New Trend in Biofuels Has New Risks

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New Trend in Biofuels Has New Risks Wednesday, May 21, 2008
The New York Times -- ROME — In the past year, as the diversion of food crops like corn and palm to make biofuels has helped to drive up food prices, investors and politicians have begun promoting newer, so-called second-generation biofuels as the next wave of green energy. These, made from non-food crops like reeds and wild grasses, would offer fuel without the risk of taking food off the table, they said. But now, biologists and botanists are warning that they, too, may bring serious unintended consequences. Most of these newer crops are what scientists label invasive species — that is, weeds — that have an extraordinarily high potential to escape biofuel plantations, overrun adjacent farms and natural land, and create economic and ecological havoc in the process, they now say.
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	Wednesday, May 21, 2008 The New York Times -- ROME — In the past year, as the diversion of food crops like corn and palm to make biofuels has helped to drive up food prices, investors and politicians have begun promoting newer, so-called second-generation biofuels as the next wave of green energy. These, made from non-food crops like reeds and wild grasses, would offer fuel without the risk of taking food off the table, they said. But now, biologists and botanists are warning that they, too, may bring serious unintended consequences. Most of these newer crops are what scientists label invasive species — that is, weeds — that have an extraordinarily high potential to escape biofuel plantations, overrun adjacent farms and natural land, and create economic and ecological havoc in the process, they now say. Visit The New York Times for full article

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POLELANE Champion Author Ohio Posts:1,041 Points:99,700 Joined:Mar 2008	Message Posted: 5/22/2008 2:49:02 PM	Ignore POLELANE Report Abuse
	yeah; that too...
Gas_Buzzer Champion Author South Carolina Posts:5,687 Points:969,890 Joined:Sep 2005	Message Posted: 5/22/2008 1:50:33 PM	Ignore Gas_Buzzer Report Abuse
	Risky business means more corn liquor.
PenDoctrJD Champion Author Orange County Posts:2,702 Points:1,240,290 Joined:Aug 2001	Message Posted: 5/22/2008 10:53:37 AM	Ignore PenDoctrJD Report Abuse
	Yes
mmene Rookie Author Houston Posts:65 Points:18,900 Joined:May 2008	Message Posted: 5/22/2008 10:37:10 AM	Ignore mmene Report Abuse
	Petroleum is not biofuel. Biofuel is fuel that can be produced from plants repeatedly over a reasonable time period. ie. it is renewable repeatedly within our lifetimes.
kanmandoo All-Star Author Detroit Posts:678 Points:782,340 Joined:Jun 2005	Message Posted: 5/22/2008 10:28:46 AM	Ignore kanmandoo Report Abuse
	We just can't win.
RochBear Champion Author Minnesota Posts:1,070 Points:385,025 Joined:May 2006	Message Posted: 5/22/2008 10:00:54 AM	Ignore RochBear Report Abuse
	Petrolium is BIO fuel. Where do you think crude oil came from. It's from Plant/animals which were burried in Noah's flood. However, if we are going to use farm land for fuel, let's put up windmills, since the footprint of a windmill is only a couple of square yards. You can still plant crops around the windmills. Basically you can double dip. Get a crop of corn/beans.... and a crop of wind. All on the same land. SOunds like a win win. Plus the wind blows in MN Day and NIght. Solar is only good for 12 hours a day (on average, at best)
ramshot412 Champion Author Riverside Posts:10,943 Points:1,096,050 Joined:Apr 2004	Message Posted: 5/22/2008 9:58:08 AM	Ignore ramshot412 Report Abuse
	Stop the madness!
Rick52 All-Star Author Milwaukee Posts:893 Points:16,820 Joined:Mar 2005	Message Posted: 5/22/2008 9:56:26 AM	Ignore Rick52 Report Abuse
	We could become the super power again if we would drill are own oil...Soon the Saudis will run out .....
tomok Champion Author Portland Posts:6,855 Points:581,585 Joined:Aug 2006	Message Posted: 5/22/2008 9:55:39 AM	Ignore tomok Report Abuse
	Need to make fuel from anything possible and still be environmental friendly - if that is possible.
