel adoption may inflate consumer fuel prices and disrupt food security by diverting arable land, recent advancements in second-generation cellulosic biofuels mitigate these concerns. Derived from agricultural waste rather than consumable crops, cellulosic biofuels utilize a closed carbon cycle that can reduce lifecycle emissions by up to 99%. Supported by government subsidies like the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA), biofuels offer a stable pricing path that sets the economy apart from foreign market shocks. Because biofuels serve as a direct, drop-in replacement for liquid fossil fuels, they leverage existing infrastructure, offering an immediate and structurally viable pathway toward global decarbonization.