Writers, scientists cross swords in global battle over biofuels

A new section debuts in Biofuels Digest today – World Opinion, in recognition of the growing debate over biofuels. Biofuels producers, finaciers, policymakers, friends and foes alike should pay increasing attention to the editorial page chatter about biofuels. Ity affects policy, for better or worse.

Today, Michigan State materials professor Bruce Dale addresses what he terms “recycled canards” of biofuels critics, saying that “Cornell University entomologist David Pimentel—the fountainhead of quasi-scholarship for the anti-ethanol movement—makes the bizarre claim that it takes 1,700 gallons of water to produce a gallon of ethanol (if you count rainfall absorbed by corn plants as a bad thing). The Wall Street Journal’s editorial page gleefully repeats it. Walter Williams repeats it again. And so it goes, ad infinitum.”

Bill Becker tracks the “folly of corn ethanol” but says that corn cloounds have a silver lining with a post at Grist. “The rapid increase in ethanol production has demonstrated how quickly the nation can mobilize to produce new energy resources. With the right policies — such as a stable production tax credit — we might mobilize the economy just as quickly to create and sustain a boom in wind energy, solar energy, geothermal energy, low-impact hydro, and bioenergy from feedstocks that have positive net carbon and energy benefits.”

Finally, New Jersey columnist Paul Mulshine wishes we would wise up to “demon ethanol” and says that the “American people are a bunch of baies” and enviornmentalists weere sucked into the ethanol scame” on nj.com

Complete coverage of these posts is at www.biofuelsdigest.com, and as of Monday, April 7th coverage of the biofuels debate will appear under the “World Opinion” banner in the Daily Biofuels News Digest.

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