Rick52 All-Star Author Milwaukee Posts:893 Points:16,820 Joined:Mar 2005	Message Posted: 5/22/2008 9:54:26 AM	Ignore Rick52 Report Abuse
	Ah grass hopper I think they know something we don't.........
RML1 All-Star Author Chicago Posts:675 Points:99,370 Joined:May 2007	Message Posted: 5/22/2008 9:52:26 AM	Ignore RML1 Report Abuse
	What sane investor would sink his money in to Bio when there's a fortune to be made in oil.
Rick52 All-Star Author Milwaukee Posts:893 Points:16,820 Joined:Mar 2005	Message Posted: 5/22/2008 9:51:38 AM	Ignore Rick52 Report Abuse
	This country is just runing around chasing there tail............
Rick52 All-Star Author Milwaukee Posts:893 Points:16,820 Joined:Mar 2005	Message Posted: 5/22/2008 9:50:13 AM	Ignore Rick52 Report Abuse
	Tell that to the enviros
CTDPower Veteran Author Virginia Beach Posts:488 Points:177,575 Joined:May 2007	Message Posted: 5/22/2008 9:49:08 AM	Ignore CTDPower Report Abuse
	In nature, everything is a balance...even this!
t4204life Champion Author Ohio Posts:3,646 Points:728,760 Joined:Jun 2006	Message Posted: 5/22/2008 9:49:02 AM	Ignore t4204life Report Abuse
	HEMP is more productive!!!
Rick52 All-Star Author Milwaukee Posts:893 Points:16,820 Joined:Mar 2005	Message Posted: 5/22/2008 9:48:13 AM	Ignore Rick52 Report Abuse
	I'm for preserving the planet but some of this thinking is just plain NUTSSSSSS.....
maggiemaen Sophomore Author Wisconsin Posts:141 Points:41,235 Joined:Apr 2008	Message Posted: 5/22/2008 9:48:00 AM	Ignore maggiemaen Report Abuse
	We certainly don't need another BAD idea.
NissanGirl Sophomore Author Oregon Posts:151 Points:84,545 Joined:Jan 2008	Message Posted: 5/22/2008 9:47:24 AM	Ignore NissanGirl Report Abuse
	Great. Every new idea always has even more problems than it solves.
Rick52 All-Star Author Milwaukee Posts:893 Points:16,820 Joined:Mar 2005	Message Posted: 5/22/2008 9:45:50 AM	Ignore Rick52 Report Abuse
	Maybe we should exchange are dollars fo something else...............
Mooseman1 Champion Author Manitoba Posts:1,315 Points:180,815 Joined:Jul 2007	Message Posted: 5/22/2008 9:44:20 AM	Ignore Mooseman1 Report Abuse
	It seems anything new has risks. I like the new garbage to ethanol initiative started in Sherbrooke Quebec. It looks promising.
CyanSquirrel Veteran Author Virginia Posts:428 Points:89,430 Joined:Jun 2004	Message Posted: 5/22/2008 9:44:03 AM	Ignore CyanSquirrel Report Abuse
	Old news...
dyeh Veteran Author Illinois Posts:256 Points:64,555 Joined:Apr 2008	Message Posted: 5/22/2008 9:43:33 AM	Ignore dyeh Report Abuse
	The cost of living in general will keep going up because the purchasing power of the dollar keeps going down. The printing press is going full steam, and the only way we can stabilize the process is to sell our national debt; so far the only people who have enough dollars to buy our debt are oil-producing countries, who, conveniently, sells oil denominated in US dollars (you can thank Kissenger for that). It's not just oil and food that is going up. This is nothing compared to what's coming down the pike.
_angel35_ Sophomore Author Michigan Posts:194 Points:57,080 Joined:Aug 2005	Message Posted: 5/22/2008 9:43:07 AM	Ignore _angel35_ Report Abuse
	y is 'nay saying' become such an artform in our society?
wark6 Sophomore Author Minnesota Posts:117 Points:501,215 Joined:Aug 2006	Message Posted: 5/22/2008 9:42:01 AM	Ignore wark6 Report Abuse
	Hogwash! I think we are smart enough to grow weeds properly!
