To anyone willing to address my question:

I was wondering if someone would mind directing me to some 
information regarding the pros and cons of biofuel vs. petroleum 
in terms of land use and water consumption.

While I fully agree that there is a dire need to reduce reliance 
on petroleum and other non-renewable resources, I am concerned as 
to how it balances out on the other end of the spectrum.  
Currently over 1 billion people do not have access to safe 
drinking water, resulting in millions deaths every year due to 
unsafe and unsanitary water conditions.  The main problem is the 
agricultural techniques used to produce crops such as corn, wheat, 
soybeans, etc.  The largest problem is the net loss of water and 
the destruction of land due to irrigation.  From what I?ve been 
reading, it appears that the main alternatives to petroleum lie in 
the use of these organic materials as potential fuels.  So my main 
point is this, even if biofuels replace petroleum and reduce green 
house gases and air pollution, won?t the result be an even bigger 
problem due to water scarcity?  I understand that no one can know 
if this will even be a problem, but I can?t help but wondering if 
biofuels are the answer, or if they are a catch 22.

I also have a slight problem with the burning of natural and human 
wastes.  While this does eliminate the growing problem of 
landfills and the release of methane gas into the atmosphere, 
isn?t it still slightly retroactive because combustion of any 
material releases carbon dioxide?

I'm terribly sorry if these questions seem ridiculous or 
completely off base, but I'm having trouble finding answers.

Incase anyone was wondering where I got my information on water 
scarcity:
www.blueplanetproject.net

There is also a very informative article available at:
http://www.qmw.ac.uk/~ugte133/courses/environs/cuttings/water/
Click running.pdf

Thanks.
Liz
--
MARTIN,ELIZABETH J