Mar 02 '06 - 389 W - Vote Good + 15 :: Bad - 14 Biodiesel Boom Adding to the Destruction of the Rainforest
Released February 20 , 2006 by C.I.C.L.E.
C/Net reported yesterday that a car rental company offering 'eco-friendly' rental cars that operate on biodiesel opened shop in Los Angeles near LAX on Tuesday, bringing the 'pleasant' (or not-so-pleasant) smell of french fries and donuts to our car congested streets.
But before we celebrate biofuels as an 'eco-conscious' way to drive, perhaps we should consider that tropical rainforests and forests are currently being destroyed to meet the spike in demand for it. Palm oil and soya biomass are the cheapest sources of oil used in the production of biofuels, and both are already amongst the world's major causes of tropical forest destruction. "Largely to meet demand for biofuel, the Indonesian government announced in July 2005 the development of the biggest palm oil plantation in the world which will clear the "Heart of Borneo", the vast areas of tropical rain forest in Kalimantan." (Forests.org)
Sure, to home-brew your own batch at home from your local fast food restaurant is not directly participating in this process, but there simply is not enough left over grease from fast food joints to fuel this planet and all of its cars. Biodiesel intended for use on a global scale is not a sustainable option. We urge you not to promote it, it's a short term partial solution at best. Of course you know what we'd like people to do -- ride a bike instead. But we can be flexible -- if you're too lazy (or unable) to use those muscles of yours, consider an electric bike or scooter, or modify your existing bike with an electric assist motor -- these are fairly low cost and lower impact alternatives to driving.
To learn more about how the 'biodiesel boom' is taking a toll on our rainforests and wildlife, here are a few links to get you started.
- Biofuels threaten rainforests as important European Commission decision lies ahead
- The most destructive crop on earth is no solution to the energy crisis
- Climate Conundrum as Biofuel Threatens Rainforests
- Biodelusions
- EARTH MATTERS radio - Biodiesel boom creates killing fields for endangered Orangutans
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Where, exactly, is this electrical power coming from? Burning coal? Ruining rivers with dams? Where?
The idea that biodiesel is destroying rainforests is bunkem. Rainforests are being destroyed to grow plam oil to make things like hand lotion. Rainforests are being destroyed to raise cattle so people can eat meat. Biodiesel destroying rainforests?
Did you know 16% of the world uses the internet? Following your logic above, this means the internet should be shut down, since it ins’t available to everyone
Sheesh.
rob - March 02 '06 - 15:19
This information was brought to my attention a few months ago, and I’m glad to see others making an effort to exchange this information. If biodiesel proponents are truly interested in advocating for sustainability, this emerging information needs to be taken into account now, before we find ourselves in a worsening situation later. The verdict still seems to be out on biodiesel. It’s unfortunate that so many are willing to promote it and defend it blindly, while the choice to transition towards biofuels could hold some serious repercussions for our planet.Aaron - March 03 '06 - 13:58
The other point the author needs to remember is where fuels like biodiesel and ethanol come from. Nearly all of the biofuels in use in the US are derived from corn, a crop that is plentiful in the midwest and whose harvest requires no destruction of rainforests. This is a huge economic help for our nation’s under supported farmers. Other countries that use biofuels, such as Brazil, make biofuels using the plant extracts listed above and sugar cane. THIS type of biofuel production may lead to the destruction of rain forests as mentioned above. One should examine more closely the exact roots of biofuel production in the US before asserting that its use leads to the destruction of rainforests.Noah (Email) - March 03 '06 - 14:07
I think the above article (and the others listed) bring attention to one of the current major problems that is occurring as a result of the rising demand for biodiesel.But Noah does factor in some other interesting points, ones that definitely demand our attention when it comes to the sustainable production of biofuel. If the primary raw stock for U.S. biodiesel production is in fact being derived from locally harvested corn crops, we do need to concern ourselves with how this corn is being produced. Is it being farmed in a sustainable way? We need to ensure that it is organic, non-gmo, supporting small farmers and local economies. We don’t want to add more pesticides to the water table, to the land, and into the bodies of people directly involved with its production. Can the diminishing water supplies from dwindling aquifers supply the additional demand for water for generations to come? How do we prevent the huge agribusiness players, such as Monsanto, from being involved with its production, as we know they will not share our same interests when it comes to sustainable farming practice?
These are questions that I feel should be injected into the discussion when we begin to consider our future and how it drives, if it must drive. Perhaps it is possible to meet with all of the necessary criteria, so that biodiesel can be considered a truly sustainable energy source. But these issues need to be seriously addressed and discussed openly and honestly, and not simply silenced and swept under the rug by biodiesel fanatics, some of whom have their own financial interests in mind.
Let’s keep the discussion open, and until we make a decision as a nation/culture to plunge into a biodiesel future, much like the EU is currently doing, let’s also consider lower impact alternatives as well, such as the bicycle.
Addressing Noah’s final statement, I agree that it is absolutely necessary to examine the source of the raw stock used in the production of biofuel before we can make the assertion that biodiesel, as it is currently being produced, is a sustainable or unsustainable option. Let’s definitely keep peering into these issues.
Aaron - March 03 '06 - 16:30
This is from the Union of Concerned Scientists website section on Biodiesel…“Large volume biodiesel use could raise concerns about genetically modified crops, pesticide use, and land-use impacts common to all plant-based fuels. Since biodiesel is made from plant-based oils or waste stream sources, it is considered a renewable fuel. However, waste vegetable and animal fat resources are estimated to be able to sustain production on the order of 1 billion gallons of biodiesel per year, or less than 3% of current diesel use.4 Widespread use of biodiesel would require more virgin plant oils or other waste stream sources to meet larger demands. Crops for biodiesel must be grown in a manner that supports wildlife habitat, minimizes soil erosion, avoids competition for food crops, and does not rely on the use of harsh chemicals and fertilizers.”
Visit their page on Biodiesel for further information on the pros and cons of Biodeisel
http://www.ucsusa.org/clean_vehicles/big..
Liz (Email) - March 04 '06 - 10:07
I’d hope that the shift towards biofuels (somehow!) avoids getting politicized, for the following reason: soy and corn are terrible feedstocks. The soy and corn lobbies are very powerful, perhaps the only lobbies able to take on big oil, so we might get stuck with soy and corn.Plants that grow on marginal land, such as jojoba and willow grass, make excellent feedstocks. Jojoba yields far, far more oil per acre than soy does… and without intensive chemical application.
I found a DOT figure that reported how many gallons of fuel the US uses for all kinds of transportation, and I worked out that if we planted an area a little larger than Arizona in jojoba, we could completely replace petroleum for our transportation needs.
If we took care of our own backyard, we’d remove part of the incentive for destruction in overseas regions.
BobPixel (Email) (URL) - March 09 '06 - 03:19
Oil Palm has the highest yield per acre by far. Which is why we’re facing the aforementioned crisis mentioned within the articles above.Compare Approximate Yields: Jojoba: 194 Gallons per acre vs. Oil Palm: 635 gallons per acre
Thomas - March 09 '06 - 06:10
A reasonable amount of motorized traffic is 500 miles per person per year. Forget alcohols and focus on oils – they are far more efficiently produced. Forget current high volume crops like corn & soy – they are clearly too inefficient. Forget synthetic fertilizers and other “green revolution” methods. Plant a sustainable number of acres of the highest-yielding oilweed crops, e.g. jojoba, using polyculture methods, small enterprise size (rtdrury (Email) - October 17 '06 - 19:48