All biofuels are not created equal!

Copying this article from Ty of Girlyman from this blog post because really I have no way to say it better. I think this was the same thing she wrote in response to a NY Times article and her response was featured by the editors as being a great other opinion they wanted to highlight.

All biofuels are not created equal!
by ty | March 3, 2008
Recently the biofuel industry has come under increasing attack from the press. The production of this so-called "luxury fuel" has been blamed for deforestation and for stealing land used for food crops and using it for biofuels instead.

This blanket condemnation frustrates me. While many of these claims are valid for the biofuels industry IN GENERAL, there is a tendency to ignore the fact that biofuels come from many different sources; like most products, biofuels do their best work when produced locally. To ignore their potential by acting like they are all produced the same way is irresponsible.

These recent attacks from the press ignore the fact that in many communities across the country, biofuels are produced via local oil recycling efforts. For example, our local biofuel source here in Atlanta is called Refuel Biodiesel; all its biofuels come from local waste oil supplies and do not contribute to deforestation or any other global ills. Biodiesel made locally from used cooking oil yields about 6 units of energy for every unit invested. In addition, biodiesel emits 78% less CO2 than petrodiesel. If produced in a responsible way, its contribution to the fight against global warming is significant. For more information, check out the FAQ section on Refuel Biodiesel's site:

http://refuelbiodiesel.org/

I agree that like many of our industries, the biofuels industry needs to be rethought. But let's not throw the baby out with the bathwater; let's support local biofuel programs the way we are increasingly supporting local produce. Please feel free to ask any questions, and do spread the word, because the smear campaign against biofuels is very damaging to our efforts to have viable alternatives to fossil fuels. Thanks, everyone. xo ty