Just because bio-fuels are made from plants, doesn't automatically make them a positive green solution.
Even using the optimistic government sponsored USDA numbers - the amount of cropland required for biofuels to substantially replace our current petroleum usage of 25 million barrels a day would be untenable.
I don't think anybody's claiming that, Jon. And I agree that's its foolish to think that we could simply replace oil with biofuels. But they do burn much cleaner than fossil fuels, and they are renewable in the sense that we can grow more corn, sugarcane, sugar beets, etc. I think it's safe to say that they can be a part of a mix of renewable energy technologies that could help us through the transition away from oil as our main energy source. They can also play a role in creating more localized energy solutions.
Some people (the geo green crowd, led by tom friedman) do make sweeping claims about replacing petroleum.
Personally, I like biodiesel as a fuel in the margins - recycling used grease, plant leavings, unused food crop capacity, etc.
And you are right - it is a cleaner burning fuel. But the production of the fuel carries it's own environmental cost (petroleum of course also has its costs.)
We've definitely got a "one right answer" mentality on many things, and many people are immediately looking for a single answer to oil. I don't think we'll find one, and I don't think it's smart to try to find a single replacement. A mix of sources based on local resources and needs seems the most sensible (and secure) way to go...
"In each of these cases, researchers David Pimentel and Tad W. Patzek are coming under fire. I know nothing about either of these scientists, so I welcome any filling in of my significant blanks."
Is this an explicit statement of intent to use ad hominem arguments against these fellas? Please don't. It's easy enough to discredit their study.
Also, I agree that the "one right answer" mentality is not constructive. Just look at the anti-diesel bias at hybridblog (by the Union of Concerned Scientists). They apparently haven't considered what you can get with a hybrid with a diesel (I believe someone at the tour de sol got 100 mpg).
Not at all, Eric... I certainly try to avoid ad hominem attacks (though will freely admit that I've fallen to their temptation on occasion). It was simply a statement of fact -- I didn't know much at the time of the posting (I've found out more, including the facts I learned on your blog), and was interested in their background. Ultimately, though, we have to focus on the research and publication of that research, and the consensus I see among those qualified to make such judgments is that Pimentel and Patzek's work on this subject is rather sloppy...
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