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February 10, 2008
Paging Al Gore ~ Biofuels Harm More Then Help
Biofuels harm more than help, studies find
Growing crops to make alternative fuel releases large amount of carbon into air
The rush to grow biofuel crops – widely embraced as part of the solution to global warming – is actually increasing greenhouse gas emissions rather than reducing them, according to two studies published Thursday in the journal Science.
One analysis found that clearing forests and grasslands to grow the crops releases vast amounts of carbon into the air – far more than the carbon spared from the atmosphere by burning biofuels instead of gasoline.
"We're rushing into biofuels, and we need to be very careful," said Jason Hill, an economist and ecologist at the University of Minnesota who co-authored the study. "It's a little frightening to think that something this well intentioned might be very damaging."
Even converting existing farmland from food to biofuel crops increases greenhouse gas emissions as food production is shifted to other parts of the world, resulting in the destruction of more forests and grasslands to make way for farmland, the second study found.
The analysis calculated that a U.S. cornfield devoted to producing ethanol would have to be farmed for 167 years before it would begin to achieve a net reduction in emissions.
"Any biofuel that uses productive land is going to create more greenhouse gas emissions than it saves," said Timothy Searchinger, a researcher at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University and the study's lead author.
Since 2000, annual U.S. production of corn-based ethanol has jumped from 1.6 billion gallons to 6.5 billion gallons – supplying about 5 percent of the nation's fuel for transportation, according to the Renewable Fuels Association.
Federal legislation passed last year calls for production of ethanol to more than double over the next decade.
Food crops such as corn, palm oil, sugar cane and soy beans have so far been the main source of biofuels because they are already grown in abundance and relatively easy to convert.
The fuels are environmentally attractive because, unlike fossil fuels, they are theoretically carbon-neutral. Carbon is released when the fuel is burned, but a similar amount is absorbed from the atmosphere as the crops grow.
Calculating the actual increase or decrease in carbon emissions has been difficult because of myriad factors involved, such as the energy used to produce the fuels and the varying amounts of carbon released through cultivation.
The biggest source of emission, by far, comes from land-use changes associated with biofuels, the new studies showed.
Several scientists said it is becoming clear that the biofuel industry needs to focus on potential biofuel sources that do not increase pressure on land, such as municipal trash, crop waste and prairie grasses.
The government is also promoting those sources, but there are still technological hurdles, and the powerful agricultural lobby has put its weight behind food-based biofuels to boost crop prices for farmers.
"We need better biofuels before more biofuels," said Alex Farrell, a professor of energy and resources at the University of California at Berkeley who was not involved in the study.
Wild Thing's comment........
Humans have a history of making things worse everytime they try to help Mother Nature. Someday, we’re going to have to learn the old rule “All things in moderation” and let nature take care of itself. It is amazing to me that as scientifically advanced as we are today, our knowledge of science in some areas is more primitive than that of the earliest civilizations on earth. Science doesn’t really matter. This is a religion and the initiatives are all about the spin and government control.
The left has a defense for any alternative fuel. If we are burning it it will get shot down. When carbon monoxide was the major problem with emissions it was the demon. Now we have developed technology to clean up emissions leaving mainly co2. Oh now co2 is evil. When we develop technology to trap co2 look for the next demon ah.....oxygen content too high?
I've come to the conclusion that it's even more sinister. What do humans expel in their breath? CO2; What are humans made of? Carbon. Carbon=bad. This is about ultimate genocide of undesirables by the elites. It's pure evil.
Gore has always been big on population control as are the Clinton's. Just typing ...Al Gore quotes on population control .....into Google brings up tons of sites with his quotes and talks about this.
These people are anti-business, anti-American, and we thought the terrorist want to return us to the stone age!
If the left were for real they be sitting in Long Beach Harbor and every other US port blocking Chinese imports. Talk about bad carbon a footprint, no pollution regulation and human rights violations. See the goal here is for the government to take over all natural resource and the means of production. Like China, Russian, Venezuela. That is why they get a pass from the Sierra Club and other such organizationa they prefer the political systems.
...Thank you Jack for sending this article to me. Jack's blog is Conservative Insurgent.
Posted by Wild Thing at February 10, 2008 12:45 AM
Comments
WT: "Gore has always been big on population control as are the Clinton's...Al Gore quotes on population control ....."
ME: Dear G_d, why couldn't all their parents have practiced population control?
- Coalition Against Inbred People
Posted by: Steve, CAIP at February 10, 2008 06:21 AM
It's also been proven that the more we try to clean up the smog, the warmer it is because there is nothing to block the sun's harmful rays.
Duh. Gore is an idiot.
Posted by: Lynn at February 10, 2008 06:45 AM
Sun Flux values are also plummeting, which portends another mini-ice age. Gore is the kind of lefty moron who discovers some idea or person at its gravesite. As soon as it is discredited, dies, loses vitality, or is finally disbelieved, the lefty promotes it.
