As concern over global warming intensified over the past few
years, biofuels derived from food crops quickly emerged as a
practical answer to the energy crisis. Adding corn ethanol to
gasoline or using palm oil for biodiesel makes the fuel burn
more cleanly, stretches oil supplies, and perhaps most
attractive to some politicians, provides a nice boost to big
agribusiness. In Europe and in the US, increasing biofuels was
mandated by law. Fortunately the rush to biofuels production has
slowed because of a number of well-documented negative side
effects. Biofuels production contributed to a global food
shortage and a rise in food prices as farmers sold off their
crops to ethanol or biodiesel producers. Deforestation increased
in tropical wilderness areas as countries such as Brazil and
Indonesia cleared rainforest to make room for biofuels such as
soybeans, leading to large losses in biodiversity. Deforestation
also increased greenhouse gas emissions, as carbon stored in
those forests was released into the atmos