Biofuels worsen greenhouse gases. i wonder who sponsored this study??oil execs?
WASHINGTON, Feb 8, 2008 (UPI via COMTEX) --
A pair of new studies concludes that the production of plant-based biofuels
poses its own risk of greenhouse gas emissions.
The research published in the journal Science concluded that converting
forests into cropland worldwide would eliminate a significant amount of
carbon absorption and offset much of the positive effects of biofuels.
The conclusions are based on the idea that forests and even scrub brush
absorb far more carbon than agricultural crops, such as corn and soybeans, do.
"When you take this into account, most of the biofuel that people are using
or planning to use would probably increase greenhouse gases substantially,"
Princeton's Timothy Searchinger, a lead author of one of the studies, told
The New York Times. "Previously there's been an accounting error: land use
change has been left out of prior analysis."
The research could have political implications if it throws a wrench into
U.S. strategy of developing biofuels as a cleaner-burning alternative to
gasoline.
The Times said a group of prominent climate scientists sent a letter Friday
to U.S. President George Bush and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.,
urging changes in U.S. biofuel policy.
www.upi.com
Copyright 2008 by United Press International
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"i'm just a happyidiot,struggling for that legal tender" jackson brown> 
