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A report entitled
Water Implications of Biofuels Production
in the United States, published by the
National Academy of Sciences in October 2007
reflects some of the issues between agriculture and
water supplies. The report is summarized in an
E—report by Allison Winter, E & E News PM reporter.
Ms. Winter notes:
“The U.S. ethanol boom threatens to cause
"considerable" harm to the nation's water supplies,
a National Academy of Sciences panel warned in a
report released today.
Farmers' heavy irrigation and increased use of
fertilizers and pesticides for the production of
corn and other energy crops threaten to damage water
quality and quantity, the National Research Council
report says.
Water supply problems caused by irrigators loom at
regional and local levels -- particularly in the
arid northern and southern plains, the report says.
Big corn crops could drain water reserves in the
Ogallala aquifer, an underground reservoir that
stretches 800 miles from west Texas to South Dakota
and Wyoming.
The aquifer -- which provides water for a fifth of
all the nation's irrigated land -- is already being
lowered as there has been inadequate rainfall to
replenish it, said Jerald Schnoor, a University of
Iowa professor who chaired the panel. Any additional
corn planting or other irrigated agriculture would
only "exacerbate" the problem, he said.
Schnoor urged Congress to pursue policies that would
encourage sustainable practices and encourage better
technology for increased production efficiency.
A similar report last month from Environmental
Defense, an advocacy group, said ethanol production
could increase demand for scarce water supplies by 2
billion gallons a year.
Most of NRC panel's predictions are based on
estimated amounts of water and fertilizer needed for
corn. The committee said "knowledge gaps" prevent
reliable assessments about water use on other
potential feedstocks for cellulosic ethanol --
switchgrass or native grasses -- but that they
should have less of an effect on water quality per
unit of energy.
The panel also said that the pressure on water
supplies could be lessened with new developments in
crop production, such as using genetically modified
crops that are less thirsty or irrigating with
wastewater that would be unfit for food crops.”
She also includes
the following reactions to the report in her
analysis.
“Matt Hartwig, a spokesman for the ethanol industry
trade group, the Renewable Fuels Association, said
the industry is "very conscious of its use of
natural resources" and is developing new
technologies to improve water use.
The National Research Council convened the committee
in response the country's growing appetite for
ethanol and other alternative fuels. U.S. capacity
to make ethanol has spiked about 28 percent this
year to nearly 7 billion gallons.
Those numbers are expected to grow even more.
President Bush set a national goal of producing 35
billion gallons per year of alternative motor fuels,
including ethanol, by 2017. Congress is considering
a host of new incentives and subsidies for the fuels
in energy legislation and the farm bill.
Environmentalists say potential water problems in
the NRC report highlight the need for beefed-up farm
bill conservation programs, to give farmers
incentives to manage water, use buffer zones or to
put some land in conservation.
"To deliver on the promise of Biofuels, Congress
must dramatically increase funding for farm bill
conservation programs and reform them to get more
conservation per dollar," said Jonathan Kaplan of
the Natural Resources Defense Council.
Julie Sibbing of National Wildlife Federation said
Congress should support cellulosic ethanol made from
native grasses, trees and other plants that would
require no irrigation. "As these new technologies
come on line, they will be key to our future clean
energy production," Sibbing said.
"The stage is now set for direct competition for
grain between the 800 million people who own
automobiles, and the world's 2 billion poorest
people." - Lester Brown, Earth Policy Institute,
speaking to the U.S. Senate.”
The full report is
downloadable at the National Academy of Science
website:
http://www.nationalacademies.org/morenews/20071010.html
My book entitled "Understanding
Water Rights and Conflicts, Second Edition"
published by
BurgYoung Publishing, touched on the issues
involving water use and energy development in the
western United States.
Water quality and
quantity are both very critical issues in all parts
of the United States. Many residents and water
customers have very little idea about where their
water comes from, let alone how good the quality is
and how much their water supplier actually has
available, legally and physically.
Water issues are
not just local issues anymore. More often than not,
water issues in one area are at least regional, if
not multi-state issues. They also involve multiple
sectors including energy, agriculture, industry and
health.
As an elected
member of our local water board for our small water
district west of Denver, CO, I have seen the lack of
public awareness first hand. In fact, the water
board has just scheduled a tour of our reservoirs,
water treatment plant and other facilities for
interested residents. Most think their water comes
from the water lines in the street in front of their
home and have no idea of the infrastructure behind
the water in their home. We decided as a water board
to be more proactive in acquainting our customers
with their water supply system. The more they know,
the more they can help the board members in forming
policy and making decisions.
In my opinion,
this is one of the major flaws with our elected
federal officials and the candidates for both
Congress and the Presidency over the last 16 years.
They have made the assumption that the elected
officials know best. What they don't realize is the
better informed the general public the more and
better the ideas they get for shaping policy and
resolving issues.
I write books and
eBooks to
Promote awareness through the written word.
I have books published on water, energy and
terrorism, and I am convinced that one of the major
problems with our society is the lack of public
awareness about our country's infrastructure.
H. Court Young
Geologist, author and publisher
Promoting awareness through the written word
http://www.hcourtyoung.com
http://www.tmcco.com
(303) 726 8320
©August, 2007
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The
Orphan Boy mine was started in Colorado's glory days. It was reopened in
1948 by one man, Herbert T. Young, who had a passion for mining. He was
a member of the "greatest generation."