The bio-energy mistake

[mapsrg]

Turning corn into ethanol,turning sugar cane into ethanol,.......supplying the energy market is lucrative but the fall out is going to be higher food prices.Growing crops for energy is a waste of land and can never supply the demand.Food is more important....

[bourne]

This is on the BBC website today

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/7284196.stm

U.S. ethanol production UP by about 20 Billion litres in the last 3 years !

Rising oil prices and fears over climate change have seen a massive rise in the use of maize to make bio-fuels, pushing up food prices

Some very scary facts!

I do not know anyone who uses ethanol as a fuel, where does it all go? Who uses 35 Billion litres of ethanol per year?

That's a lot of drag-strip racing!

[retrod]

This is on the BBC website today

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/7284196.stm

U.S. ethanol production UP by about 20 Billion litres in the last 3 years !

Rising oil prices and fears over climate change have seen a massive rise in the use of maize to make bio-fuels, pushing up food prices

Some very scary facts!

I do not know anyone who uses ethanol as a fuel, where does it all go? Who uses 35 Billion litres of ethanol per year?

That's a lot of drag-strip racing!

In the U.S. it is blended (formulated) with gasoline and is the only fuel available in high polution areas. In these areas it is called an oxygenated fuel. Various blends are also available nationwide and used in flex-fuel vehicles. I agree it is a waste of valuable farmland.

RD

[bourne]

Thanks retrod, I didn't know that.

In my opinion single crop farmland is still a waste of farmland what ever is grown
Perma-culture invented by Bill Mollison and David Holmgren in the 70's is the only sustainable way of growing food, with huge abundance!

http://www.permaculture.org.uk/mm.asp?mmfile=whatispermaculture

Like Vicktor Schauberger said "comprehend and copy nature"

[one]

In the U.S. it is blended (formulated) with gasoline and is the only fuel available in high polution areas. In these areas it is called an oxygenated fuel. Various blends are also available nationwide and used in flex-fuel vehicles. I agree it is a waste of valuable farmland.

RD

It is my understanding that the  grain  used for  ethanol  is  then  used as feed for livestock .   

gary