In its investigation into the explosion of corporate lobbyists swarming around the US Climate Bill last year, the Centre for Public Integrity noted that “agriculture-based alternative fuels were especially well represented among the new lobbying entrees”. In fact, the CIJ pointed out, the agriculture industry is the fourth largest industry lobby on climate in the … Read More
ethanol
“We are holding ourselves hostage to the weather”
Such has been the race to embrace biofuels that in the rush we forgot about the risks. We conveniently forgot about how food going to fuel would exacerbate food shortages and hence push up food prices. We conveniently forgot that peat-lands would be drained and forests cut down to make way for monocrops to fill … Read More
A “Green Hummer” – you are having a laugh…
Now its getting silly. The American motor industry’s rush to greenwash its products has now even affected the Hummer, with GM announcing yesterday an ethanol-powered version of the military-style vehicle. General Motors kicked off the Detroit motor show by revealing biofuel-propelled prototypes of a Hummer, even though the car does just 16 litres per 100km … Read More
Eight hours and 180 degrees
Auto makers finally face higher fuel efficiency standards in the US. Sort of. After years of holding out against anything to do with climate change, President George Bush finally signed into law an energy bill establishing higher fuel-economy standards for new cars and other conservation measures. And then 8 hours later he completely sabotaged states … Read More
McCain Warns of Vulnerability of Foreign Oil
In the third of three major policy addresses, Republican presidential candidate, John McCain has talked about the “great and urgent challenge – breaking our nation’s critical dependence on foreign sources of oil”. In a speech to the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) McCain warned that America’s “dependency on foreign oil and the way … Read More
Bush’s Plans May Cause More Harm Than Good
Bush’s plans to tackle climate change and reduce foreign oil dependence have been widely condemned by environmental groups. Jan Kowalzig of Friends of the Earth Europe said that whilst ethanol from corn is “carbon neutral”, production of ethanol requires fossil fuels. “Transportation of the fuels, processing of the fuels – all that requires energy which … Read More
To Drive or Eat, That is the Question
A new study has found that ethanol plants could use as much as half of America’s corn crop next year, renewing concerns about whether there will be enough corn to support the demand for both fuel and food.