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Science/Tech
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Title: Time to kill crop-derived biofuels
Source: http://www.adamsmith.org/blog/environment/time-to-kill-crop%
URL Source: http://www.adamsmith.org/blog/envir ... derived-biofuels-200803291126/
Published: Mar 29, 2008
Author: Tom Bowman
Post Date: 2008-03-29 18:56:31 by F.A. Hayek Fan
Keywords: None
Views: 104
Comments: 4

Yet another prominent scientist has joined the chorus against crop-derived biofuels, as Lewis Page reports.

Dr Richard Pike, chief of the Royal Society of Chemistry, has said that biofuels are a "dead end" and "extremely inefficient", and that the government was wrong to impose a requirement for 5 per cent biofuel content in motor fuel by 2010.

Dr Pike points out that "the 80 tonnes of kerosene used for a one-way commercial flight to New York is equivalent to the annual biofuel yield from an area of approximately 30 football pitches." At this rate it would take the whole of Britain's farmland just to run Heathrow.

It really is time to stop this nonsense. To produce these crops people are farming intensively, using more fertilizers and pesticides. In poorer countries people are cutting down virgin rainforest to plant biofuel crops. Poor people are finding corn and wheat priced out of their market, and the tanks of 4x4s are taking the food from the plates of poor families.

This is very straightforward. Biofuels are bad for the environment and bad for poor people. Like much so-called environmentalism they are based on bad science and ill-thought out consequences. They are popular with legislators and agri-businesses for rent-seeking reasons. The case against biofuels has been made overwhelmingly, and they should now be stopped. If we can derive fuel from waste biomass or algae, or from genetically engineered organisms, we should revisit biofuels. But until and unless that happens we should immediately withdraw the commitment to biofuel targets. This is tokenism gone mad and should be stopped and replaced by more useful and less damaging activity.Yet another prominent scientist has joined the chorus against crop-derived biofuels, as Lewis Page reports.

Dr Richard Pike, chief of the Royal Society of Chemistry, has said that biofuels are a "dead end" and "extremely inefficient", and that the government was wrong to impose a requirement for 5 per cent biofuel content in motor fuel by 2010.

Dr Pike points out that "the 80 tonnes of kerosene used for a one-way commercial flight to New York is equivalent to the annual biofuel yield from an area of approximately 30 football pitches." At this rate it would take the whole of Britain's farmland just to run Heathrow.

It really is time to stop this nonsense. To produce these crops people are farming intensively, using more fertilizers and pesticides. In poorer countries people are cutting down virgin rainforest to plant biofuel crops. Poor people are finding corn and wheat priced out of their market, and the tanks of 4x4s are taking the food from the plates of poor families.

This is very straightforward. Biofuels are bad for the environment and bad for poor people. Like much so-called environmentalism they are based on bad science and ill-thought out consequences. They are popular with legislators and agri-businesses for rent-seeking reasons. The case against biofuels has been made overwhelmingly, and they should now be stopped. If we can derive fuel from waste biomass or algae, or from genetically engineered organisms, we should revisit biofuels. But until and unless that happens we should immediately withdraw the commitment to biofuel targets. This is tokenism gone mad and should be stopped and replaced by more useful and less damaging activity.

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#1. To: Hayek Fan (#0)

great article!

I think there is a large tendency to underestimate just how bad the biofuelds subsidies are. There's only 2 possible conclusions on this subject. Either the authorities are just plain stupid to subsidize the ethanol process as they're doing or they are purposely trying to drive up the price of basic grains either to subsidize farmers or to harm the poor people in this world. Millions of people will starve to death because of this policy, and as the years go on - millions more.

1 Timothy 6:10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

Red Jones  posted on  2008-03-29   19:16:40 ET  Reply   Trace   Private Reply  


#2. To: Red Jones (#1)

Either the authorities are just plain stupid to subsidize the ethanol process as they're doing or they are purposely trying to drive up the price of basic grains either to subsidize farmers or to harm the poor people in this world.

I don't think its either one. Where do the farmers get their corn? Monsato, Archer Daniels-Midland, etc., etc.

F.A. Hayek Fan  posted on  2008-03-29   19:21:02 ET  Reply   Trace   Private Reply  


#3. To: Hayek Fan (#2)

I marvel that so many people assume that the authorities in this country are benign and act for the public good. they all accept that government is incompetent. But they have a hard time comprehending that an evil clique acting for private interests controls the government.

1 Timothy 6:10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

Red Jones  posted on  2008-03-29   19:24:09 ET  Reply   Trace   Private Reply  


#4. To: Red Jones (#3)

I marvel that so many people assume that the authorities in this country are benign and act for the public good. they all accept that government is incompetent. But they have a hard time comprehending that an evil clique acting for private interests controls the government.

Yep I know. They change their minds though once you e-mail them main stream media stories concerning the action of government towards American soldiers and nuclear fallout, black people and syphilis, Operation Northwood, etc., etc., etc. There are plenty of factual, non-conspiracy theory stories showing how evil the United States govermment is.

Personally I believe they are the most evil entity on the face of this earth. Not just because of their actions against the American people, but because they try to hide their evil behind a false facade of caring.

F.A. Hayek Fan  posted on  2008-03-29   19:34:22 ET  Reply   Trace   Private Reply  


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