WORLD POPULATION 7 Billion people 66% malnourished Number 1 cause of death
U.S. FOOD CONSUMPTION 2,200 pounds/person/year Food = 99.7% land 0.3 % Ocean
Food versus Biofuels Director General of UN Director General of FAO Biofuels increasing Global Starvation
Solar Energy Captured by Plants Green Plants = 0.1% Photovoltaics = 15%
Fossil vs. Biomass 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0
East West North
Total U.S. Biomass Crops = 900 million tons Grasses + Forest = 900 million tons Total = 18,000 million tons
Food in SUV 22 lbs. corn/gal. ethanol 660 lbs. corn = SUV 1 fill up
Fossil Energy in Ethanol 1.5 gal. fossil energy = 1.0 gal. of ethanol Importing oil and gas
Corn Production Inputs Energy = 14 Inputs Nitrogen and Mechanization
Energy Inputs in Corn Production Energy inputs to produce corn 100 gallons/acre
Omissions Help Ethanol Return • • • • • •
Farm labor omitted Farm machinery omitted Processing machinery omitted Hybrid corn omitted Irrigation omitted Environmental Impacts omitted
Environmental Impacts • • • • • • •
Soil Erosion Nitrogen Insecticides Herbicides 1,700 gals. Water per 1 gal. ethanol 1.5 gal. fossil energy per 1 gal. ethanol Global climate change
Water and Food 700,000 gals/Corn Acre 1,000 lbs of Water = 1 lb of Corn
Water Needs Corn = 700,000 gals/acre/3 months Rice = 14,000,000 gals/acre/3 months
Ethanol Production DOE = 12 billion gallons Total oil = 1.5% 40% of all corn
Ethanol Energy Costs Total Energy Inputs = 30,000 kcal/gal Ethanol Energy Output 19,000 kcal/gal
Processing Ethanol 9 additional energy inputs For processing
Sewage Effluent 12 gallons of sewage effluent per ethanol gallon produced
Subsidies for Ethanol No Subsidies = $12 billion/yr Subsidies 60 times greater than gas
Costs to U.S. Consumer Congressional Budget Office Consumer = $9 billion groceries World Food Prices Highest Ever
Increased Food Prices Corn and Wheat Prices in India Increased 75% last year World Bank Reports
“Corn Ethanol Clearly Flawed” Dan Kammen. Time, June 7th Science 2006 (Positive) Dan = 1.25 gal. net
100% U.S. Corn Total oil = 4%
By-Product Credits USDA Byproducts = 67% Accurate Value = 9%
Ethanol from Cellulose 50 lbs cellulose/gal ethanol 22 lbs corn/gal ethanol
Grasses into Ethanol 100 million cattle Insects eat 3-fold that of cattle USDA = Serious overgrazing
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Livestock Numbers 9 billion chickens 100 million cattle 60 million hogs
Grain Fed Livestock 50% Grain Fed Livestock 400 million Humans
Cellulosic Ethanol 54 lbs. switchgrass /gal. ethanol 22 lbs. corn vs. 54 lbs. switchgrass 2 gal fossil = 1 gal Cell-ethanol
SWITCHGRASS FUEL 10 t/ha/yr yield 1 gal. Ethanol = 2 gal. oil
LIGNIN FUEL Acid Dissolves Lignin Frees starches and sugars
SUNFLOWER OIL Production = 1,500 lbs/Acre Sunflower = 26% oil Biodiesel = 2 gal. oil = 1 gal. oil
Soybean Production Production = 3,000 lbs/Acre Soybean oil = 18% Biodiesel = 1.6 gal. = 1 gal. oil
Jatropha 30 lbs. jatropha = 1 gal. oil Worker 8 hrs. 30 lbs. seeds $2.68 per day vs $13.00
Oil in the Future Oil reserves depleted 2040 DOE Climate Change