Obama wants boost in biofuel use

[AVANTI R5]

The Obama administration said Tuesday it is taking steps to boost demand for the nation's sagging biofuels industry.

Many ethanol producers are struggling because motorists consider gasoline prices around $2 a gallon affordable, and are not clamoring for a cheaper fuel.

A 2007 energy law, however, requires a dramatic increase in the use of biofuels: 11.1 billion gallons this year, nearly 60 percent more than what the United States used in 2007VeraSun Energy, the nation's second largest ethanol producer and a partner of General Motors Corp., filed for bankruptcy in November. Three other ethanol companies have also sought bankruptcy protection in recent months.
The $787 billion federal stimulus package sets aside $786.5 million to accelerate biofuels research and boost commercialization by providing additional funding for commercial biorefineries.

Biofuels are produced from living organisms or from organic or food waste products. In order to be considered a biofuel, the fuel must contain more than 80 percent renewable materials.

Obama announced Tuesday establishment of an interagency task force to boost ethanol use.

"We must invest in a clean energy economy that will lead to new jobs, new businesses and reduce our dependence on foreign oil," Obama said. "The steps I am announcing today help bring us closer to that goal.

"If we are to be a leader in the 21st century global economy, then we must lead the world in clean energy technology. Through American ingenuity and determination, we can and will succeed."

Obama's Biofuels Interagency Working Group is directed to develop a "comprehensive approach to accelerating the investment in and production of American biofuels and reducing our dependence on fossil fuels."

The new funds include $480 million for pilot- and demonstration-scale biorefineries; $176.5 million for commercial-scale biorefinery projects; and $130 million for research.

Congress required the nation's refineries to use 36 billion gallons of biofuels by 2022, including 16 billion gallons of cellulosic biofuels and 1 billion gallons of biodiesel. The U.S. used about 7 billion gallons of biofuel in 2007.

Almost no cellulosic ethanol has been produced outside a handful of laboratories and pilot refineries.

The Environmental Protection Agency will study the overall impact of corn-based ethanol on greenhouse gas emissions. Many complain that corn-based ethanol uses so much water and energy to create that its environmental benefits are marginal, at best. Others say diverting that much corn to fuel gas tanks hikes food prices.

Biofuels advocates dispute both claims.

"EPA has reconfirmed the fact that when directly compared to gasoline, ethanol significantly reduces greenhouse gas emissions," said Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Bob Dinneen.

"This apples-to-apples comparison reaffirms the substantial greenhouse gas reductions offered by ethanol calculated in numerous studies including one done recently for the International Energy Agency."

The EPA figures don't include indirect emissions from growing corn and the impact on land use -- such as cutting down forests to grow crops.

Jeremy Martin, of the Union of Concerned Scientists, said the EPA must closely study the overall impact of biofuels.

"The best biofuels take a big bite out of global warming emissions without gobbling up our food crops," he said.
California recently adopted a low-carbon fuel standard that will account for indirect land use emissions.

http://www.detnews.com/article/20090...342/1148/rss25

* Registered users of the site do not see these ads.

[rexster]

please don't post any more threads about whatever Nobama wants to screw up next.

[topguneagle1]

so if he wants us to use more biofuels, why not ask Bush to increase the price of oil, making it less affordable so that we are forced to buy biofuels?

or

simply outlaw petroleum and gas so that we are still FORCED to buy biofuels?









he screws up everything he touches, we've already lost two giant car companies under his watch, what's next?

[DougieFresh]

Why have markets when you have an all knowing dictator controlling the economy? Obama knows best

[topguneagle1]

Originally Posted by DougieFresh

Why have markets when you have an all knowing dictator controlling the economy? Obama knows best

yes yes YES!!! in fact, i can't wait for him to fix all my problems....

[matt30]

Apparently #3 thinks it's Obama's fault that GM and Chrysler are crappy.

Wow. I just walked into a thread for lunatics anonymous.

