Topic: The price of green living? Biofuels causing world food crisis.

[Paprika]

Biofuel production is a hot topic these days. A hot topic and a hot potato. While it can be argued that biofuel has its advantages, not least of which is having it stand in for fossil fuels, it does have its drawbacks.

For one thing, when you use land and resources to raise plants to make fuel instead of food, a tug-of-war is basically bound to happen. There is, after all, a limited space on the Earth to grow plants on.

The US government under the Bush administration has claimed that plant-derived fuels contribute no more than 3% to inflation in food prices. A leaked confidential report from the World Bank, however, says something else.

According to the report, biofuels raise food prices up by as much as 75%, grossly higher than what was estimated by the US government. It is believed that the report was suppressed as to spare the Bush administration the political pressure, and the embarrassment.

The report basically states that as grains and vegetables are being used more for fuel rather than, well, food, the end result is that the price of food (for eating) goes higher. Many countries might not feel the full effects of the inflation, but poorer countries will.

Not that I'm against biofuels. I just want to pose the question: can the world afford it? And I'm not just talking money.

[rAvEnShAwNâ„¢]

Biofuel production is a hot topic these days. A hot topic and a hot potato. While it can be argued that biofuel has its advantages, not least of which is having it stand in for fossil fuels, it does have its drawbacks.

For one thing, when you use land and resources to raise plants to make fuel instead of food, a tug-of-war is basically bound to happen. There is, after all, a limited space on the Earth to grow plants on.

The US government under the Bush administration has claimed that plant-derived fuels contribute no more than 3% to inflation in food prices. A leaked confidential report from the World Bank, however, says something else.

According to the report, biofuels raise food prices up by as much as 75%, grossly higher than what was estimated by the US government. It is believed that the report was suppressed as to spare the Bush administration the political pressure, and the embarrassment.

The report basically states that as grains and vegetables are being used more for fuel rather than, well, food, the end result is that the price of food (for eating) goes higher. Many countries might not feel the full effects of the inflation, but poorer countries will.

Not that I'm against biofuels. I just want to pose the question: can the world afford it? And I'm not just talking money.

you are really right bro. Most of our agricultural area that is generally used for crops are now being turned into a Biofuel area. although biofuel is a good solution (but not best) but it consumes a lot of hectares of land. Like the PNOC-AFC they are responsible looking for lands that is gsuitable for Tuba-Tuba (extracting that plant can produce Biofuel) they consume almost 100,000 Hectares all over in the Philippines. A good solution for the rising of fuel cost but the long-run is it affects a lot of our agricultural areas

[Idiot]

I agree sa biofuel meron naman alternative na plant para maging biofuel even used coconut oil sa mga fastfood pwedeng gawin biofuel

Jolibee Food Corporation (JFC) along has almost 1,400 food chains sa buong bansa wala pa ang mcdo at iba pang food chain at mga malalakign manufacturing plant sa Pinas sabihin na natin ang waste oil ng Jolibee is 5 liters per day

7000 liters per day ang kayang mo makuha na used oil na pwedeng maconvert as biofuel

kaysa naman mag welga ng walang katuturan sa pagtaas ng gaas mas maganda na ito kahit paano hindi matatakot ang  Pinas kapag nagkaroon na ng Oil shortage sa buong mundo

it is better to do something than nothing

[pumpy]

The EROI for biofuels is low.