Are biofuels good or bad for the environment?

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Are biofuels good or bad for the environment?
mongabay.com
December 14, 2006

Sometimes hailed as a savior from global warming and foreign oil dependence, biofuels are as often criticized for deforestation and pollution. So, are biofuels good or bad for the environment? Grist, an independent online environmental magazine, examines the question in a new series devoted to biofuels.

The "Fill 'Er Up" series, appearing at grist.org/biofuels, features interviews with biofuels experts and looks at some of the economic, environmental, and ethical issues in biofuels production.

According to Grist, highlights include:

Pil palm in Malaysia

How the world got addicted to oil, and where biofuels will take us.
Pros and Cons: Are biofuels our destiny or our doom? Three experts weigh in from different sides of the question.
Cornell professor emeritus and vocal biofuel critic David Pimentel.
Former presidential adviser and Institute for Local Self-Reliance VP David Morris.
Ana Unruh Cohen, director of environmental policy for the Center for American Progress.
Food vs. Fuel: If thousands of acres of corn and soy get dedicated to fuel, will the world's poorest go hungry?
BioBrazil: South America's largest country has had enormous success with ethanol -- is it a model for other countries, or just another example of industrial excess?
Biofuels bills: The U.S. Congress gets positively giddy about the potential of biofuels; we look at the many related bills introduced in the last session.
Richard Branson interview: The Virgin mogul explains why he's investing billions in biofuels, and how he hopes the field will grow.
Vinod Khosla interview: Silicon Valley investor talks about the promise of ethanol.

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mongabay.com (December 15, 2006). Are biofuels good or bad for the environment?. http://news.mongabay.com/2006/1214-grist.html

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energy agriculture biofuels bioenergy alternative energy green

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