Today in Biofuels Opinion: “The incoming Obama administration may not have much choice but to be radical in energy policy.”

John Kemp in Reuters: “Despite its conservatism in other policy areas, the incoming Obama administration may not have much choice but to be radical in energy policy and climate change because existing policies are running up against their natural limits…The cyclical downturn has slashed oil prices by two-thirds since the summer and threatens to reverse the drive for improved efficiency and smaller cars…The volume of ethanol being blended into the domestic gasoline supply is rapidly approaching the technical limits of the existing car fleet …Production of ethanol from corn starch is running up against land constraints.

Ron Leng, in Science Alert: “Ethanol as a biofuel – immoral, costly and stupid. The thrust towards biofuel development in nearly every country in the world has intensified in recent years with potentially devastating consequences for the sustainability of the planet – let alone our food supply. The main victims will be the poor who spend a much greater proportion of their income on food. This means that to the subsidy the taxpayer pays to the biofuel industry must be added the great cost of increasing pensions, the dole and other social support measures so people can feed themselves adequately.”

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