We'll never be rid of them

[ladyapple27]

Once a bad idea becomes economically entrenched, it is virtually impossible to get rid of.

Example #1 : Biodiesel. The rainforest is being destroyed in Brazil to make room for more crops to be converted to biodiesel. It is a myth that biodesiel leaves no carbon footprint; when you factor in the carbon storage capabilities of the lost forest, biodesiel causes a net gain in carbon emissions.

Biodesiel also causes a rise in food prices. The soybeans used to make enough biodesiel to fill one SUV tank would feed a human being for an entire year. Land that will be needed for food production as the population increases is being used to grow materials for use in biodesiel.

Why don't we abandon this foolish idea? Because an industry has grown up around it and many farmers make more money because of it. As long as anyone profits, they'll lobby for more laws encouraging the use of biofuels. To Hell with Mother Earth and hungry human beings.
 

Example#2 : Mountaintop Removal Coal Mining. Mountaintops are razed and nearby valleys are filled in. The environmental damage will never be undone. Recently, residents of this state were polled about a proposal to ban the use of coal produced by mountaintop removal. Some people actually spoke out against this measure, citing that their electricity bills would be higher and , besides, other states would keep on using it, thus gaining an economic advantage. Naturally, Duke Power Company is against the ban and fanning the fears of higher power bills. The coal companies aren't about to stop as long as the profits roll in. 

Aren't there somethings that are beyond price? Lord only knows how much damage mountaintop removal does to the watershed in times when demand for clean water is increasing. Pity the poor flora and fauna displaced by this savage practice. It isn't good for us either; there's only so much room on Earth, and once we've destroyed every square inch of it, we'll be like the doomed plants and animals-we'll have no where to go.     

Comments

[wherrymotor.livejournal.com]

Can't figure out if (1) the two of 'em will self destruct before we can bust 'em, (2) how much they'll take with 'em.
To say that they are hare brained solutions looking for problems is to disrespect rabbits.
Meanwhile, there's some darn good oil producing tropical perenials with higher yield by 2x-5x, I think that I remember. Not sugars, but oils, for less energy hungry processing.

[scoobiedoggie.livejournal.com]

Biodiesel was fine when it was just recycling used cooking oil but now it (just like so many other great ideas) has been corrupted by greedy bastard corporations.
And I still think it is a great idea as long as the production of biodiesel stays local. Like the weird dudes that make their own.

[rhodielady-47.livejournal.com]

There's a new trend in biodiesel coming up that might have some promise. They're using bacteria to produce oils that can be turned into biodiesel.
It's also been said that one reason why the price of gas went from $4 back down to below $2 is because the research into biodiesel production was really cranking up.
Brazil really doesn't care about the environment or its poor people. I think they are well on their way to producing another Sahara desert. I think that may be the real reason behind global warming--too much desert formation. They knew over 20 years ago that most of the rainfall over the Brazilian rainforest was self-produced rain and not from clouds coming in from elsewhere. With the trees gone, the rain isn't far behind it.
:(

[foxdogfarm.livejournal.com]

Biodiesel sucks, especially using corn for it. Using spent cane from sugar cane processing isn't quite as bad. But with the corn one doesn't even really break even in energy units.

And yet our government is pushing it. When they started doing that, the price of animal food went up. And then the price of hay went up because the land once used for hay is now being planted to corn to satisfy the government. It just makes me want to scream.

When we started in goats, about 7 years ago, hay was 8-9$ a bale. It's 16-17$ now! And I'm not selling the kids for more money than I was then, I'll tell ya.

If you want to get scared, look up HR 875. It'll make even home canning, home gardening, etc, illegal without licensing.

[eqfe.livejournal.com]

Hard to say what's worse, example 1 or 2.

[yesididit.livejournal.com]

ive heard they can make ethanol out of different grasses, which dont drain all the nutrients out of the soil like corn, dont need to be replanted each year like corn, and dont require massive fertilization and pesticides like corn. but then the seed/pesticide/fertilizer companies wouldnt make money, so it isnt as popular as it should be.

http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=grass-makes-better-ethanol-than-corn

i've never heard of this mountaintop coal mining, thats atrocious!