World Bank: biofuel is prime factor causing explosion of food prices

[Skybird]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/jul/03/biofuels.renewableenergy


The figure emphatically contradicts the US government's claims that plant-derived fuels contribute less than 3% to food-price rises. It will add to pressure on governments in Washington and across Europe, which have turned to plant-derived fuels to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and reduce their dependence on imported oil.
Senior development sources believe the report, completed in April, has not been published to avoid embarrassing President George Bush.
"It would put the World Bank in a political hot-spot with the White House," said one yesterday.

Was it really so difficult to see that link - or was it intentionally being hidden? Now we know the answer, it seems.

If we accept food production to suffer for the sake of filling our gasoline tanks, then this shows how very much mentally deranged we are.

[STEED]

In less than a couple of hundred years your be charged to breath oxygen but you still be driving your car. :p

[UnderseaLcpl]

Biofuel is proof that stupidity is the most powerful force on earth. After all, oil is biofuel too.
This is like the argument against genetically engineered food. Virtually all food is genetically engineered. The only difference is that now we do it at the actual genetic level instead of splicing favourable strains of food crops/animals together.

[Skybird]

Biofuel is proof that stupidity is the most powerful force on earth. After all, oil is biofuel too.
Let's not split hairs. The term clearly indicates a difference - or do you put arab "black sausage" onto your salad just because "oil is oil"?

This is like the argument against genetically engineered food. Virtually all food is genetically engineered. The only difference is that now we do it at the actual genetic level instead of splicing favourable strains of food crops/animals together.
Nonsens linking here. when messing with genes at the genetic level you can bring genes together and create new combinations that in nature for whatever a reason maybe never would have formed together, and would not have worked together. another danger is that combinations get created whose effect and consequence within a given context (digesting, environment, physiological effects) are sometimes unknow - sometimes already known to effect your health (animal experiments shown that). After all, the artificially created plant is not identitcal with the naturally fostered plant (else there would be no sense in creating it)

Biofuel production reduces the ammount of farming land used for food production and consumes a lot of fertilizer - which is being created by the use of black oil itself. Let'S leave the criticism to these two facts and leave genetics out of it. It's two different things.

[UnderseaLcpl]

Fair enough, I will leave out genetic manipulation as an allegorical example.

I still think biofuel is a tremendous waste of economic effort. Especially ethanol.

[SUBMAN1]

What you guys have missed is, Bush isn't the Biofuel driving force. He is interested in oil and gas.

This is just another digg at Bush.

-S

[UnderseaLcpl]

What you guys have missed is, Bush isn't the Biofuel driving force. He is interested in oil and gas.

This is just another digg at Bush.

-S

Well, naturally. He's just the president. Congress and the courts have the real power. Biofuel still sucks one way or the other.

[mrbeast]

What you guys have missed is, Bush isn't the Biofuel driving force. He is interested in oil and gas.

This is just another digg at Bush.

-S

Considering President Bush anounced last year that he would quintuple the US target for biofuel production at the State of the Union address I'd say he was pushing pretty hard for biofuels.

[SUBMAN1]

Considering President Bush anounced last year that he would quintuple the US target for biofuel production at the State of the Union address I'd say he was pushing pretty hard for biofuels.He is just trying to play up to the tree huggers to show he is environmentaly friendly. Has no real interest in it.

-S

[Platapus]

I think Biofuels are an interesting concept. But the idea of using food to make fuel seems to me to be not a good thing. There are more people who need to eat than need to drive.

Is there any way to make biofuels out of stuff we don't eat.....like lima beans :yep:

[Skybird]

I wish we could make biofuel by composting politicians. Two good effects by just one effort.

[Platapus]

I wish we could make biofuel by composting politicians. Two good effects by just one effort.

Great idea but would probably result in a very low quality fuel.

[Skybird]

I wish we could make biofuel by composting politicians. Two good effects by just one effort.

Great idea but would probably result in a very low quality fuel.
... and high-level toxic air pollution, while engines corrode in no time...