At a recent ethanol conference, Premier Morris Iemma announced his intention to introduce legislation ensuring all unleaded petrol would consist of 10% ethanol by 2010.  The cleaner fuel substitute is set to play a big part in making New South Wales a low-carbon economy.

What does this actually mean?  It means that the premier of New South Wales is encouraging farmers to switch from producing food for people, to producing fuel for our cars.

In a country that has been plagued by drought in recent years, and its food prices getting higher, how can this seem like a good idea?  In response to this Iemma warns that we should maximise the non-food sources of ethanol, but he doesn’t acknowledge that damage that this actually does.

One of the proposed sources of ethanol is the by-product of food production.  Non-food sources of ethanol in this context are made to look like waste.  Once a crop is grown and the edible parts removed (grains, for example), whatever is left over can then be made into ethanol.

Even aside from the huge amounts of energy that it requires, actually turning this biomass into ethanol makes no sense.  The same parts that provide energy for your car also provide nutrients for the soil.

Under normal circumstances these by-products have uses that are not currently taken into account.  After a crop is harvested, the stalks of the plant stay in the ground, their root systems holding the earth together so should a farm be hit by strong storms, the fertile topsoil won’t wash or blow away.  Furthermore, the parts of the plant removed by the harvester to get the grain are left in the field to break down, allowing the nutrients to go back into the soil.

Without these nutrients, farmers are forced to increase the amount of fertilisers they put on their land before planting their next seasons crop.  Not only does this introduce more harmful chemicals into the water stream, it also requires energy to develop the chemical fertilisers, get them to the farmer who then applies them to the paddock.  Any gains in the form of cuts in greenhouse gas emissions from using ethanol based biofuels in our cars are negated by the reduced productivity of the land.

To make matters worse, most of the world’s ethanol comes from sources that could actually be used to feed people.  The biggest producer of ethanol in NSW is Mandrilla, located in Nowra, which produces its ethanol from wheat and flour based sources.  While it doesn’t seem that there is an actual overall shortage of food here in Australia, whatever deficit we have we can just import from other countries.

But what happens if there is a global shortage of food?  Prices will increase, and those who can afford to pay will, and those who can’t will starve.

As is so often the case, rich nations are only looking after their shortsighted interests.  Iemma, like so many others in power, is trying to convince the public that he has quick-fix solutions for the problem of climate change.

When will our politicians learn that we don’t want to be given a bandaid to cure the cancer of our over-consumption?  We want real solutions.  Sure they might hurt, but it’s better than the alternative.