[nolanator]

biofuel boost?

[Deuce Cam]

Let me get this straight, the biggest ethanol companies are filing for bankruptcy and we're going to give them another $800 mil to help progress an already failed industry? Our government is so stubborn, they'd rather throw more money at the ethanol industry than admit it's a failure.

I'd rather buy gasoline from a foreign country than take a 30% hit in fuel economy for the sake of being environmentally friendly. The price of ethanol would always have to be at least 30% cheaper than gasoline to make it worth while for the masses.

[topguneagle1]

apparently post # 6 thinks that Obama, in all his infinite wisdom and knowledge, actually thought that he (the anointed one, Obama) could have saved these crappy companies single handedly. instead we ended up dumping billions of OUR dollars into two failing and ahem.... crappy companies.

do you think that if Obama were an investor, he'd invest his own money into these two terribly mismanaged companies? i think not.

so what gave him the right to use OUR money to keep these two entities afloat to enable unions and their terrible contracts?

wow, look who's kidding themselves now.....

[AVANTI R5]

Originally Posted by topguneagle1

apparently post # 6 thinks that Obama, in all his infinite wisdom and knowledge, actually thought that he (the anointed one, Obama) could have saved these crappy companies single handedly. instead we ended up dumping billions of OUR dollars into two failing and ahem.... crappy companies.

do you think that if Obama were an investor, he'd invest his own money into these two terribly mismanaged companies? i think not.

so what gave him the right to use OUR money to keep these two entities afloat to enable unions and their terrible contracts?

wow, look who's kidding themselves now.....

maybe because he was in the bed with the Unions...

[Deuce Cam]

It's no secret that unions and democrats are quite fond of one another. Not sure if that has anything to do with it though, democrats just like bailing people out period. It's not their money

[matt30]

Originally Posted by topguneagle1

apparently post # 6 thinks that Obama, in all his infinite wisdom and knowledge, actually thought that he (the anointed one, Obama) could have saved these crappy companies single handedly. instead we ended up dumping billions of OUR dollars into two failing and ahem.... crappy companies.

do you think that if Obama were an investor, he'd invest his own money into these two terribly mismanaged companies? i think not.

so what gave him the right to use OUR money to keep these two entities afloat to enable unions and their terrible contracts?

wow, look who's kidding themselves now.....

OK guy. When you get back to me on how much money Obama put into Chrysler and GM without strings attached, I'll retract my statement that your totally clueless and don't know a damn thing about what your talking about.

Uninformed americans are the worst kind.

But yeah dude, keep on reading conservapedia and hooked-on-phonics. It will work someday...

[Eyeflyistheeye]

Originally Posted by topguneagle1

he screws up everything he touches, we've already lost two giant car companies under his watch, what's next?

Originally Posted by topguneagle1

apparently post # 6 thinks that Obama, in all his infinite wisdom and knowledge, actually thought that he (the anointed one, Obama) could have saved these crappy companies single handedly.

We might consider taking you seriously once you stop contradicting yourself.

Cheers.

[SCRAPPYDO]

OH I am not going to touch this one...

[topguneagle1]

Originally Posted by matt30

OK guy. When you get back to me on how much money Obama put into Chrysler and GM without strings attached, I'll retract my statement that your totally clueless and don't know a damn thing about what your talking about.

Uninformed americans are the worst kind.

But yeah dude, keep on reading conservapedia and hooked-on-phonics. It will work someday...

ok genius, when YOU get back to me on how much of our (not his) money you actually think Chrysler and GM are going to pay back, then i think you'll have a better understanding of whats going on here.

intentional blindness is worse than being uninformed.

but yea dude keeping supporting a party that continues raising my taxes in order to continue bailing out unions and mismanaged companies.

[topguneagle1]

Originally Posted by Eyeflyistheeye

We might consider taking you seriously once you stop contradicting yourself.

Cheers.

ever heard of sarcasm? it's a wonderful technique that continually baffles people like you.