Why is this country growing more crops for biofuel when we donot know the effect it has on the enviroment?

Question

how much research has there gone into producing biofuel to see how green it really is

Answer 1

Most biofuels come from nonsustainable fuels. so trees are not going to grow in their place for many years. its like everyother fad - the next thing that will save the world. Then in 10 yrs well be taxed heavily for using it because theyve found out its not all that green. On the subject - I walk a lot of the time so wheres my bloody refund for not making a carbon footprint eh?

Answer 2

because we never think things through.  Everyone is always being told that oil is bad so as soon as an alternative comes along it is automatically jumped upon.  However in reality biofuels are probably just as bad, if not worse, for the world as petrol is because it means more forest converted to farmland, the burning of food which should instead be eaten, which will release the CO2 stored in the plants and then to make things worse it means people don't have enough food to eat because we are making it all into biofuels.

Answer 3

As soon as Bush and Cheney get done saving the Iraqi's I am sure they will take care of the expensive crude oil prices that we have a love of for our Hummer's and gas guzzling vehicles.  How many of you drive a 4 wheel drive vehicle, live in a home with more than one bathroom, leave your windows closed all summer long and run the AC, fly on a plane, buy food at a fast food restaurant (in less than 5 minutes, pile of papers and bags to throw away), buy anything from another country.....???  You get the picture, we all are guilty of wanting everything cheap, fast and the way you want it.  We are a spoiled nation with many conveniences and each and everyone of those conveniences come at a cost; cost to install/use, dispose of, transport to the point you want to use it, etc.  

So your latest whim is bio-fuels...  so what have you really done to research this issue or are you just jumping on the bandwagon to spout off on your opinion.  "How green it really is"... just who are you to say this??  You probably fit into 75% of the items or more of the things I listed above... you have no room to bash anyone else for using anything till you can quit being a hypocrite.

Answer 4

It doesn't take a scientist to see how bio fuel works to reduce the net CO2 emissions.

Answer 5

very much lol :) and they allready know how much green stuff has inin ..that is 70 % bio energy and 30% gas ..but wat comes out its 100 % not hamfull  to the enviorment !

Answer 6

b/c we no that the effect cant be worse than wat we use now--gas.

any ways gas is going to run out at the rate we use it!

Answer 7

WE KNOW THAT IT'S LESS DAMAGING TO THE BIOSPHERE THAN PETROLEUM PRODUCTS. SO WHY NOT GET A JUMP START. WE NEED TO MAKE A OCEAN OF IMPROVEMENTS ON THE PROCESS SINCE IT COSTS MORE TO MANUFACTURE BIOFUEL THAN DRILL FOR, PUMP OUT AND SHIP CRUDE OIL. IF IT'S VIABLE WE NEED TO KNOW NOW.

Answer 8

the environment only means something to a country's leadership when it is a politically hot potato. the only concern under normal conditions is profit and  financial survival. oil is running out and the public mood is all earthy huggy so they go where the money is.

Answer 9

It has exactly the same effect as diesel/petrol, the difference is that as you grow more crops for more biofuel those crops absorb carbon dioxide, this is why they are considered carbon neutral whereas the oil we dig out of the ground that we've been using for the past 100+ years had no such offset.

Answer 10

It's what we do.  We have an idea and run with it... saying it's the best thing in the world... until 50 years later we realize it causes cancer.

Answer 11

Pure cane sugar is available at low cost  from tropical countries and could be imported in place of oil..Ethanol can be produced with yeast and sugar.This high octane fuel can run as effectively as gasoline in en genes designed for it.

Combustion of ethanol results water and a small amount  of carbon. the improvement of air quality and the availability of fuel  in case one of our oil supply countries turns off their oil  tap.

Answer 12

As you seem to know so much about it perhaps you wouldn't mind telling me just how much is grown for biofuel?  Do you know what research has been done, or is it just easier to rely on your prejudices?

Answer 13

idk but by doing the corn ethanol thing, we are driving up the costs of corn which in turn raises the price of beef, pork, and dairy. so by using corn as a fuel, we are increasing our food prices while driving down our fuel prices, so are we really coming out ahead???

Answer 14

What we do know is how harmful fossil fuels are.

So we assume that anything else must be better.

Well, if it took no fossil fuels to produce the bio-fuel,

And if we could still  feed the world,

we would have a real winner because growing bio fuel absorbs all the carbon it releases.

It does take fossil fuels, and our ability to feed the world is finite.

But, when we make soy or corn and sell it on the market, it is no longer a farmer's question. What the buyer does with that foodstuff is up to them.

If for instance the buyer were to  take oil out of the soy, and make the remainder into food for people, we know the protein content will be too high, so the buyer will have to dilute it.

If the buyer takes the corn and uses just its sugars to make ethanol, but sells the rest of the corn for  people to eat, now that looks OK to the  farmer. These decisions are yours to make as buyers, not ours as farmers.

Removal of oil and sugar from the food we sell you is your choice, and it can be of benefit to the consumer.

We can create biofuels from plants harvested in ocean dead zones. Vast areas of ocean have so much vegetation decomposing that the animal life there all dies from want of oxygen (hence the term dead zone). We can harvest millions of tons of vegetation for our own use and at the same time help the ocean life. No need to fear starving animal life that is dying from lack of oxygen.

But if we try to produce enough bio fuel from our farm output, first we can not do it, secondly we starve humanity if we try to do it.

But what you do with the food you buy is your decision... eat it or burn it. Your choice.

Answer 15

Because we never ever look before we leap. Sad, isn't it?