But better information always informs better decisions. And the more any particular problem can be seen to fit into a pattern of problems, the more likely something useful will be done about it. Which is why I support these efforts, but am not knowledgable enough to contribute to them. I am learning though - and if I can learn then anyone can learn.
I think we would all agree that the overall problem is sustainability. Sustainable consumption, sustainable growth, sustainable life.
If we are talking about energy as one of the crucial sustainability questions, then I think we would also all agree that there is not one magic bullet solution. We should advocate percentage reductions in every detail of our energy use as societies and as individuals.
Crop biofuels and biogas are one of these. As a mass solution they require large and expensive changes in both infrastructure and inconversion into other forms of energy. As a local solution they have immediate applications. IMHO decentralized energy production is the key advantage for biofuels.
BTW I support the guy in Finland who drives round picking up used cooking oils, as a free service, from the deep fries of Chinese restaurants etc. He filters it and uses it on his farm. It is possibly not very efficient, but it makes you wonder where the 1000's of litres of used oil that he doesn't collect goes... You can't be me, I'm taken
We should advocate percentage reductions
first try to reduce the existing promotion of bad technologies.
An anecdote from this afternoon. I was talking to a guy from an agricultural co-operative who knows what's going on in local farming. He says there are plenty of farmers interested in buying (co-operatively) in to oil-press equipment to make their own biodiesel from their rapeseed and sunflower-seed crops... But not at current oil prices. They make more selling their crops for oil for human consumption than they would save on buying diesel fuel which they pay low tax on. So only a much higher oil price (and/or normal taxation) would finally persuade them to bite for biodiesel.
Me: That's a pity because it could significantly reduce petro-dependence in farming and reduce CO2 emissions.
Him: There's a lot more they could do immediately to reduce oil-based fuel use. Change tilling methods, in particular. Stop ploughing and tilling in several passes, and use direct sowing techniques -- the standard methods use 60 litres diesel fuel per hectare, direct sowing uses 16 litres/ha.
That's a 73% reduction in oil use.
(Note: direct sowing does involve investment in new machinery). (Re-note: no, the guy I was talking to doesn't sell machinery ;))
