5D_Biomass+&+Biofuel

biomass: any living material that we use to create energy for ourselves. Mainly derived form plants e.g. food, whale blubber. Biofuel: fuel produced from biomass. - biodiesel - biofuel - bioethanol

Video on YouTube: - agriculture changing very fast. (machines, prices etc.) - Ireland: 17 million kernels a year. - corn can be turned into ethanol. (vs oil which takes millions of years) - -> prices of corn went up; help put money in peoples pockets; helps local people. - subsidies from government. (eg. GWB encouraged ethanol as a fuel.) - US energy policy -> corn prices all over the world went up. - corn is used in many many places. When their prices go up, many other foodstuffs prices go up to. - farmers choose to grow corn instead of crops. - price squeeze: pigs eat corn. Price of corn goes up. Price of pigs go up? - direct competition between people who own automobiles and want to maintain mobility and people in the rest of the world who want to feed themselves. (1 galleon of diesel can feed one person for one year) - 'blame the farmer and raise the price'.

highly debated topic.

other highly debated foodstuff: corn, soy, rapeseeds, sunflower. In Asia: oil palm. In Indonesia, clearing forests to make oil.

Addiction to oil? -> US policy just feeding the addiction further?

Almost all the food that we eat has corn in it. (eg. corn syrup: starch->sugar - needs enzymes.) When eating corn, uses everything. oil: only uses the starch. doesn't use protein. Uses leftover to feed the livestock.

Corn used to be a Mexican staple (like rice). Aztecs. Now, it is too expensive for them, because people are using it to make fuel.

Vegetable oil: - can use it to power cars. - used oil: more power? - in Singapore: vendors come and collect it and pay for it; use it to make diesel. public transports things (eg. buses) run on diesel. Movement to make all cars run on diesel.

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