No major oil outlets have fully embraced biofuels, although British Petroleum has just announced that it may begin commercial production of ethanol starting in 2010.

BP has partnered with Verenium to bring a commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol facility online next year to start bringing alternative fuels to a gas pump near you.

BP has big plans for biofuels and seems to be marching towards an alternative fuel future faster than many of its competitors. Verenium already has a demonstration plant in Louisiana capable of producing over a million gallons of cellulosic ethanol annually, and BP hopes to ramp production up. The Verenium process uses proprietary enzymes to break down grass feedstock and convert it to ethanol more efficiently.

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Confession time. I have to admit that I may have been a bit of a grumpy environmental blogger, failing to give due credit where credit is due..

In particular, I have frequently complained about bio-fuels driving up world food prices in absence of a few wider considerations, I’ve been dismissive at the EU’s lack of ability to actually implement anything that makes a real difference to the environment, and most recently I described an environmental tax levied on cows as the most stupid idea ever. So it is maybe time to examine these issues in a more positive light – negativity is, after all, the enemy of progress.

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How ethical can it be to take food from the poor of this world to make fuel for the rich when there is an ample supply of fuels that do not require the use of food.
Corn, wheat, rice and beans are the base foods for much of mankind. The prices for these staples has doubled in the past three years as the demand for biofuels has increased.
I do not think that this type of thing is wise for the stability of our planet. Yes, I agree with trying to decrease our overall carbon footprint but taking food from the poor is not the right option. The correct option is to encourage more fuel efficient cars and public transportation.
When I was a teenager twenty five years ago most car companies offered cars that got from 35 to 45 mpg. They did this without all that fancy vacuum lines and such. They did not have computers and were simple in design. Now we are lucky to find a car that gets 30 mpg. I remember in 1977 Subaru offered three vehicles that got 50 mpg on the highway. If we could do it then why can’t we do it now.
The next issue I have is with the Sierra Club here in Kansas where I currently live. Last year an electric company Sunflower Electric proposed building an efficient coal fired plant that meets or surpasses the guidelines set forth by the EPA. The area in western Kansas needs the economic development that this plant would bring yet the Sierra Club has brought pressure that has blocked this proposal. The alternative that the Sierra Club is offering is wind farms. I have a problem though with wind farms. Most who are proposing them have no idea about electricity.
Windmills can generate a small amount of electricity but they cannot generate enough current unless many are built. For a wind farm to generate enough electricity as the Sunflower proposal it will require over 15,000 wind mills to be built on well over 5,000 acres thus taking away land that would be used for farming. Once again take food from the poor to provide energy for the rich. This coal plant is cutting edge technology that is efficient and much cleaner that it was in the past. This country needs the energy it will produce and we don’t need to take food from the poor.