I've mentioned before that I don't think BioDiesel or biofuels are the answer to our problems, I think we have to change the way we live, not find new ways to uphold the status quo. Anyways here's an interesting article, the other issues not mentioned: livestock feed crops being changed to biofuel crop driving up feed prices affecting livestock producers and hence consumers, the impact on human food crops as farmers opt for economic incentives, and the fact that most of our farmland is lacking biologically active soil making it dependent on irrigation and fertilizers all of which are accessible due to cheap fossil fuels. Anyway enjoy the article.

Biofuels are bad, new report concludes

Scientists say it makes more sense to grow forests than 'energy crops'

Restoring and protecting forests would do far more to reduce the carbon load in the atmosphere than dedicating vast tracts of land to "energy crops," a new report says.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper recently announced a $1.5-billion, nine-year plan to make Canada a leader in biofuel production. But there is concern in many quarters about the "green" energy boom, which critics say is having a serious environmental impact around the globe as forests are levelled and farm land is set aside to grow biofuel crops.

The report, published today in the journal Science, assesses biofuels -- produced by using everything from sugar cane to wheat -- and compared carbon emissions associated with their use over the next 30 years.

It concludes that growing trees and restoring forests is a far more effective way to reduce emissions linked with global warming and climate change.

"In all cases, forestation of an equivalent area of land would sequester two to nine times more carbon over a 30-year period than the emissions avoided by the use of the biofuel," says the report by Renton Righelato of the World Land Trust and Dominick Spracklen of the University of Leeds. Taking this into account, "the emissions cost of liquid biofuels exceeds that of fossil fuels."

They note energy crops require an enormous amount of land: to replace just 10 per cent of gasoline and diesel fuel would require an estimated 43 per cent of crop land in the U.S. and 38 per cent of crop land in Europe. And clearing grasslands and forests to grow energy crops releases carbon stored in existing vegetation and soil and creates large up-front emissions that the report says would "outweigh the avoided emissions."

Only biofuel from woody biomass may be compatible with retention of the carbon now locked in forests, the researchers say. It might be possible to "sustainably" extract wood from standing forests to produce fuel without destroying the soil carbon stocks that are particularly important in temperate forests, Mr. Righelato said via e-mail.

"Of course, the woody biomass harvested would return to CO2, but trees would probably quickly regrow in the space vacated," he said. "It remains to be established whether such extraction would be economically viable."

The researchers did not look at Canadian forests specifically, but Mr. Righelato expects the carbon sequestration rates are not far off those of the U.S forests used for their calculations.

"I imagine the coastal southern Canadian forests fall within that range of carbon sequestration," he said.

Mr. Righelato and Mr. Spracklen conclude that, where carbon emissions are concerned, it makes most sense to step up the conservation of fossil fuels now in use, and conserve and restore forests while pursuing development of non-carbon fuels for future use.

"If the prime object of policy on biofuels is mitigation of carbon dioxide-driven global warming, policy makers may be better advised in the short term (30 years or so) to focus on increasing the efficiency of fossil fuel use, to conserve the existing forests and savannahs, and to restore natural forests and grassland habitats on crop land that is not needed for food."

In the longer term, they say "carbon-free transport fuel technologies are needed to replace fossil hydrocarbons."

The Conservative government's $1.5-billion biofuel initiative aims to replace five per cent of gasoline used in this country with renewable fuels by 2010. In announcing details of the program in July, Mr. Harper estimated close to three billion litres a year of renewable fuel will be needed, representing a "tremendous economic opportunity" for the country's 61,000 grain and oilseed producers.

Mr. Harper said the biofuel program is a "double win" for both the environment and farmers and will "put a real dent in emissions."

Asked to comment on the Science report, the government says it has done a "life cycle GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions profile" of its biofuel program and concluded it will reduce Canada's greenhouse gas emissions by about four million tonnes a year. Canada now generates about 750 million tonnes of greenhouse gases annually.

Monday, August 13, 2007
Location: Blood Reservation, Alberta

That’s the best way to describe how I’m feeling right now post-Sun Dance. I’m so full, I think if I try to squeeze the tinniest bit more energy into my body, I’ll simply burst.