Rick52 All-Star Author Milwaukee Posts:893 Points:16,820 Joined:Mar 2005	Message Posted: 5/22/2008 9:41:24 AM	Ignore Rick52 Report Abuse
	Where are the enviros on this weed talk...Nothing to say...YET....
Gerund1 All-Star Author Toronto Posts:596 Points:759,295 Joined:Apr 2003	Message Posted: 5/22/2008 9:39:23 AM	Ignore Gerund1 Report Abuse
	What is wrong with using some of the plentiful weeds and grasses that grow naturally in just about every area? Bringing in foreign species just make things unnecessarily complicated. But most of these people love to complicate the simple in order to make someone else money.
Chazzer Champion Author Nevada Posts:7,392 Points:1,594,560 Joined:May 2002	Message Posted: 5/22/2008 9:36:28 AM	Ignore Chazzer Report Abuse
	Of course they have to ... but they won't. Damn demoncrats, essepecially old Harry Ried!
Somis1 Champion Author Ventura Posts:4,176 Points:937,970 Joined:Jul 2005	Message Posted: 5/22/2008 9:34:58 AM	Ignore Somis1 Report Abuse
	Congress is going to have to wake up and smell the coffee on drilling and refineries.
Don20 All-Star Author Oklahoma City Posts:875 Points:878,320 Joined:Mar 2005	Message Posted: 5/22/2008 9:34:02 AM	Ignore Don20 Report Abuse
	The next thing will be a Cost of Living increase for everyone in order to keep the household going..
doulosx All-Star Author Columbus Posts:645 Points:379,605 Joined:Sep 2005	Message Posted: 5/22/2008 9:32:26 AM	Ignore doulosx Report Abuse
	Drill in ANWAR you bloody idiots.
notsurprised Rookie Author Portland Posts:93 Points:6,425 Joined:Mar 2008	Message Posted: 5/22/2008 9:32:09 AM	Ignore notsurprised Report Abuse
	And lets not forget that we are going to kill even more animals to energize ourselves with these weeds by ruining thier habitat. Do we really have a right to do that and if so how will it damage the ecosystem and come around to bite us?
fairchildd All-Star Author Kansas City Posts:653 Points:243,535 Joined:Aug 2007	Message Posted: 5/22/2008 9:31:06 AM	Ignore fairchildd Report Abuse
	everything has it's price - how's that old phrase go? "Pick your poison..."
Rick52 All-Star Author Milwaukee Posts:893 Points:16,820 Joined:Mar 2005	Message Posted: 5/22/2008 9:30:19 AM	Ignore Rick52 Report Abuse
	lets move weeds around the country were they don't grow so we can use weed killer to control or get rid of them... DDAAAAA..
w4kh Champion Author Riverside Posts:3,235 Points:561,365 Joined:May 2004	Message Posted: 5/22/2008 9:29:52 AM	Ignore w4kh Report Abuse
	Ya mean we could actually find a productive use for Kudzu? Hot damn! I'd burn kudzu instead of gasoline anytime I could get my car to run with it!
AccioGas Rookie Author Illinois Posts:7 Points:7,790 Joined:May 2008	Message Posted: 5/22/2008 9:26:37 AM	Ignore AccioGas Report Abuse
	Cover the roofs of all the Mal-Warts & oil zillionares with dandelions or pennycress? (Pennycress is a "weed" with more oil in it than in soybeans.)
