Secret report: biofuel caused food crisis

[seemslikeadream]

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

Biofuels have forced global food prices up by 75% - far more than previously estimated - according to a confidential World Bank report obtained by the Guardian.

The damning unpublished assessment is based on the most detailed analysis of the crisis so far, carried out by an internationally-respected economist at global financial body.

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.

[rox63]

1. If they'd devote some resources to biofuels made from non-food crops

This wouldn't be a problem.

[JackRiddler]

5. Crops are crops, food or not - they compete with other crops, meaning food.

The only legit biofuel - in terms of both EROEI and avoiding using land or food for fuel - is that from waste. Inedible stalks from food crops, manure, whatever else isn't going to be eaten but is produced in the course of making food. Since it's secondary product, it won't solve any energy crises, but it shouldn't go to waste either. Every little bit counts.

But non-food crops also take up land and need fertilizer, pesticide, irrigation - in short, energy inputs for little to no return, while using up land and driving up food prices.

[elocs]

6. Also, where do they think they will get all the land needed to grow the nonfood crops?

From: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/30/AR2006063001480.html

But allowing a net positive energy output of 30,000 British thermal units (Btu) per gallon, it would still take four gallons of ethanol from corn to equal one gallon of gasoline. The United States has 73 million acres of corn cropland. At 350 gallons per acre, the entire U.S. corn crop would make 25.5 billion gallons, equivalent to about 6.3 billion gallons of gasoline. The United States consumes 170 billion gallons of gasoline and diesel fuel annually. Thus the entire U.S. corn crop would supply only 3.7 percent of our auto and truck transport demands. Using the entire 300 million acres of U.S. cropland for corn-based ethanol production would meet about 15 percent of the demand.

So if we planted our entire 300 million acres of cropland with nothing but corn for ethanol, it would only meet 15% of our needs. We cannot grow our way out of the energy crisis, neither should we do anything to encourage a nation such as Brazil to clear the rainforest to grow sugarcane to produce ethanol.

[Lance_Boyle]

7. waste is not the ONLY legit source

http://www.valcent.net/s/Ecotech.asp?ReportID=182039

;-)

[JackRiddler]

8. I'll have to plead ignorance on algae...

as opposed to a layperson's semi-decent acquaintance with the literature on crop biofuel.

I notice the company PR release in the link doesn't mention their algae system's net energy output, or EROEI - energy return on energy investment. As a competitor to crop biofuel, it does mention the problems with that. Any third-party research on algae? Thanks.

[G_j]

2. squashed!

sounds about right..

:cry:

[anigbrowl]

3. I don't know what's secret about it. I got it off their website

Although I've been too lazy to read the whole ~400 pages of the thing.

[Lance_Boyle]

4. gah - I *HATEHATEHATE* the catch-all "biofuels"

Yeah, corn ethanol is a bad idea. Clearcutting rainforest to plant palms is a bad idea.

Algae biofuels are not a bad idea. Waste-oil biofuels are not a bad idea. Why the fuck can't the "media" learn the difference? Call the bad things "fuel-that-should've-been-food" and call the good ones "biofuels" if you can't be bothered to learn their names.