Obama’s EPA – Creating Real Pollution and Starvation to Reduce CO2
[last update: 2012/09/22]
Obama’s EPA – increasing air pollution in the form of particulate matter to chase the CO2 bogeyman (and increasing starvation through reduced global food availability).
EPA ruling (EPA-420-F-10-007, February 2010, [http://www.epa.gov/otaq/renewablefuels/420f10007.htm]) is mandating the use of 36 billion gallons of “renewable fuels” by 2022.
[2012/09/22]: Corn Price Increase due to Ethanol Mandate (section added)
[2010/11/09]: Environmentalists Now Say Biofuels Worse Than Fossil Fuels (section added)
[2010/10/31]: Biofuel companies causing Africa Deforestation (section added)
[2010/11/22]: “"It is not a good policy to have these massive subsidies for (U.S.) first generation ethanol," said Gore, speaking at a green energy business conference … Total U.S. ethanol subsidies reached $7.7 billion last year according to the International Energy Industry, which said biofuels worldwide received more subsidies than any other form of renewable energy.” [http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6AL3CN20101122]
[2011/03/18]: Obama, 2005:
“The increased use of renewable fuels will also impact emissions with some emissions such as hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides (NOx), acetaldehyde and ethanol expected to increase and others such as carbon monoxide (CO) and benzene expected to decrease. However, the impacts of these emissions on criteria air pollutants are highly variable from region to region. Overall the emission changes are projected to lead to increases in population-weighted annual average ambient PM [particulate matter] and ozone concentrations, which in turn are anticipated to lead to up to 245 cases of adult premature mortality.”
Trading non-toxic CO2 for airborne particulate matter is not a good idea.
According to the EPA (same source as above):
“the following meet or exceed the respective required minimum GHG reduction standards:
· corn based ethanol plants using new efficient technologies,
· soy based biodiesel,
· biodiesel made from waste grease, oils, and fats,
· sugarcane based ethanol ”
Studies show a wide range in the estimate of the efficiency of corn-based ethanol.
A 2005 Cornell University study [http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/july05/ethanol.toocostly.ssl.html] found:
“In terms of energy output compared with energy input for ethanol production, the study found that:
In terms of energy output compared with the energy input for biodiesel production, the study found that:
On the other hand, studies by the USDA show a net positive efficiency [http://www.transportation.anl.gov/pdfs/AF/265.pdf] “Growth in ethanol production has provided an economic stimulus for U.S. agriculture, because most ethanol is made from corn.” One of the reasons cited for a net positive efficiency is the increasing corn yields over the past few decades (figure below is from the cited report).
Maybe the increased CO2 played a role in the yield increase. Studies have contradictory findings for C4 plants such as corn. But many studies show increased yields: “Under treatments simulating the atmospheric conditions of 2050: Soybean and corn yields were both significantly greater” [http://soyface.illinois.edu/results/AAAS%202004%20poster%20Leakey.pdf] See also: http://www.co2science.org/subject/a/summaries/agriculturemaize.php
A 2003 study (“Increasing Carbon Dioxide Relieves Drought Stress In Corn, Researchers Say” [http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2003/07/030728080920.htm]) states: “carbon fixation in the leaves indeed rose in association with greater intercellular carbon dioxide and enhanced water use efficiency”
According to the EPA (same source as above), this is expected to “result in additional energy security benefits of $2.6 billion. By 2022, the increased use of renewable fuels is expected to decrease gasoline costs by 2.4 cents per gallon and to decrease diesel costs by 12.1 cents per gallon.”
The following figure shows that the only way the cost will “decrease” is via subsidies.
EPA Intends to Increase Global Starvation
According to the Earth Policy Institute: “Data Highlights: U.S. Feeds One Quarter of its Grain to Cars While Hunger is on the Rise” 21 Jan 2010 [http://www.earthpolicy.org/index.php?/press_room/C68/2010_datarelease6]:
“The 107 million tons of grain that went to U.S. ethanol distilleries in 2009 was enough to feed 330 million people for one year at average world consumption levels. More than a quarter of the total U.S. grain crop was turned into ethanol to fuel cars last year. With 200 ethanol distilleries in the country set up to transform food into fuel, the amount of grain processed has tripled since 2004. The United States looms large in the world food economy: it is far and away the world’s leading grain exporter, exporting more than Argentina, Australia, Canada, and Russia combined. In a globalized food economy, increased demand for food to fuel American vehicles puts additional pressure on world food supplies.”
