Biodiesel doesn't work - it's energy inefficient

Scientists at Cornell University and the University of California-Berkeley have investigated the production of ethanol and biofuel. Ethanol and other biofuels supporters claim they burn cleaner than fossil fuels but the new report claims the production of these biofuels uses more fossil energy than you can get back by burning the biofuel.

Here are the results:

But researchers at Cornell University and the University of California-Berkeley say it takes 29 percent more fossil energy to turn corn into ethanol than the amount of fuel the process produces. For switch grass, a warm weather perennial grass found in the Great Plains and eastern North America United States, it takes 45 percent more energy and for wood, 57 percent.

It takes 27 percent more energy to turn soybeans into biodiesel fuel and more than double the energy produced is needed to do the same to sunflower plants, the study found.

The study concludes ethanol production in the US doesn't benefit the nation's energy security, agriculture, economy nor environment.

More details and reactions from people who oppose this study can be found at Yahoo.