Redesigning crops to harvest fuel

Seed, biotech companies see big opportunity in developing corn and other crops tailored for use in biofuels.
The New York Times

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[Maccess]

What about cross-contamination?

If the genetically engineered self converting ethanol corn cross-pollinates with regular feed and food corn, what are we going to eat?

[DeusExMachina]

corn

First, I personally do not eat that much corn in any form, including <br />pork. I did, I assume I would just eat the corn. The idea that genetic <br />engineering will lead to massive crop failure or severe adverse <br />effects on human health is GREATLY overblown.

Burning biodiesel produces the same greenhouse gases

Burning biofuels produces the same greenhouse gases, whether fossil or grown. Replacing petroleum with corn just saves petroleum, but does nothing to stop global warming.

[mr3vil]

Actually, the use of Bio-Fuels does that.

When you burn fossil fuels you are essentially using carbon that has been out of the carbon cycle for millions of years. It has been stored underground waiting to be pumped out by humans. Bio-Fuels on the other hand come from carbon that is actively in the carbon cycle (plants that photosynthesized CO2 from the atmosphere). When you burn a gallon of Ethanol you will get an amount of carbon emissions less than or equal to the amount the plants that made the gallon of Ethanol absorbed when they were alive. By burning bio-fuels you aren't dumping more carbon emissions into the atmosphere than what is being taken out. It won't take us back, but it will halt progression.

[DeusExMachina]

In addition

In addition to the other comment, burning biofuels generally <br />releases smaller total amounts of all pollutants, including CO2, <br />than fossil fuels.