Thursday 29 May 2008

Some biofuels might do more harm than good

Some biofuels might do more harm than good: "new research led by a biologist at the University of Washington, Bothell, shows that some of the most popular current biofuel stocks might have exactly the opposite impacts than intended.

The study looked at factors such as the energy needed to produce a renewable fuel source compared with how much energy is produced, the impact on soil fertility and effects on food supply when fuels based on crops such as corn and soybeans are mixed with fossil fuels. Based on those factors, the authors determined that corn-based ethanol is the worst alternative overall."

"It's foolish to say we should be developing a particular biofuel when that could mean that we???re just replacing one problem with another"