I like that people are thinking critically about biofuels. It may be that crops grown exclusively for biofuels are further exhausting precious resources, but not nearly as much as our other habits. I will choose to look at just two of our unnecessary habits that need much more attention on a local and global level than biofuel production: meat consumption and oil use. Let’s first look at meat consumption: I’m just going to list some facts from Peta’s website (mostly info developed by the EPA)
- 80% of all agricultural land in the U.S. is used to raise livestock.
- 2.9 million acres of rainforest were destroyed in the 2005 crop season in order to grow crops that are used to feed livestock.
- In the United States, more than 260 million acres of forest have been clear-cut for animal agriculture.
- Livestock uses 30% of the Earth’s entire land surface
- In Latin America, about 70% of former forests in the Amazon have been turned over to grazing.
- 5,000 gallons of water are used to produce 1 pound of beef (as opposed to 25 gallons for 1 lb. lettuce).
Now, Oil: Is Mr. Zoellick trying to tell us that growing a few extra fields of soybeans in Iowa is less energy efficient than transporting a barrel of oil from Iraq, to the other side of the globe? Who appointed THIS guy?…BUSH?
what do I know, I just bike.
Tags: Biofuels, Global Warming, Green
One Comment
This is such a complex issue…but clear cutting land to support grass-fed beef and chicken might make the most sense when you look at the productivity, health of animals, and alternatives to corn feed and fertilizers. Read this book: Omnivore’s Dilemma!