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5/16/2008

The real price of biofuels

Main Page | Articles (5) | Quotes (5) | Videos (1) | Posts (1)

Biofuels

Overview

Biofuels refer to the fuels that are derived from plant matter or biomass. The most common transportation biofuels are ethanol and biodiesel. With tax subsidies, higher prices for fossil based gasoline and diesel, and cleaner burning combustion, biofuels have become the choice for the environmentally conscious traveler. However, some see competition between food and biofuel grains as driving up food prices. In addition, with additional lands dedicated to growing biofuel grains, there is more environmental strain on both the farm land and aquatic systems that suffer from nitrogen run-off.

Corn based US ethanol production has increased from 1.6 billion gal per yr in 2000 to 4.9 billion gal per yr in 2006. There are 134 ethanol plants in 26 states with a capacity of 7.2 million gal per year and 77 plants under construction will add another 6.2 million gal per year of capacity. Recent amendments to the Renewable Fuel Standards requires that renewable fuel volumes be increased annually from 9 billion gallons in 2008 to 36 billion gallons by 2022.

Biodiesel is made from vegetable oil (most commonly soy oil but also canola oil and palm oil) and animal fats (recycled fryer oil from restaurants). In the United States , 171 biodiesel plants have a capacity of 2.24 billion gallons per year; an additional 60 plants are under construction and will add 1.23 billion gallons per year of capacity.

Biofuel Wikipedia Article

Supporting Viewpoints

According to the Argonne National Laboratory, the use of 10 percent corn based ethanol in gasoline (instead of MBTE) reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 18 to 29 percent.

For 2006 this translates into a reduction in C02-equivalent greenhouse gas emissions of 8 million tons equal to removing the annual emissions of more than 1.21 million cars from the road. The potential for cellulosic ethanol is even greater with an 85-86 percent reduction in CO2 equivalent emissions. In addition ethanol reduces carbon monoxide tailpipe emissions and smog pollution

Biodiesel is made from vegetable oil (most commonly soy oil but also canola oil and palm oil) and animal fats (recycled fryer oil from restaurants). In the United States , 171 biodiesel plants have a capacity of 2.24 billion gallons per year; an additional 60 plants are under construction and will add 1.23 billion gallons per year of capacity.

Biodiesel is a renewable fuel, biodegradable, non-toxic, has fewer noxious emissions than petroleum based diesel, and has a higher flash point making them safer in the case of an accident.

Biofuels also reduce our dependence on foreign oil.

Supporting Websites
US Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
Chicago Biofuels
American Coalition for Ethanol
Renewable Fuels Association
Biodiesel Now
National Biodiesel Board

Neutral Websites
Consumer Energy Council of America
Biofuels Digest

Opposing Viewpoints

While biofuels have contributed to less green house gas emissions in the short term, the massive scale plans for future biofuel production cannot help but result in higher food prices and also have a detrimental effect on the environment.

The increasing demand for corn, soybeans, and palm oil for biofuel production will drive up prices for food grains and thereby lead to higher food prices. The higher grain prices will also encourage more deforestation as land is converted to agricultural use. Deforestation would have a negative effect on the environment. In addition, there would be an extra demand on water resources, which in some areas are scare already. Higher fertilizer use can lead to problems for aquatic ecosystems like the Gulf of Mexico .

While many organizations and websites are opposed to the massive scale plans for biofuels, they are preferred over petroleum based fuels.

Biofuels Content

Article:	As Prices Rise, Farmers Spurn Conservation Program - David Streitfield (New York Times)	View Article
Published:	4/9/2008	View Comments (0)
Submitted by:	Frank K 180 days ago	Add Comment
Categories:	Agriculture & Biofuels

Article Details: Thousands of farmers are taking their fields out of the government’s biggest conservation program, which pays them not to cultivate. They are spurning guaranteed annual payments for a chance to cash in on the boom in wheat, soybeans, corn and other crops. Last fall, they took back as many acres as are in Rhode Island and Delaware combined. Environmental and hunting groups are warning that years of progress could soon be lost.

