Comments on: On the Newsstand: Biofuels http://scienceprogress.org/2007/10/on-the-newsstand-biofuels/ Tue, 13 Sep 2011 13:59:48 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Andrew Plemmons Pratt http://scienceprogress.org/2007/10/on-the-newsstand-biofuels/comment-page-1/#comment-44 Andrew Plemmons Pratt Fri, 12 Oct 2007 13:38:15 +0000 http://www.scienceprogress.org/2007/10/on-the-newsstand-biofuels/#comment-44 Tom, you make a good point that biofuels are only one part of the new toolbox of renewable energy sources we need. I think that's actually something else worth considering with regard to media coverage: because the bulk of U.S. CO2 emissions come from electricity generation, playing up biofuels as "the solution" is problematic because they have no role to play in generating electricity, which when, you consider the <a href="http://www.eia.doe.gov/environment.html" rel="nofollow">data</a>, is a much bigger sector and a much bigger issue. Tom, you make a good point that biofuels are only one part of the new toolbox of renewable energy sources we need. I think that’s actually something else worth considering with regard to media coverage: because the bulk of U.S. CO2 emissions come from electricity generation, playing up biofuels as “the solution” is problematic because they have no role to play in generating electricity, which when, you consider the data, is a much bigger sector and a much bigger issue.

]]> By: Tom Gage http://scienceprogress.org/2007/10/on-the-newsstand-biofuels/comment-page-1/#comment-14 Tom Gage Thu, 04 Oct 2007 22:52:57 +0000 http://www.scienceprogress.org/2007/10/on-the-newsstand-biofuels/#comment-14 Biofuels have a limited role to play in the energy equation. If developed on an industrial scale they are intensive users of land and risk creating large mono-culture farms that are highly susceptible to pest infestation. They have definite limitations in terms of BTU output. Technology innovation in terms or hybrids, intensive farming and better boilers are likely to yield only limited BTU productivity gains. There are other solutions that have more potential - Wind, Solar, Hydrogen and even nuclear. These solutions are less back to the future and more in line with where technological advances can be made that exceed current energy outputs. Biofuels have a role and switchgrass is certainly preferable to corn. But the country, and indeed the world, needs to place its bets on the most promising long term, large scale solutions, switchgrass isn't it. Can you imagine telling a Martian, when she comes to visit Earth, that the reason we haven't been able to develop more as a planet was that we decided to grow Switchgrass to solve our rocket propulsion needs! Tom Gage (editor Energy Primer -Solar, Water Wind and Biofuels, Dell Boooks, 1978) Biofuels have a limited role to play in the energy equation. If developed on an industrial scale they are intensive users of land and risk creating large mono-culture farms that are highly susceptible to pest infestation. They have definite limitations in terms of BTU output. Technology innovation in terms or hybrids, intensive farming and better boilers are likely to yield only limited BTU productivity gains.

There are other solutions that have more potential – Wind, Solar, Hydrogen and even nuclear. These solutions are less back to the future and more in line with where technological advances can be made that exceed current energy outputs.

Biofuels have a role and switchgrass is certainly preferable to corn. But the country, and indeed the world, needs to place its bets on the most promising long term, large scale solutions, switchgrass isn’t it.

Can you imagine telling a Martian, when she comes to visit Earth, that the reason we haven’t been able to develop more as a planet was that we decided to grow Switchgrass to solve our rocket propulsion needs!

Tom Gage (editor Energy Primer -Solar, Water Wind and Biofuels, Dell Boooks, 1978)

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