Friday, February 8, 2008
Biofuels bad for environment...?
I was listening to science friday today on NPR and the first story was about Biofuels and how our sudden interest in increasing this production of alternative fuels can actually do more harm to the environment then the benefits that we think may be gained from switching to these alternate forms of energy to power our fossil fuel centric society. The reason this may actually do more harm is because in order to produce more ethanol and palm oil and such more of todays fertile farmland and forests are being demolished so that the land can be used to grow corn. The amount of carbon that may be released from destroying existing farmland and forests cold harm the environment such that it would take 1-4 centuries to repair, quite a stunning figure. So what are some of the alternatives? Well there has been research into algae and garbage consuming bacteria that can convert waste into viable fuel. And it seems that companies have started doing more research with these alternative forms of energy. I personally never thought that growing corn so that it can later be used for fuel would be so harmful, I mean with genetic modification the genetic material of corn can be manipulated such that it would require less water and be able to grow in a smaller area allowing for more plants to be grown in the same amount of space. But of course the problem is as we put more and more money into researching ways to make more efficient and subsidizing farmers that grow corn they begin to shift their crops away from non-subsidized produce, and we have a world ridden with corn, now I can only take so much corn on the cob or popcorn. Still amazing how as much as we try to find a way to continue to use transportation and energy as inefficiently and as boldy as we can, we still can't find a way to reduce our own carbon footprint. It's sad that our society has come to depend so much on technology that is harming the very planet we are living on and we're just looking for a way to continue using it but not feel as guilty when we do. Oh well, I'll shut my light off and go to sleep, try not to waste too much energy in the evening... :)
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2 comments:
I have listened to many debates on Bio-fuels on NPR. Govt's bio-fuel policies are influenced by lobbyist and also politically driven, not to save planet. You think I am cynical and may be you are true to some extent :-) Example: Brazil uses Sugarcane for Bio-fuel but US does not; and the reason is Sugar cane is expensive in US and why is it expensive? and Can we make it cheap ?. Based on a historic agreement between Sugarcane growers and US Govt, price of Sugar can not be adjusted and so it will always stay high. This shows how one can not be honest and also make a successful policy.
Please note that I gave this as an example to show the how the "saving planet" agenda is no more virgin :-)
You are true that cutting forest to grow Corn is a bad idea because along with forest goes the 1000 of years of ecosystem and bringing back this ecosystem is not as simple as planting an another tree somewhere else. What I think is that loosing forest to save few corbon does not look like a good deal to me and we should continue to use what ever we have till we come up with some healthy alternative. Look at Indonesia where farmers are turning the forest in to Palm oil (another Bio-fuel source) plantation.
I was wondering why no Govt is speaking openly against Bio-fuels and last month EU accepted that it made a mistake by endorsing Bio-fuels.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7186380.stm
Also a company working on Cellulosic Ethonal based Bio-fuel got acquired by GM and unfortunately that news did not get any coverage.
http://www.dailytech.com/Cellulosic+Ethanol+Promises+1+per+Gallon+Fuel+From+Waste/article10320.htm
In this current environment where EVERY decision is taken based on the economic growth, the business community has started making these superficially green products instead of producing durable products to curb rampant consumerism.
What is the conscience of a politician how talks about saving planet and in the next breath lends tax rebate for consumer to buy more goods?
Have not we polluted the sane agenda like "saving-planet"?
Is "saving planet" agenda still a virgin :-)?
Here we see a great example of the simple avarice of America. Billions of people starve world wide. Millions in America tonight will go without, so lets jump up and take food to make fuel. Biofuels are a bandage at best. Lets use the considerable resources of this country to find the right solution, and then use the food to end world hunger. Energy can be clean, safe and renewable. We just need to find a way to do it. But, we need companies/governments to jump up and not try to find a way to only turn a profit, but to both help the world AND turn a profit.
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