Should we stop using biofuels?

Question

A report by the world bank cites biofuel as the reason behind rising food prices. The demand for food by developing nations is not the reason after all.

http://news.sympatico.msn.ctv.ca/abc/home/contentposting.aspx?isfa=1&feedname=CTV-TOPSTORIES_V3&showbyline=True&newsitemid=CTVNews%2f20080704%2fbiofuels_report_080704

Answer 1

No surprise there. We need to develop ways to use waste instead of food crops to make bio fuels. It can be done. It IS being done. Methane collected from land fills and sewage treatment plants for example. In theory, ANY organic waste can be used to make bio fuel, If petroleum gets expensive enough inventors will come up with new ways to do it. Ways like in the source.

Answer 2

Here is a link to the original article:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/20...

According to the article, the World Bank report is a "secret report" that has not yet been published.  Before you believe everything that the article says, consider the source: A liberal British newspaper citing a "secret report" that discredits the US policy.

There are a number of other factors that are contributing to food inflation, not just biofuels.  The falling dollar, increased energy costs, and an increased cost in raw materials are major contributors to increasing food prices.  

With that being said, I do believe that we should not now or ever divert food to fuel, nor should we convert land used to grow food into land used to grow fuel.  If we can use things such as switchgrass to produce ethanol without reducing our agricultural output for food, I am all for it.

Answer 3

yup, biofuels are just as bad as gas.. corn is way more expensive now that it can be used for ethanol. The government turned a $3 bushel into a $6 one.

Answer 4

Burning food or crops grown on land that could be used to grow food is dumber than dumb. However there is an almost no cost way to grow algae for ethanol that no body is using because it is intelligent, not dumb. Site a nuclear power plant next to a sewage treatment plant where they share water. The sewage plant cools the water for the power plant and the waste heat from the power plant helps the algae grow faster in the treatment plant.

Lots of algae for biofuel and cleaner output into rivers or aquifer input from the treatment plant. Rivers and streams are cleaner, bays are no linger clogged with growth from fouled water. Plus the electricity problem is solved without burning coal, oil or natural gas. The surplus electricity could be used to switch to electric locomotives instead of diesel on the railroads saving even more oil for other uses. We need practical integrated solutions to ease the use of oil fast and Obama wants us to use more imported oil instead.

Answer 5

No, but we can make better choices than corn as a feedstock to get more biofuel per unit of inputs.  Do you think that there should be a new tax to subsidise the price of food, or should farmers pay higher costs for fuel, fertilizer and machinery while accepting lower prices for their crops?  In 1970 1 bushel of wheat bought 1 barrel of oil from OPEC.  In 2008 it takes 12.6 bushels of wheat to buy 1 barrel of oil from OPEC. Food is still very cheap and countries such as the US, Canada and Australia that control most of the grain market should price wheat at a constant ratio in relation to oil.  In the final analysis grain is worth more than oil.  If we stop giving away nearly free food, hungry mobs in OPEC capitals will soon remind their governments which commodity has the higher value.

Answer 6

Yes

Answer 7

ask that question of a kenyan, or ethiopian

Answer 8

Let me say that BURNING your food in a gasoline tank is a BAD idea.

http://neighborsgo.com/blog/boatman2

You can read my thoughts on my blog.

Answer 9

probably yes.

a question we might ask our selves is, is it our responsibility that people in other areas of the world are starving?

do we want to do anything about it?

or are there just too many people, and allowing children to starve is okay?

btw, using something other than corn is not the answer.

switching from growing corn to growing something that can make biofuel, but is not edible is just the same as using corn.

if the biofuel plant is grown on land that cannot support growing food, that's a different story.

however, i suspect that's not the case.

good soil grows more plants.

nobody's going to go out into the desert to start farming.

Answer 10

Biofuels in general?  No way.

Ethanol made from corn?  We should phase it out, and use something like sawgrass.

Answer 11

Yes. Use the land for food.

Answer 12

It's not right for me...

A lot of lands used for biofuels were free of cultivations.

Answer 13

Thee main contribute is the huge increase in fuel to transport the product.

Answer 14

Yes, if it causes food shortages or creates hardships for poor people because the prices are beyond their means!

BTW, the link in your Q is no longer a working link-- my I suggest you cut-and-paste the parts of article that you linked to that you wanted us to see so it makes sense when we see your Q! At least have the courtesy of summarizing it in your own words rather than piggy-backing your Q on it!

Answer 15

Not all fuels are from Corn..........

Take a Look at Algae Fuel...Made from Pond Scum !

It's the Future !

http://algaefuelmaking.com