Is the bio-fuels policy in the US resulting in soaring global food prices, and record high costs in the food industry and should it be changed?
Is the bio-fuels policy in the US resulting in soaring global food prices, and record high costs in the food industry and should it be changed?
Under the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, the government mandated the production of nine billion gallons of bio-fuel (in the form of corn ethanol) in 2008 to reach 15 billion gallons by 2015. It is argued that these mandates, along with tax incentives, are out of proportion and unsustainable.
Whereas first-generation bio-fuels are made from crops such as corn, rapeseed and sugar cane, cellulosic ethanol can be made from waste biomass such as sugarcane waste, bacteria, garbage, switch grass and wood chips. In essence, this means that second-generation bio-fuels are cheaper to produce, have less of an impact on the environment and are therefore more politically acceptable.
The problem is that there are no incentives, tax breaks or mandates for the study and production of cellulosic ethanol. Technology to develop cellulosic ethanol that uses biomass such as grass instead of grain is still in its infancy, but seen by some as a natural evolution to a more sustainable renewable fuel. We need bio-fuels that don’t jeopardize our food production and deplete our land resources.
Is there any legislation in the new Farm Bill to encourage cellulosic ethanol? How can we educate others and influence our politicians to pass legislation supporting the study of cellulosic ethanol? We need to get active because Africa is becoming a bio-fuel battleground as western companies are pushing to acquire vast stretches of African land to meet the world’s bio-fuel needs.
…Respectfully submitted by Luis Garcia – luis@kisstheearthgreen.com
Under the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, the government mandated the production of nine billion gallons of bio-fuel (in the form of corn ethanol) in 2008 to reach 15 billion gallons by 2015. It is argued that these mandates, along with tax incentives, are out of proportion and unsustainable.
Whereas first-generation bio-fuels are made from crops such as corn, rapeseed and sugar cane, cellulosic ethanol can be made from waste biomass such as sugarcane waste, bacteria, garbage, switch grass and wood chips. In essence, this means that second-generation bio-fuels are cheaper to produce, have less of an impact on the environment and are therefore more politically acceptable.
The problem is that there are no incentives, tax breaks or mandates for the study and production of cellulosic ethanol. Technology to develop cellulosic ethanol that uses biomass such as grass instead of grain is still in its infancy, but seen by some as a natural evolution to a more sustainable renewable fuel. We need bio-fuels that don’t jeopardize our food production and deplete our land resources.
Is there any legislation in the new Farm Bill to encourage cellulosic ethanol? How can we educate others and influence our politicians to pass legislation supporting the study of cellulosic ethanol? We need to get active because Africa is becoming a bio-fuel battleground as western companies are pushing to acquire vast stretches of African land to meet the world’s bio-fuel needs.
…Respectfully submitted by Luis Garcia – luis@kisstheearthgreen.com
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by OffTheGrid on -
Without going into deep analysis ...
Making fuel out of food makes very little sense (and as a matter of fact one can argue it's unethical) in a world where some people are starving.
I would suggest we focus on biofuel production from "materials" that are not generally used as food sources. It is also important to make sure that we don't end up using huge amounts of water and fertilizers to create biofuels.
Basically I agree with your statement above "We need bio-fuels that don’t jeopardize our food production and deplete our land resources." -
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Permalink Reply by OffTheGrid on
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One thing I forgot to take into consideration regarding biofuels .. How do biofuels compare with gasoline and natural gas regarding C02 emissions and other greenhouse gases and other pollutants?... if biofuels are NOT "clean enough" we might as well bypass them and go straight to "cleaner" energy alternatives. (I'm obviously not an expert, simply using common sense.)
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Permalink Reply by OffTheGrid on
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I found this link ... comparing various types of biofuels CO2 emissions and environmental costs of production
http://gas2.org/2008/05/08/how-green-are-biofuels-comparison-chart-...
It would suggest that switch grass is more favorable than corn and sugar cane -
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Permalink Reply by Tamas on -
I agree with OpenDoor TV's posting of 'We need bio-fuels that don’t jeopardize our food production and deplete our land resources."
Once we will become smart, we will start to conserve energy as one gallon of gas saved is one gallon less we have to produce.
Our invention Moment-O-Meter saves an average of ten gallon per month. If you do the math, 10 gallons X 151,000 members= 1,510,000 gallons saved immediately by the PP members alone NOW AND WITHOUT jeopardizing our food production and depleting our land resources.
You can learn about Moment-O-Meter by Googling it or visiting our veb site www.efficientdriving.com
Tamas
Tamas -
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Permalink Reply by OffTheGrid on
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@Tamas,
I love your product .. how about an audio signal so I don't have to look at the red/green lights. ... sounds like a good enhancement for a future version. -
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Permalink Reply by Tamas on
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Hello "OpenDoor", the audio signal was tested for months and we concluded that it did not perform well compared to the visual. The driver does not have to look at he red/green lights if Moment-O-Meter is sticked on the windshield where it can be seen without looking at it (peripheral vision).
You should look into buying one because with an average savings of 20%, it pays for itself within 3 to 5 months. In other words, IT COSTS YOU NOT TO HAVE ONE.
See brochure attached.
Tamas
www.efficientdriving.com - Attachments:
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MPG PLUS BROCHURE_5.pdf, 8.9 MB
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Permalink Reply by OffTheGrid on
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I "see" pun intended ... I'll look into it.
I guess the audio signal would become annoying over time. ... -
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