http://www.dianaswednesday.com/2008/07/biofuels-deemed-a-greenhouse-threat/ Where the world comes together Sat, 10 Jan 2009 00:27:07 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.2 http://www.dianaswednesday.com/2008/07/biofuels-deemed-a-greenhouse-threat/#comment-1326 Diana Thébaud Nicholson Wed, 13 Feb 2008 20:33:01 +0000 http://www.dianaswednesday.com/2008/07/biofuels-deemed-a-greenhouse-threat/#comment-1326 February 11 2008 From <a href="http://www.samefacts.com/" rel="nofollow">www.samefacts/com</a> whose motto we like: <em>Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts</em>. <strong>A really bad day for biofuels</strong> Posted by Michael O'Hare, Professor of Public Policy at the Goldman School of Public Policy, University of California This is a really big deal. (The original articles are here, behind the AAAS paywall.) There is now more than good reason to expect that no biofuel from seeds, possibly none (even cellulosic) grown on land that could grow food, will reduce global warming if substituted for petroleum products. The insight of the papers discussed in the article, and work by some others who have been worrying at this bone for years without anyone paying enough attention, is a remarkable synthesis of economics and plant/earth science. The first piece of the puzzle is the recognition that if a piece of forest is cut down, or natural grassland plowed up, to grow biofuel, decay and/or burning of what was there before releases an enormous puff of carbon into the atmosphere that needs to be counted along with the carbon releases of the biofuel crop. Even spreading the initial release over decades of biofuel growing, it is large enough to push almost any biofuel's global warming intensity way above that of gasoline, especially because it all occurs right at the beginning of the future rather than a few years or decades down the line. <a href="http://www.samefacts.com/archives/energy_and_environment_/2008/02/a_really_bad_day_for_biofuels.php" rel="nofollow">Read more</a> February 11 2008
From www.samefacts/com whose motto we like: Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts.
A really bad day for biofuels
Posted by Michael O’Hare, Professor of Public Policy at the Goldman School of Public Policy, University of California
This is a really big deal. (The original articles are here, behind the AAAS paywall.) There is now more than good reason to expect that no biofuel from seeds, possibly none (even cellulosic) grown on land that could grow food, will reduce global warming if substituted for petroleum products. The insight of the papers discussed in the article, and work by some others who have been worrying at this bone for years without anyone paying enough attention, is a remarkable synthesis of economics and plant/earth science.
The first piece of the puzzle is the recognition that if a piece of forest is cut down, or natural grassland plowed up, to grow biofuel, decay and/or burning of what was there before releases an enormous puff of carbon into the atmosphere that needs to be counted along with the carbon releases of the biofuel crop. Even spreading the initial release over decades of biofuel growing, it is large enough to push almost any biofuel’s global warming intensity way above that of gasoline, especially because it all occurs right at the beginning of the future rather than a few years or decades down the line. Read more

]]> http://www.dianaswednesday.com/2008/07/biofuels-deemed-a-greenhouse-threat/#comment-1297 Diana Thébaud Nicholson Mon, 11 Feb 2008 19:53:23 +0000 http://www.dianaswednesday.com/2008/07/biofuels-deemed-a-greenhouse-threat/#comment-1297 <strong>Solazyme Is Making Biodiesel from Algae</strong> <a href="http://www.solazyme.com/ " rel="nofollow">Solarzyme </a>is producing biodiesel now from algae. The technology is very intriguing since the final product is something similar to oil, so it can be refined, transported, and consumed by our existing infrastructure. Thanks to <a href="http://mitchfincher.blogspot.com/2008/02/solarzyme-is-making-biodiesel-from.html" rel="nofollow"><strong>Mitch Fincher: The Distracted Programmer</strong></a> Solazyme Is Making Biodiesel from Algae
Solarzyme is producing biodiesel now from algae. The technology is very intriguing since the final product is something similar to oil, so it can be refined, transported, and consumed by our existing infrastructure.
Thanks to Mitch Fincher: The Distracted Programmer

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