BEST OF THE WEEK

The best of the week (with a caveat) goes to this TechCrunch post about the industries that should be part of pulling us out of this economic crisis and building an American economy that actually makes things again. While we might not agree with the tone of the post, we certainly agree that the biotech sector is key to rebuilding a vibrant economy. And for highlighting that, we give this post the nod for the best of the week.

WORST OF THE WEEK:

Our “worst of the week” distinction goes to this post from The Resilient Earth. After a very one-sided “analysis” of the impact of biofuels, the author concludes:

How can this be made any clearer? Biofuels are a bust, a scam, a swindle created by muzzy headed greens, big agri-business, and government officials who are either industry lackeys, just plain ignorant or both. In the US this stuff is being pushed by corn belt politicians who are using it as a new form of agricultural subsidy. Whether you believe in global warming or not, the threat of water shortages is undeniably real and growing. Already the world’s remaining rain forests are being cleared to raise feedstock crops for ethanol and biodiesil. Biofuels will not make the environment cleaner or our nations energy independent, they only make fat cats rich. We need to STOP BIOFUELS NOW! The only proper place for ethanol is in your favorite adult beverage.

Among his claims is that biofuels produce “little or no” additional energy, when in fact biofuel from cellulose generates 8 to 10 times as much net energy as is required for its production. He also claims that it results in greater CO2 emissions than fossil fuels, which is far from the truth. In fact, cellulosic biofuel can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 85% compared to gasoline. His argument about water scarcity is also dubious, since it’s the biotech sector that is helping develop plants that can grow with 70% less water than normal.

We encourage you to read his post and make a comment if you’re so inclined.

Remember to send us your suggestions for next week’s Best & Worst.