Comments on: The Problem With Biofuels

Skyrocketing Food Prices Have Caused Some To Rethink The Wisdom Of Using Crops For Fuel

[jonsid2]

Most of corn goes to growing animals for human consumption. If people ate plant derived foods instead of animals there would be no food shortages. It takes far more resources to grow plants for animals than to grow plants for humans. If everyone would stop eating animals, there would be less disease as well. I''ve been doing it for almost 3 years and have never felt better.

[thcarson-2009]

Richard Lindzen, Alfred P. Sloan Professor of Atmospheric Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and member of the National Academy of Sciences: "There has been no warming since 1997 and no statistically significant warming since 1995." [11][12]"Most of the climate community has agreed since 1988 that global mean temperatures have increased on the order of one degree Fahrenheit over the past century, having risen significantly from about 1919 to 1940, decreased between 1940 and the early %u201970s, increased again until the %u201990s, and remaining essentially flat since 1998."

[kenhamlett]

I am not sure why a study was needed to realize that bio fuels have problems but the title to this story should have used the word problem as a plural.
The size limit of these posts is not nearly enough to give a well rounded view of the problems created. The short version is that it displaces food crops, it is a low energy fuel which gives us inferior fuel when mixed with gasoline. It has its own pollution problems despite what you have been told and we give tax credits to those that mix this fuel into the products we buy. This was not intended to save the world when it was implemented but only to be used as a filler when gasoline was in short supply. From there we strolled down the path of sophistry. Let''s get busy with hydrogen and electric cars and leave the old ways behind!

[donevis-2009]

"Food for vehicle fuel" is not a place this country needs to be at this point in time. With the disasters in the Middle states this year we''re going to need all the food we''ll be able to find. Imagine getting the same "sick in the stomach" feeling we get at the filling stations when we go grosary shopping.
Its time to contact representatives and demand the immediate release of biding legislature of Bio-fuels. Our population will suffer dearly if we don''t stop this A.S.A.P. "God Speed USA"

[thcarson-2009]

Here is why we really have too much dependence on crude oil in this country. This may offend some so if you are offended, tough. If we had any politician who is not afraid to send back the millions of illegal immigrants that here, the fuel and oil consumption of this country would decrease dramatically. There have been many politcal leaders who have known about the illegal immigrant problem and have done NOTHING! The government of the USA is responsible. We, as citizens of the US, are responsible. It is not the fault of Republicans alone nor is it the fault of the Democrats alone. It is the fault of all in the political culture. They have had the power to send the illegals back, they haven''''t. The illegals are here on a "I crossed the Border Lottery" where is my money? program. If we cut the Social Security and welfare that is spent on illegals, you can reduce the amount National Debt. Bring the troops home from Iraq and have them patrol both the northern and southern border of this country and if a person doesn''''t have a passport AND visa to be here send them back if they refuse shoot them. Always remember: If you are not part of the solution, then you are part of the problem.


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Posted by ethomas1965

Good point, some people don''t like to here this but the illegals are costing 330 BILLION dollars a year.

[louiville2]

Environmentalists are responsible for our current mess. They banned drilling of our coasts, Alaska etc... for more then twenty years. We would not have an oil shortage if not for them, and they are working hard to ban current initiatives for alternative energies. Example: there is a proposal to put a non-polluting solar power plant near El Centro, Ca. which is nothing but baked desert where the temps routinely reach 120 deg. The environmentalists are, so far, blocking the transmission line that would be needed to bring the power to where it%u2019s needed.

[emperorlotku]

The question should be " how much land is being used to grow biofuel and how much land is owned by mega-farming corporations that are getting subsidized by the taxpayer to grow nothing. The next question should be how much of the profits from increased prices are going into the politicians pockets and campaign funds. The next question should be is why should we reelect any politician of any party that has been in office the last few years. All we have in office is pathetic, do nothing, party hacks instead of the civil servants that we should be electing. Both Dems and Reps are equally corrupt and equally useless.

[sumose]

The biofuel being used is the problem, We should take a serous look at HEMP.

[itgranny]

wind, solar, geothermal, tides... all three of these are viable, nonpolluting energy sources. All of these have places where they''d be applicable. Wind is starting to be used, but there''s so many people with their fingers in the till, the price of it is soon to become too expensive to be a viable source. Same with solar except that it also has some kinks to work out. Geothermal and tidal, are just being dabbled with at the moment and while they both could help our energy independance, most people don''t even consider them in the mix.

Oil and burning stuff needs to be a thing of the past. our air can''t afford it any longer. We need some different thinking. These oil co. have been used to us pulling up the the pump once or twice a week. They aren''t going to go down without a fight and right now they seem to be winning. Bullheaded repubs looking out for themselves and their paychecks and pansy dems who just let them. geesh.

[donbl1]

Obama has an ethanol lobbyist on his team and Obama has given several strong supporting speeches on ethanol....... UNTIL recently when the ethanol truth started to come out.

This is a good example of having lawyers be in charge of our government. They neither have the economic nor engineering training to understand technology and the impact of laws.