Posted by: Rhod at February 10, 2008 07:11 AM
So right now we produce 5% of the bio fuel and that number is to double in a decade. How is that going to help. If the demand keeps rising every year we will be farther behind than we are now. So what good is this bogus legislation.
Wouldn't it make more sense to dig for our own oil build new refineries and in 10 years be totally Energy self-sufficient.
According to the Dems and McCain, they are all for change wouldn't a logical well thought out plan be better that just mouthing the word change. If they buy into this global warming crap and they all do, then where is the change. SOS
How can these people even talk about alternative energy when they don't even understand the basics of what energy is and how it is consumed.
But the real kicker is the 'Renewable' energy. Where have these people gotten this idea from, pie in the sky for sure. This doesn't exist, they would like to believe it does but once any amount of energy is consumed it is gone.
Even Nuclear is not renewable it is super clean and super efficient but not renewable.
Strange though they won't even consider Nuclear energy, no we are to use these stupid, toxic CFLs to save on energy, when only 1 kg (about 2.2 pounds)of matter can be converted into enough energy to run a 100 watt Edison bulb for ...oh about 27 Million years.
One last thing the reason the power companies charge by the Watt/Hour is because they already have us by the Joules.
Posted by: Mark at February 10, 2008 08:38 AM
Feel good. That is the selling point for stupid, restrictive policies. Feel good is now one of the most important characteristics in America. That is why Oprah is so big(pun intended). That is one of two reasons she promotes Obama. He makes us feel good, and he is Black.
So it feels good to make and use ethanol. Not all the studies are in, but it feels good so go ahead and make a commitment to burn it. Besides, some very powerful political lobbies have found that they can profit by it.
This ethanol may die though. The MSM is already talking about the downside of ethanol. When they get a story they tend to run with it. I know several news stories that have revealed the extra dollar costs and fossil fuel costs involved in producing ethanol. Also the fact that it removes food from the system and raises overall food costs. I have also seen two reports on tv about the increased pollution factor of producing fuel made from both corn and palm oil. The reports cited the cutting down of forest and loss of grazing/grass lands.
Maybe there will be a large public debate over the real costs of these bio fuels. We badly need to develop our own oil reserves, build new refineries and build nuclear power plants.
One aside. The use of corn for ethanol has driven up corn prices which has made tortillas much more expensive. The Mexicans, however many are left in Mexico, are really upset. Heh, heh!
Posted by: TomR at February 10, 2008 09:40 AM
Neb·u·lous –adjective
1. hazy, vague, indistinct, or confused
2. cloudy or cloudlike.
3. of or resembling a nebula or nebulae; nebular.
4. of, to, or pertaining to Al Gore and any of his following.
Posted by: Jack at February 10, 2008 03:41 PM
Come on guys. Al Gore is right about the seriousness of global warming. Just check out this list and you will become a member of the Algore cult too.
A complete list of things caused by global warming
http://www.numberwatch.co.uk/warmlist.htm
Posted by: Les at February 10, 2008 07:24 PM
Good one, Les, My god if we go up another .05 degrees C, we are in deep doodoo.
Posted by: Mark at February 10, 2008 09:31 PM
Steve,
"Coalition Against Inbred People"....LOL good one.
Posted by: Wild Thing at February 11, 2008 12:39 AM
Lynn he sure is, and when the scientists that disgaree with him speak out, we only hear from them once and then they give up trying to be heard.
Posted by: Wild Thing at February 11, 2008 12:41 AM
Rhod, he sure is good at it. He really has found his nitch and it is not a good one.
Posted by: Wild Thing at February 11, 2008 12:42 AM
Mark, your right, Nuclear energy would solve so much of this like you said. I bet they don't want it because they, the lefties and their gadgets etc. can't make any money off of us.
Posted by: Wild Thing at February 11, 2008 12:47 AM
Tom...LOL your pun not pun is funny. hahaha And about the tortillas too.
Oh my gosh cutting down the forrest? OH noooooo!!!
Posted by: Wild Thing at February 11, 2008 12:50 AM
Jack, thanks, good one.
Posted by: Wild Thing at February 11, 2008 12:51 AM
Les, I just fainted. I never saw a list like that.
LMAO
I better look and see if I can take a breath or not. Oh my gosh what a list!!!!
Posted by: Wild Thing at February 11, 2008 12:53 AM
Watch this video if you want a good laugh about global warming.
Sarah Silverman: A Very Convenient Truth
http://www.milkandcookies.com/link/56775/detail/
Posted by: Les at February 11, 2008 01:32 AM
Idiots. Yup, you found 2 articles - 1 by an economist - which disagree with the bulk of research to date.
Stick to creationism.
Posted by: Eideard at February 11, 2008 11:15 AM
Are ALL conservative poster MORONS????
Did any of you nincompoops take science classess in High School?? Or didja all drop out by the 6th grade??? SHEESH!!!
Posted by: Gile Arkinon at February 17, 2008 05:04 PM
