Science V. Speculation
Biofuels opponents have been gleefully agog over two reports, published recently in the journal Science, regarding the impact of biofuels production on global warming.
Today — and unfortunately for them — the facts have gotten in their way.
Highly respected experts from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory and Office of Biomass Program sent a letter questioning the assumptions and conclusions of the two reports — most importantly, that the researchers never defined what baseline they were using in their studies.
The letter is available at Argonne’s Web site, click here
Others questioning the reports on everything from information and methodologies to assumptions and conclusions are:
* The Director of the Energy Sciences Institute at the University of California, Berkeley
* The Director of the National Ag-Based Lubricants Center at the University of Northern Iowa
* The Chairman of the Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science at Michigan State University
* The Vice President of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance
Biofuels are a critical part of the solution to America’s energy problems. In fact, ethanol, which can help fuel cars and trucks, is available and already being blended into gasoline to make it cleaner and to expand the existing oil supplies. In addition, it is domestically grown, creates American jobs and reduces American dependence on foreign oil — right now.
There are many issues to address as America works to provide multiple and complementary alternatives to foreign oil. It is critical and only responsible that these discussions take place based upon science and not narrow speculation.
