There are a number of solid scientific, and economic reasons to dislike Biofuels made from new growth vegetation.

Like this article, or this, or this.

My personal dislike of this particular subset of Biofuels leads me to an unusual agreement with an article in the New York Times:

Soaring food prices, driven in part by demand for ethanol made from corn, have helped slash the amount of food aid the government buys to its lowest level in a decade, possibly resulting in more hungry people around the world this year.

Most experts agree that Biofuels can only make up for about 15% of our Oil usage.  Balance that against the slow death by starvation of millions, who could be helped by that food.

But it gets worse. 

Renton Righelato from the World Land Trust and the lead scientist in the study, said: “It is a mistake in climate change terms to use biofuels. Most concerning is the trend to clear new land for biofuel crops. Clearing forests produces an immediate and disastrous release of carbon into the atmosphere, accompanied by a loss of habitats, wildlife and livelihoods.”

Forest soil stores between one quarter and a half of the carbon in the forest - and that too is released during clearing.

“Brazil, Paraguay, Indonesia among others have huge deforestation programmes to supply the world biofuel market”, says the study’s co-author Dominick Spracklen from Leeds University.

So, not only are we content to let people starve to death, to fill our gas tanks, but we are actively promoting the destruction of forest, and converting farmland, to increase the problem.

All so AL Gore and his ilk can feel “Green” and self satisfied while they jet around the world, telling the rest of us to use 1 sheet of toilet paper.

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