Submitted on April 20th, 2008 by Fraezor (not verified)
It is a sad, sad comment on our society when producing food to convert to fuel to run our automobiles is more important than producing food to feed our population, here and around the world; when 'things' become more important than people.
Submitted on April 23rd, 2008 by Unregistered user (not verified)
Wheat has doubled. Wheat doesn't compete for crop land with corn. Rice doesn't grow where corn grows. There is a huge surplus of corn in south eastern USA now. I think there is a minor impact on food from biofuels. Much of the corn used for ethanol production is grown on land farmers were previously paid to leave fallow. Based on my farming experinece (now retired), I think food shortages have extremely low correlation to biofuel production.
biofuels are not the enemy
ethanol is not the enemy
biodiesel is not the enemy
it is the way they are manufactured and the choice of feedstock that must be considered.
For instance making ethanol from corn is a very very very bad idea. Making ethanol from sugarcane is a decent idea. Making ethanol from cellulosic feedstocks is a great idea. Making cellulosic ethanol from waste streams is the best idea.
So this should be a two part poll:
1) Is corn-based ethanol being unfairly maligned for contributing to food prices rising around the world?
No, certainly not
2) Are biofuels being unfairly maligned for contributing to food prices rising around the world?
Submitted on May 6th, 2008 by larry on LI (not verified)
two important lessons from our history:
1 henry ford shipped his first model T's with a full tank of corn based ethanol and soon realized it's short comings.
2 adolf hitler tried to conduct a war using alternative fuels and we all know how that worked out for him.
our problem is that we have a flawed energy policy and is driven by influence groups that have no interest in this country becoming energy independent, why else would we be involved with energy schemes which defy logic.
finally, some are waking up to the challenged thinking behind our ethanol goals.
even the fact that corn based ethanol is highly subsidized by our government,it still cost more in fossil fuel then it replaces and the 'village idiots' in congress will continue the mistake by promoting the use of switch grass, once the public rises up against the use of food stocks for biofuel.
Let the record be set straight that no biofuel from algae company is shipping meaningfully large quantities of algae oil today, let alone anyone deriving large quantities of biofuel from it.
Experimental pilot projects aside, the biofuels widely available at market today are derived from plant and other oils (biodiesel) and corn (ethanol).
Algae is a promising feedstock, but it's not a commercially meaningful one yet. Kudos, and riches, to the company that makes it so.
Submitted on May 19th, 2008 by Unregistered user (not verified)
It is supply and demand. Using corn for fuel just created another demand and with a constant supply (in other words all other things being equal), this will drive prices up.
Biofuels are justly a cause for rising food prices world-wide, not the only cause, however.
Submitted on May 31st, 2008 by Stephan Rogers (not verified)
So I am running a cellulosic ethanol company which focusses on agricultural waste streams and waste streams from our discarded wealth. It feels to me like we are in the midst of the creation of en entirely new industry. The reason to create this industry, and I would include solar, wind, energy efficiency, is to wean ourselves off of petroleum. You simply can't get there without a starting point to develop the infrastructure to make it happen. If you go to Brazil they have ethanol at every pump which is by far cheaper than gasoline. We can do this from agricultural products that that do not affect the food supply.
Algae may not be there today, but how do you get there if you don't start somewhere. Where is the spirit that used to exist in this country of a willingness to take on any problem and solve it. It seems like we are dominated by defeatism. Let's get on with creating a better world. We'll make some mistakes along the way, but if we get stuck at the starting gate, its game over.
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biofuels
Submitted on April 20th, 2008 by Fraezor (not verified)It is a sad, sad comment on our society when producing food to convert to fuel to run our automobiles is more important than producing food to feed our population, here and around the world; when 'things' become more important than people.
Wheat has doubled
Submitted on April 23rd, 2008 by Unregistered user (not verified)Wheat has doubled. Wheat doesn't compete for crop land with corn. Rice doesn't grow where corn grows. There is a huge surplus of corn in south eastern USA now. I think there is a minor impact on food from biofuels. Much of the corn used for ethanol production is grown on land farmers were previously paid to leave fallow. Based on my farming experinece (now retired), I think food shortages have extremely low correlation to biofuel production.
Don't lump 'biofuels' together
Submitted on May 2nd, 2008 by Matt (not verified)biofuels are not the enemy
ethanol is not the enemy
biodiesel is not the enemy
it is the way they are manufactured and the choice of feedstock that must be considered.
For instance making ethanol from corn is a very very very bad idea. Making ethanol from sugarcane is a decent idea. Making ethanol from cellulosic feedstocks is a great idea. Making cellulosic ethanol from waste streams is the best idea.
So this should be a two part poll:
1) Is corn-based ethanol being unfairly maligned for contributing to food prices rising around the world?
No, certainly not
2) Are biofuels being unfairly maligned for contributing to food prices rising around the world?
Yes, most definitely
two important lessons from
Submitted on May 6th, 2008 by larry on LI (not verified)two important lessons from our history:
1 henry ford shipped his first model T's with a full tank of corn based ethanol and soon realized it's short comings.
2 adolf hitler tried to conduct a war using alternative fuels and we all know how that worked out for him.
our problem is that we have a flawed energy policy and is driven by influence groups that have no interest in this country becoming energy independent, why else would we be involved with energy schemes which defy logic.
finally, some are waking up to the challenged thinking behind our ethanol goals.
even the fact that corn based ethanol is highly subsidized by our government,it still cost more in fossil fuel then it replaces and the 'village idiots' in congress will continue the mistake by promoting the use of switch grass, once the public rises up against the use of food stocks for biofuel.
bio fuel
Submitted on May 13th, 2008 by InterestedReaderBio fuel comes fron algae .Idon't think people eat that.
Algae is not a widely used feedstock
Submitted on May 14th, 2008 by Dallas KachanLet the record be set straight that no biofuel from algae company is shipping meaningfully large quantities of algae oil today, let alone anyone deriving large quantities of biofuel from it.
Experimental pilot projects aside, the biofuels widely available at market today are derived from plant and other oils (biodiesel) and corn (ethanol).
Algae is a promising feedstock, but it's not a commercially meaningful one yet. Kudos, and riches, to the company that makes it so.
Biofuels
Submitted on May 19th, 2008 by Unregistered user (not verified)It is supply and demand. Using corn for fuel just created another demand and with a constant supply (in other words all other things being equal), this will drive prices up.
Biofuels are justly a cause for rising food prices world-wide, not the only cause, however.
New Directions
Submitted on May 31st, 2008 by Stephan Rogers (not verified)So I am running a cellulosic ethanol company which focusses on agricultural waste streams and waste streams from our discarded wealth. It feels to me like we are in the midst of the creation of en entirely new industry. The reason to create this industry, and I would include solar, wind, energy efficiency, is to wean ourselves off of petroleum. You simply can't get there without a starting point to develop the infrastructure to make it happen. If you go to Brazil they have ethanol at every pump which is by far cheaper than gasoline. We can do this from agricultural products that that do not affect the food supply.
Algae may not be there today, but how do you get there if you don't start somewhere. Where is the spirit that used to exist in this country of a willingness to take on any problem and solve it. It seems like we are dominated by defeatism. Let's get on with creating a better world. We'll make some mistakes along the way, but if we get stuck at the starting gate, its game over.
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