http://thefraserdomain.typepad.com/energy/2006/07/re_the_false_ho.html
More happy fuel farming fanstasy.
This study assumes 10% of transportation fuel coming from biomass by 2020.
As the study proposes to supply that amount by converting more photosynthetic bio-energy to fuel that is burned, that will exacerbate climate change. All the land that can be converted to carbon sink, either through more reserve land or returning as much biomass as possible to the soil through organic farming, is needed to reverse CO 2 climate problems.
Between non-CO 2 emmitting electric renewable power used in PHEVs and EVs and liquid fuel generated with algae in solar systems, the economic and war related problems of importing oil and the even bigger problem of CO 2 climate change can be solved simultaneously.
Trying to use fuel farming to replace oil will only replace a fraction of it and actually degrade the present level of the carbon sink effect of conserrvation reserve land and sustainable farming practices that build soil organically by recyclng biomass.
The illusion that fuel farming actually can solve these problems is a dangerous one. It makes the release of methane from permafrost practically inevitable as CO 2 levels continue to rise.
That will overwhelm the climate system and cost far more than conversion to renewable electric transportation power and carbon sink sequestration with more conservation reserve land would.
Just the increasing storms and droughts alone will cost many orders of magnitude more than investment in mass production and adoption of renewable electric battery powered vehicles. In fact the economic boom from renewable energy will pay back these investments within a few years..
And how can anyone envision agricultural yields actually increasing (as this study does) with ever increasing weather volatility? The reverse is true, the water needed for even present ag production levels is rapidly being depleted as aquifers are destroyed with overuse and pollution.
It is interesting that renewable electric transportation advocates are often accused of over optimistic predictions given the very obvious unrealistic assumptions behind fuel farming
The Washinginton Post is onto the scamming. Which is understandable (though unexpected) given the huge corporate fuel farming subsidies channeled through DC lobbying corruption.
Farm and environmental votes are being bought with this greenwashing. and farmers get none of the money doled out that adds to our huge national debt (mainly held by China), it all goes to politically connected agribizz corporations like Archer Daniels Midland.
