Truth about GMO

An October 2007 report by the National Academies entitled water impact of biofuel production in the United States is very good and is a must read.

I touched on this subject in my book, entitled "Understanding water rights and conflicts, Second Edition" published by Castle Young Publishing. The issues of water use and development of the energy sector in the western United States impact of agriculture, energy and human development water supply systems.

I write books and eBooks to promote awareness through the written word. I have published books 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 infrastructure.

As an elected member of our local water board for our little water-Western District Denver, CO, I have seen the lack of public awareness at first hand. In fact, the water board has just scheduled a tour of our reservoirs, treatment plant and other facilities for interested residents. Most think their water comes from the water lines in the street in front of his home and have no idea of the infrastructure behind the water in their homes. We decided as a water board to be proactive manner announce our customers with their water supply. The more they know, the more they can help the board members in the formation of policy and decisions.

In I think this is one of the graten deficiencies with our elected officials of the federal government and the two candidates for Congress and the Presidency during the last 16 years. You have the assumption that the elected officials know best. What they do not know, is to better inform the general public to more and better ideas, which are used for formulation of policy and the solution issues.

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 water their suppliers actually available, legally and physically.

Water questions are not only local problems. More often than not, water in an area are at least regional, if not in several states. They also include several sectors including energy, agriculture, industry and health.

The U.S. ethanol boom threatens to cause "significant" harm the nation's water supply, a National Academy of Sciences panel warned in a report published today.
Farmers' heavy irrigation and the 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 at the regional loom and local level - especially in the arid northern and southern plains, the report says. Big Corn crops could drain water reserves in the Ogallala Aquifer, an underground reservoir, which is 800 km from west to Texas and South Dakota Wyoming.

The aquifers - the water offers for one fifth of all irrigated land nation - is already reduced because there was not sufficient Rainfall to replenish it, said Jerald Schnoor, a University of Iowa, Professor chairmanship of the body. Any additional planting corn or other irrigated agriculture would only "nor" the problem, he called said.

Schnoor Congress to pursue policies that promote sustainable practices and improved technologies for increasing the production efficiency.

A similar report last month by Environmental Defense, an interest group representative, said ethanol production could increase the demand for scarce water supplies of 2 billion gallons per year.

Most of the NRC panel forecasts are based on the estimated quantities of water and fertilizer needed for corn. The committee said: "knowledge gaps" prevented reliable estimates on water use in other potential feedstocks for cellulosic ethanol - switchgrass or native grasses - but that they should have less impact on water quality, energy.

The panel also said that the pressure on Water supply could be easier with new developments in crop production, such as the use of genetically modified plants that are less thirsty or irrigation with sewage, that would be unsuitable for food crops.

Reactions

Matt Hartwig, a spokesman for the ethanol industry trade group, the Renewable Fuels Association , Said the industry is "very aware of the correct use of natural resources" and is the development of new technologies to improve water use.

The National Research Council convened the Committee in response to the growing national appetite for ethanol and other alternative fuels. U.S. capacity to ethanol has spiked over 28 percent this year to nearly 7 billion gallons.

Those figures are expected to grow even more. President Bush a national goal the production of 35 billion gallons per year of alternative fuels, including ethanol, by 2017. Congress is considering a variety of new incentives and subsidies for the fuel in energy legislation and the farm bill.

Environmentalists say potential water problems in the NRC report the need for beefed-up farm bill conservation programs to offer incentives to farmers to manage water, Use of buffer zones or put some country in conservation.

"to deliver on the promise of biofuels, Congress must dramatically increase funding for the farm bill conservation programs and reform them, conservation per dollar," said Jonathan Kaplan of the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Julie Sibbing of the National Wildlife Federation, said Congress should support cellulosic ethanol from native grasses, trees and other plants would require that no irrigation. "Since these new technologies come into line, they are 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 cars, and the world's 2 billion poorest People. "- Lester Brown, Earth Policy Institute, in an interview with the U.S. Senate

Bio fuels will have an impact on water supply around the world. We all need to think about the decisions we make, and how these options are interconnected.

Sincerely
H. Court Young
Geologist, author and publisher
Promoting awareness through the written word
http://www.hcourtyoung.com
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