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
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MARTIN,ELIZABETH J
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