I haven’t written anything in awhile so I’ll go back a bit to when I left my home here on the Peigan Reserve. I said goodbye to all the people who have come to be my family, to all the people I’ve grown to love very deeply. I cut all ties and began traveling south. I had plans of visiting the old lady just outside of Standoff for a quick interview before heading into Montana. But if there’s something I’ve learned here living with the Blackfoot, it’s don’t make any plans, and nothing happens quickly.

Shortly after leaving I found myself parked at the Standoff Family and Community Services building eating some chicken I had picked up in Fort Macleod. I was feeling pretty lost, I’ve been lost before, but not quite like this. An emotional, mental and spiritual paralysis had engulfed me while I sat there, and for the first time on my journey it made more sense to turn around then to carry on. So fighting back tears of frustration and confusion I went back home.

It was hard to come back home, to ignore the pressure of this project’s completion, to put things on hold, to slow down even more. Most importantly it was difficult to give up on the idea that I’m in control. I’ve often spoken of this, but there in that parking lot on the Blood Reserve, I realized that up until that moment I had mostly just been talking a good game.

Something changed in me that day, something profound to do with relaxing and letting go, and an acceptance that everything is always where it needs to be.

A few weeks later I found myself in a sweat lodge under a full moon back on the Blood Reservation. In that sweat I was offered a pipe by an elder and asked to help with the upcoming Sun Dance ceremony. There are things you can prepare for, while others just catch you off guard but in a beautiful way. I accepted the offer to help in any way that I could, to share whatever energy I had, and to commit myself to something that at that moment was beyond my personal realm of understanding.

I can never express my gratitude to the elder who opened this door to me. I know it came partly through the relationships I’ve built over the past few months living here. Nothing happens quickly after all. In any case it was a huge doorway that opened that day, and I’m certain I’ll be learning from it for a long time to come.

That night under the full moon was profound for me in other ways, since I began to understand my reasons for leaving and then returning from whence I had come. I had always known the Sun Dance was coming, but there was a large part of me that felt undeserving, that felt it wasn’t time, that felt unworthy of the experience. I have a hard time receiving gifts sometimes, and this was one that I was reluctant to receive or somehow even afraid of. I know now that I was brought back for a reason, and I also know that with the gift I’ve been given comes something I am so grateful to carry; yet at the same time there is also somehow a sense of loss, as things have forever changed and will never quite be the same. The true gifts in this life are the ones that leave you remembering who you once were.

I will not write about the Sun Dance ceremony itself as I feel it’s something to experience rather than something for photographs or the pages of a book. As my friend Ken Williams said in his interview, “We can talk about it, we can read about it, we can write about it, speak about it, but to experience it is another thing altogether; it’s a whole different dimension.” I think a sun dance is something you have to arrive at yourself, and in your own time.

But I will tell you what I saw in those four days working among the dancers. I’ll tell you what I saw in those four days where time seemed to break down and where I felt things I’ve never felt before.

I saw love. I saw a tremendous amount of love and compassion, people helping people. People working to be the best people they could possibly be. I saw people making good choices to build unity instead of harboring anger and resentment. I saw people standing up in a beautiful way.

I saw courage. I saw people at the end of their physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual rope, who in the wake of all their pain and suffering, stood up and pushed forward. They made an offering of themselves so we may all live beautiful lives in a beautiful way, enabling our world to heal rather than fragment further apart.

I saw family. I saw what family truly is, a place where people can stand and be supported. I saw family without boundaries, a family that extends well beyond bloodline, creed, or skin colour; instead building itself upon a foundation of openness, acceptance, respect, understanding, honesty, and belonging.

I saw spirit. I actually saw spirit, or rather felt it. In my brief time with the dancers I felt things I’m not sure I even want to explain. Again, there are things that are difficult to put into words. All I’ll say is, I felt people and knew things that I’m usually oblivious to. I felt things happening beneath the surface that brought me to tears, overtook me with anxiety, and filled my heart with love and laughter. And on that last day, as the dancers blessed us with their pipes, I was almost certain that my heart was going to explode.

peace,
d

I've been MIA I know. Been busy building a garage for Morris and getting ready for the Farm 4 Sun Dance down on the Blood Reservation. I have about three blogs written and in my computer but internet access has been sporadic and no time to post as of yet.

I'll be at the Sun Dance until August 11th or so then I'll be sure to post some content.

peace,
d