Thread:	The real price of biofuels	View Thread
Date Posted:	3/9/2008	View Posts (2)
Submitted by:	Frank K

Article:	Food crisis will take hold before climate change, warns chief scientist - James Randerson	View Article
Published:	3/7/2008	View Comments (0)
Submitted by:	Frank K 210 days ago	Add Comment
Categories:	Food & Biofuels

Article Details: Food security and the rapid rise in food prices make up the "elephant in the room" that politicians must face up to quickly. Professor John Beddington said the global rush to grow biofuels was compounding the problem, and cutting down rainforest to produce biofuel crops was "profoundly stupid". It is very hard to see a world growing enough crops to produce renewable energy and at the same time meet the enormous demand for food to alleviate poverty.

Article:	Virgin Flies Biofueled Jet From London	View Article
Published:	2/24/2008	View Comments (0)
Submitted by:	Jason K 225 days ago	Add Comment
Category:	Biofuels

Article Details: Virgin Atlantic carried out the world's first flight of a commercial aircraft powered with biofuel on Sunday in an effort to show it can produce less carbon dioxide than normal jet fuels.

Article:	Biofuels are worsening global warming - Rhett Butler (Mongabay.com)	View Article
Published:	2/7/2008	View Comments (0)
Submitted by:	Frank K 211 days ago	Add Comment
Categories:	Rain Forests & Biofuels

Article Details: Converting rainforests, peatlands, savannas, or grasslands often far outweighs the carbon savings from biofuels resulting in tons of carbon emitted into the atmosphere. If you're trying to mitigate global warming, it simply does not make sense to convert land for biofuels production. Global agriculture is already producing food for six billion people. Producing food-based biofuel, too, will require that still more land be converted to agriculture.

Article:	Corn on the Mob - Patrick J. Michaels (CATO Institute)	View Article
Published:	1/30/2008	View Comments (0)
Submitted by:	Frank K 232 days ago	Add Comment
Category:	Biofuels

Article Details: The 2005 Energy Policy Act mandated that an increasing amount of ethanol be mixed with gasoline, thereby lowering the amount of CO2 we emit. An unintended consequence of the act is rising food prices all over the world, leading to civil unrest in Indonesia. “The sad fact is that Indonesia's unrest is only the slightest foreshock preceding the massive civil earthquake that is going to be unleashed as more and more absurd policies are mandated by the global warming mob.”

Quote:	Hillary Clinton on Energy 11/7/2007	View Quote
Published:	11/7/2007	View Person
Submitted by:	Frank K 222 days ago	View Comments (0)
Categories:	Energy & Biofuels	Add Comment

Quote Details: I happily support corn ethanol, all forms of ethanol, research for cellulosic ethanol, biodiesel.

Video:	Myth: Corn Ethanol is Great	View Video
Published:	5/11/2007	View Comments (0)
Submitted by:	Frank K 210 days ago	Add Comment
Categories:	Energy & Biofuels

Quote:	John McCain on Biofuels 4/13/2006	View Quote
Published:	4/13/2006	View Person
Submitted by:	Frank K 231 days ago	View Comments (0)
Category:	Biofuels	Add Comment

Quote Details: I was and remain opposed to subsidies. If ethanol is a viable option, it can compete, as it certainly can with $70-a-barrel oil. I think it ought to be something that ought to be carefully examined.

Quote:	Barack Obama on Biofuels 4/3/2006	View Quote
Published:	4/3/2006	View Person
Submitted by:	Frank K 231 days ago	View Comments (0)
Category:	Biofuels	Add Comment

Quote Details: The challenge we face with these biofuels is getting them out of the labs, out of the farms, and onto the wider commercial market.

Quote:	Hillary Clinton on Energy 4/1/2002	View Quote
Published:	4/1/2002	View Person
Submitted by:	Frank K 222 days ago	View Comments (0)
Categories:	Energy & Biofuels	Add Comment

Quote Details: We are providing a single industry [ethanol] with a guaranteed market for its products -- subsidies on top of subsidies on top of subsidies and, on top of that, protection from liability. What a sweetheart deal.

Quote:	John McCain on Biofuels 12/13/1999	View Quote
Published:	12/13/1999	View Person
Submitted by:	Frank K 231 days ago	View Comments (0)
Category:	Biofuels	Add Comment

Quote Details: I’m here to tell you that I want to tell you the things that you don’t want to hear as well as the things you want to hear. And one of those is ethanol. Ethanol is not worth it. It does not help the consumer. And those ethanol subsidies should be phased out and everybody here on this stage, if it wasn’t for the fact that Iowa is the first caucus state, would share my view that we don’t need ethanol subsidies. It doesn’t help anybody.