All ecologists and others concerned with "biofuel" effects upon ecosystems,
not to mention the failure of "managers" to consider a couple of the most
fundamental rules of management, optimal allocation of scarce resources and
work efficiency:
"Biofuels" have become an "employment act" for uncounted "scientists" and
others under the assumption that there are no "downsides" to their use and
propagation. "They" fail to make even the most basic arithmetic calculations
to determine the net energy values for biofuel use, or the efficiency of
such fuels in terms of the actual work delivered and the work and resources
required to bring such fuels to the point of doing actual work. Where, oh
where are the physicists?
But perhaps worst of all, the effects upon living systems in "producing"
such fuels is also routinely left out of the "equation." Until such
questions are honestly answered, there can be no justification in using any
"biofuels" on a large scale at all, and even then, the damage done to
ecosystems and the "services" they provide is bio-foolish.
All of this is the hope for a savior of the looming exhaustion (or drastic
increase in the cost of) fuels that support a culture of ever-increasing
consumption that simply cannot be sustained. Reduction of energy demand is
largely left out the discussion, though some at least symbolic progress has
been made despite the subject being taboo.
WT
----- Original Message -----
From: "Steve Young" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, November 15, 2012 8:14 PM
Subject: [ECOLOG-L] Webinar on invasive plants for biofuel
As you all know, ESA leadership recently joined several other organizations
in signing a letter
(http://www.esa.org/pao/policyStatements/Letters/ArundoDonax.pdf) to the
White House Office of Management and Budget requesting that the agency not
approve a rule which would allow Arundo donax, an invasive species, to
qualify as an "advanced biofuel feedstock" under the Renewable Fuel
Standard. The letter asserted that production incentives for high risk
feedstocks such as Arundo donax should not be provided because the potential
costs of mitigating environmental damages are very likely higher than the
plant's benefits.
An upcoming webinar on November 20, 2012 is going to address this issue. As
part of the 2012-2013 NAIPSC Webinar Series, Chris Dionigi with the US
Department of the Interior and Deputy Director of the NISC will talk about
invasive plants and biofuels and the challenges of intersecting mandates and
the need for coordination. This should be a very timely and engaging webinar
on a topic that is front and center for a range of agencies and groups at
the local and national level. You can sign up for the NAIPSC Online
Community and view this and many other webinars by visiting the NAIPSC
website and following the instructions (http://ipscourse.unl.edu).
Steve
___________________
Stephen L. Young, PhD
Weed Ecologist
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
West Central Research & Extension Center
402 West State Farm Road
North Platte, NE 69101
[email protected]
308-696-6712
NEW! Invasive Plants
Course<http://agronomy.unl.edu/web/agronomy/agro-107-invasive-impacts>
(AGRO/NRES 107)
NAIPSC Web<http://ipscourse.unl.edu/>
Community<http://passel.unl.edu/communities/naipsc>
Facebook<https://www.facebook.com/pages/North-American-Invasive-Plant-Short-Course/181955048542937>
Twitter<https://twitter.com/NAIPSC>
-----
No virus found in this message.
Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
Version: 10.0.1427 / Virus Database: 2441/5398 - Release Date: 11/16/12
