Secret report: Biofuels caused food crisis.

[Autumnleaf]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/jul/03/biofuels.renewableenergy

 

[Ave Maria]

Interesting. Perhaps biofuels aren't necessarily the way to go. At least not as an exclusive fuel source.

 

[MarkSB]

Burning food for fuel is generally not a good idea and should not be looked at as any type of long-term solution for the energy crisis. We need to start looking to other forms of energy, hydrogen would optimal IMO. The problem is converting over.

And for the people who are worried about global warming, why not look to the way in which we produce our electricity? Coal burning power plants are the #1 source of carbon emissions in our country.

 

[Ave Maria]

Burning food for fuel is generally not a good idea and should not be looked at as any type of long-term solution for the energy crisis. We need to start looking to other forms of energy, hydrogen would optimal IMO. The problem is converting over.

And for the people who are worried about global warming, why not look to the way in which we produce our electricity? Coal burning power plants are the #1 source of carbon emissions in our country.

Yes, coal burning power plants are a major part of the problem. I personally wish that the majority of the United States would switch to nuclear power. It's clean and safe provided that the rules are followed correctly and the design is safe. That could all be taken care of with strict regulations.

 

[Foolish_Fool]

Biofuels from food crops are pretty much a dead end technology. The amount of energy it takes to produce them is hardly worth the effort and it uses large chunks of land that could be used for food.

The only sustainable biofuel technology looks to be cellulosic ethanol. Using a low maintenance crop like certain grasses can yield enormous energy outputs. Not only that, but it can be grown on land that is not suitable for traditional food farming, requires less fertilizer and pesticides, and is more efficient. The drawback is that it's somewhat difficult to refine, though we're making good progress on industrializing it.

 

[Douger]

This "food crisis" is the only thing that can keep millions of farmers farming with fuel prices through the roof.

 

[Morcova]

Wow it took a "secret" report to point out the obvious to these folks?

 

[susanann]

The secrets out!
Burning food sources cause the price of food to go up!

 

[soblessed53]

Biofuels from food crops are pretty much a dead end technology. The amount of energy it takes to produce them is hardly worth the effort and it uses large chunks of land that could be used for food.

The only sustainable biofuel technology looks to be cellulosic ethanol. Using a low maintenance crop like certain grasses can yield enormous energy outputs. Not only that, but it can be grown on land that is not suitable for traditional food farming, requires less fertilizer and pesticides, and is more efficient. The drawback is that it's somewhat difficult to refine, though we're making good progress on industrializing it.

As shown in the CNN Special Report "Out Of Gas:We Were Warned" in the case of Sugar Cane Ethanol- octane output 7 times greater than corn ethanol.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/05/14/bts.sesno.gas/index.html#cnnSTCVideo

 

[Autumnleaf]

The secrets out!
Burning food sources cause the price of food to go up!

Susanann, do you have any idea what the outcry would be around the nation if this was on the evening news? You and I understand. Joe and Sally American do not. They work, and work, and work...

 

[LouTheWicked]

Hardly a secret. I saw that they're going to hold a summit in Japan today on the news about dicsussing the food prices due to biofuel, and of course the problem in Zimbabwe.

 

[Morcova]

Susanann, do you have any idea what the outcry would be around the nation if this was on the evening news? You and I understand. Joe and Sally American do not. They work, and work, and work...

I saw a story about this sometime in the last two weeks on the evening news.

 

[susanann]

Interesting. Perhaps biofuels aren't necessarily the way to go. At least not as an exclusive fuel source.

If the United States wants to greatly increase its population by hundreds of millions of people, and hundreds of millions of additional automobile drivers, and it does, and if India and China also want to add hundreds of millions of drivers, then our cars must burn food................ doesnt matter what the price of food goes to.