Re: Let's hear it for biofuels..................the panacea..........

On Apr 29, 6:20 pm, FACE <AFaceInTheCr...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
On Tue, 29 Apr 2008 10:14:40 -0700 (PDT),  in uk.politics.misc, in
thread Re: Let's hear it for biofuels..................the
panacea.........., Mel Rowing <mel.row...@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, wrote





On Apr 29, 5:34 pm, FACE <AFaceInTheCr...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
~~~~~~~~~
"The failure to reduce oil dependence is not the only flaw in the
ethanol program. It also has driven food prices disturbingly high. The
World Food Program is warning that the upward pressure on food prices is
likely to lead to a silent tsunami of hunger. Josette Sheeran, the
program’s executive director, warned that  "The price of rice has more
than doubled in the last five weeks".

Err ...

Rice is not used for ethanol production unless one includes Saki.
Neither is wheat in any quantity.

Maize is the most economical source. Significant quantities of barley
are turned into ethanol but not for use as biofuel.

Eventually plant ethanol will will be made from cellulose which will
allow wood, straw and leaves to be used as feedstock leaving the grain
for human and animal consumption.

Other candidates for biofuel are the oil crops - palm nuts, soya
beans, rape seed and linseed.

I imagine the writer was referring to land diverted from food production
to biomass production.

And knock-on food price increases. Everyone needs to eat, and the
price of one food rising will increase demand for others which will
increase their prices.
.

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