[pensacola88]

No one mentions that in the USA, corn producers successfully lobbied congress to impose a 53 cent per gallon import tax on sugar cane based ethanol. That ruined the competitiveness of cheap sugar cane based ethanol.

I am declaring that this is another example where political lobbying has ruined the resolve of people''s ability to govern theirself. Lobbying must be outlawed. If we are going to be liberated from the perrils of oppressive political lobbying, it will be because voters desire and express it.

[lochlan-2009]

We will be going to ethanol. GM, makers and killkers of the EV1, saw that electricity cost consumers practically nothing for energy costs. So, since this simply won''t do, they yanked them and refused to allow anyone to drive them, looking for something a little more BUSINEESSS friendly. Ethanol, is perfect, since it is less fuel efficient then gasoline, and requires the majority of people to still go to a station (basically fuel company dependence). Since, after these 8 years of Bush we know all the markets are manipulated through legislation by our representatives and their lobbyists, you will see that GM''s price is the lowest it has been in 30 years. This is not by accident, since you can only make money buying somthinglow and selling it high. Gm is working with a company called COSKATA and their plans for ethanol are quite apparent. Add in the subsidies for ethanol production and you''ll see we''re right on schedule for the first ethanol refineries to roll in the cash. Add to this Bush''s 100,000acres in one of the most biofuel corners of the world, and the writing on the wall becomes a flashing neon sign.

You''d do well to look at Coskata. Brokers don''t give you bthis kind of info..

[wdrussell1]

What these people are saying might be true.
It is the solutions that are wrong.
This should not be a reason to drill for more oil.
What is needed is more research on using products that grow that are not edible.

[estabwary]

Biofuels were not intended as a permanent answer. It was intended to be able to use existing gas delivery methods
until hydrogen and other power sources could be ready for mass use. There is no quick, easy fix for a problem that we should have been solving for 30 years. The short-sightedness & blame belongs to American citizen apathy. But the Republicans will blame the Dems for trying when the shizz has hit the fan. When the world is in flames, R''s will blame D''s no matter what LOL.

Republicans and most citizens will never take responsibility. Dems will never want to fight back harder & they are almost as corrupt.

Make amends with your maker or adjust your karma.
This will be a rough ride.

[billster68]

Apparently some oil companies don''t rely on foreign oil - - I try to buy from them - - Arco, Conoco, BP, and Valero. The rest can go pound salt - - namely Shell, Chevron, Texaco, Exxon, Mobil, Marathon and Amoco. Especially I avoid Citgo because of it''s association to Venezuela.

[ethomas1965-2009]

Here is why we really have too much dependence on crude oil in this country. This may offend some so if you are offended, tough. If we had any politician who is not afraid to send back the millions of illegal immigrants that here, the fuel and oil consumption of this country would decrease dramatically. There have been many politcal leaders who have known about the illegal immigrant problem and have done NOTHING! The government of the USA is responsible. We, as citizens of the US, are responsible. It is not the fault of Republicans alone nor is it the fault of the Democrats alone. It is the fault of all in the political culture. They have had the power to send the illegals back, they haven''t. The illegals are here on a "I crossed the Border Lottery" where is my money? program. If we cut the Social Security and welfare that is spent on illegals, you can reduce the amount National Debt. Bring the troops home from Iraq and have them patrol both the northern and southern border of this country and if a person doesn''t have a passport AND visa to be here send them back if they refuse shoot them. Always remember: If you are not part of the solution, then you are part of the problem.

[tcoleman12]

According to article: "nobody really anticipated how much of an effect biofuels would have on the production and the price of food."
The libs and RINOs in congress were so ready to jump on this that no studies were done to see the down-stream effects of this on so many levels.
Not only food, but tap water costs, electricity costs and many other daily use items have increased dramatically due to raw material chemical shortages resulting from increased fertilizer production.
Other industries rely on streams of Ammonia and Sulfur related products that have been dramatically disrupted by increased corn and other biofuel crop production.

[vndisabled]

What nonsense! The solution to our oil energy needs is right there and it''s not being mentioned - ALGAE, which yields many times any other crop(how about 40,000 gal of oil/year PER ACRE???)Why isn''t anyone following algae - there are even people waiting for someone in our govt to start, the same crop can be used to sequester CO2, it can be grown in vertical rows just about anywhere consuming minimal water, and in greenhouses away from weather and drought problems.
http://www.valcent.net/s/Ecotech.asp?ReportID=182039
HELLO - IS ANYONE AWAKE OUT THERE - SORRY - I FORGOT you don''t want to miss that "important" game this afternoon, QVC, or Paris Hilton''s next idiocy - right?

[lib_crusher]

"It seemed like a good idea at the time. Use corn and other crops, instead of oil, to make fuel."

Here''s right where this article goes horribly wrong! Anyone with half a brain in their head knew that taking from the food supply to bolster fuel supplies was BAD. Although I guess most alarmist scientists were, and still are, trying to convince the world that global warming is the dumb human''s fault.

LOL!!! It just keeps getting better.

[a8151947]

"saving mother earth". We a lone, the USA, can''t save mother earth. Why don''t some people think about them self more, like mother earth. Like some of the Idiots on here. Save your self ifd yoy are so worry about saving something.