Dennis783 Champion Author Wisconsin Posts:4,903 Points:984,445 Joined:Sep 2005	Message Posted: 5/22/2008 9:26:34 AM	Ignore Dennis783 Report Abuse
	Either way is fine with me, just do something do reduce use of gas
deerchaser Rookie Author Lincoln Posts:43 Points:466,960 Joined:Sep 2005	Message Posted: 5/22/2008 9:26:15 AM	Ignore deerchaser Report Abuse
	I have lots of dandelions someone could have
mvosevich All-Star Author St. Louis Posts:625 Points:135,300 Joined:Aug 2004	Message Posted: 5/22/2008 9:24:25 AM	Ignore mvosevich Report Abuse
	Try Weed-Be-Gone.
woos777 All-Star Author Washington Posts:918 Points:532,630 Joined:Sep 2006	Message Posted: 5/22/2008 9:24:23 AM	Ignore woos777 Report Abuse
	Good. I don't eat much wild grass.
gutter007 Sophomore Author Maryland Posts:172 Points:48,015 Joined:Mar 2004	Message Posted: 5/22/2008 9:24:11 AM	Ignore gutter007 Report Abuse
	Keep trying ... Some innovation would be a good thing at this point.
EXTREMESNOW Veteran Author Oregon Posts:495 Points:175,985 Joined:Jul 2006	Message Posted: 5/22/2008 9:21:57 AM	Ignore EXTREMESNOW Report Abuse
	EVERYTHING NEW HAS NEW RISKS. QUESTION IS, ARE THEY WORTH IT? ALL THIS SOUNDS LIKE A BAD SCI FI MOVIE FROM THE 60'S...
papou Champion Author Tampa Posts:2,253 Points:355,720 Joined:Jul 2005	Message Posted: 5/22/2008 9:19:19 AM	Ignore papou Report Abuse
	Its a bunch of BS
ladyjj Veteran Author Tennessee Posts:419 Points:26,930 Joined:Apr 2008	Message Posted: 5/22/2008 9:19:02 AM	Ignore ladyjj Report Abuse
	When is this bubble gona bust!
ApexWrangler Rookie Author Wilmington Posts:8 Points:6,275 Joined:May 2008	Message Posted: 5/22/2008 9:18:19 AM	Ignore ApexWrangler Report Abuse
	Maybe bio fuels are not the answer. Maybe we should be devoting more efforts towards sources of energy like WATER! Water = Hydrogen = clean burning, efficient energy!
Lenguado Champion Author Orlando Posts:5,869 Points:1,301,090 Joined:Apr 2004	Message Posted: 5/22/2008 9:17:06 AM	Ignore Lenguado Report Abuse
	Ummm -- DUHHHHH!!!! Whoda thunk that the ideas of Environmentalist Whackos are actually BAD for the Environment?!?!?!?! It's not like we have been paying the price for the "well intentioned" (what a dumb@ss concept...) but STUPID ideas of Environmentalists from the past. Can anyone say - rebuild the Everglades, massive firestorms in our National Forests, and now higher food prices & higher fuel passes due to the latest incarnation of Enviro 'Evil Dooers'....
DooDaa Champion Author Massachusetts Posts:3,113 Points:705,855 Joined:Dec 2004	Message Posted: 5/22/2008 9:15:49 AM	Ignore DooDaa Report Abuse
	Okay
spc Veteran Author North Carolina Posts:329 Points:76,665 Joined:Aug 2005	Message Posted: 5/22/2008 9:15:34 AM	Ignore spc Report Abuse
	hmmm...
Bity Veteran Author Wichita Posts:386 Points:45,255 Joined:Jan 2007	Message Posted: 5/22/2008 9:13:42 AM	Ignore Bity Report Abuse
	something has got to give . . . we can't go much longer with high gas prices & high food prices
KellysDad All-Star Author Jackson Posts:848 Points:282,570 Joined:May 2007	Message Posted: 5/22/2008 9:13:35 AM	Ignore KellysDad Report Abuse
	chemist74, Politicians were either ignorant about these facts or, as in most cases, don't care about the effect they have as long as it makes them look like they are doing something good in the short run. Good points.
Rageagainsttm Champion Author Tampa Posts:1,216 Points:295,520 Joined:Jul 2007	Message Posted: 5/22/2008 9:11:17 AM	Ignore Rageagainsttm Report Abuse
	uma get me a windmill ferari

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