01-04-2008
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#44 (permalink)
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Creating
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North of Sydney Australia
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Re: What plants might be grown, just for bio-fuel?
A little off topic but this article summeries the many issues surrounding bio-fuels
EG
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Weighing Environmental Costs and Benefits
When crops grow, they absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, thus negating any greenhouse gas emissions that result from burning biofuels.
However, planting, fertilizing and harvesting the crop requires machinery that utilize fossil fuels, as do the fermentation, distillation and transportation processes.
All together, the energy required to generate one gallon of corn-based ethanol is equal to about 60-75 percent of the energy produced (NRDC, 2006).
As a result, GHG emissions are only reduced by 15-40 percent relative to oil on a per gallon basis (WorldWatch, 2006).
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and
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corn prices doubled last year, causing social unrest in Mexico where corn tortillas are a dietary staple (BBC News, 2007).
On the other hand, biofuel production can boost incomes in rural areas, where three-quarters of the world's poor reside, which may increase their ability to secure food supplies
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March 2007 Monthly Update: Global Biofuel Trends | EarthTrends |
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