The report also states: “even if the entire U.S. grain crop were converted to ethanol (leaving no domestic crop to make bread, rice, pasta, or feed the animals from which we get meat, milk, and eggs), it would satisfy at most 18 percent of U.S. automotive fuel needs. … Continuing to divert more food to fuel, as is now mandated by the U.S. federal government in its Renewable Fuel Standard, will likely only reinforce the disturbing rise in hunger.”
The following figures from the cited report show the increase in US grain used for ethanol and the increased number of undernourished people in the world. With Obama’s EPA’s ruling, more people are destined to hunger for no good reason. Apparently, while Obama’s preacher loves Africa (see: obama), Obama only pretends to.
Corn Prices and Ethanol Mandate
From Roger Pielke Jr:
“The graph above comes from USDA data displayed on this DOE website. It shows US corn production and also the amount devoted to ethanol production. USDA currently forecasts 2012 corn production at 10.8 billion bushels, the lowest since 2006.” “ Purdue/NFF study says reduce mandated ethanol production by 45% and corn prices drop 23-28%,”
“However, due to government policies increasing amounts of corn are diverted to ethanol production. The graph below simply shows the difference between the two curves above.”
“For 2012, if ethanol production were to occur at 2011 levels, then net corn production would drop to 5.8 billion bushels, the lowest since at least 1993. Without the ethanol mandate this year, US corn production would be at an all time high.”
Biofuel Water Usage
According to the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy: “Water Use by Ethanol Plants” [http://www.agobservatory.org/library.cfm?RefID=89449] it takes about 4 gallons of water per gallon of ethanol “Consumptive water use by ethanol plants largely comes from evaporation during cooling and wastewater discharge.”
The above water usage does not include growing the corn – only processing the corn into ethanol.
A University of Minnesota study states: “However, over-all water consumption rates rise quickly when ethanol is produced from corn that is irrigated … it takes 6,000 gallons of water to produce a bushel of corn that, in turn, produces 2.8 gallons of ethanol.” [http://www.minnpost.com/ronway/2009/04/15/8073/university_report_warns_water_consumption_for_corn-ethanol_on_the_rise]
A MIT Technology Review of the study says: “Ethanol derived from corn consumes up to three times more water than previously thought, according to a new study. … Corn ethanol is already plagued by environmental concerns such as pollution from fertilizer, pesticides, and herbicides; soil erosion; greenhouse-gas emissions from production; and competition for agricultural land with food crops. … Ethanol consumes more water over time as corn production extends to regions that need extensive irrigation.” [http://www.technologyreview.com/energy/22428/?a=f]
The following figure shows corn production and ethanol plants in the United States [http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090413102225.htm]
The EPA is also pushing soy-based diesel. A study reported in the proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (reported in “Bioenergy Makes Heavy Demand on Scare Water Supplies” [http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090603091737.htm]): “The ‘water footprint’ of bioenergy, i.e. the amount of water required to cultivate crops for biomass, is much greater than for other forms of energy. An example is biodiesel, which is made from rapeseed, soya or jatropha. On average, it takes 14,000 litres of water to produce one litre of biodiesel from rapeseed or soya”
See also: “Food Vs. Fuel: Growing Grain for Food Is More Energy Efficient”
According to a report prepared by Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth and others, “the extra biofuels that Europe will use over the next decade will generate between 81 and 167 percent more carbon dioxide than fossil fuels … The indirect effects of the EU's biofuel strategy will generate an extra 27 to 56 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions per year, says the report. In the worst case, that would be the equivalent of putting another 26 million cars on Europe's roads, it added.” [http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFLDE6A317F20101107?sp=true]
See also: “Forced use of biofuels could hit food production, EU warned”: “Making space for biofuel production will force other farming activity in producer countries deeper into forests," said a spokesman for ActionAid. "This displacement of farming activity will cause loss of wildlife habitats, and carbon dioxide emissions – as well as increasing food prices, hitting some of the world's poorest people hardest.” [http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/nov/09/more-biofuels-could-hit-fuel-production]
According to Friends of the Earth, “Biofuels companies from the U.K. to Brazil and China are buying up large swaths of Africa, causing deforestation and diverting land from food to fuel production. … The EU’s mandatory target for increasing agrofuels is a clear driver to the land grabbing in Africa” [http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-08-29/biofuels-firms-buy-up-african-land-cause-deforestation-food-output-loss.html]
See also: http://www.appinsys.com/GlobalWarming/ObamasGovernment.htm for more on Obama’s EPA and his lack of scientific knowledge (he thinks CO2 is polluting drinking water and the air we breathe – for a cigarette smoker he certainly lacks common sense).