Comments on: RFA Responds to New Studies http://www.ethanolrfa.org/industry/conference/blog/2008/02/08/rfa-responds-to-new-studies/ The Renewable Fuels Association blog all about Ethanol Wed, 19 Nov 2008 15:58:19 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Phil Henshaw http://www.ethanolrfa.org/industry/conference/blog/2008/02/08/rfa-responds-to-new-studies/#comment-15579 Phil Henshaw Sun, 10 Feb 2008 19:06:57 +0000 http://www.ethanolrfa.org/industry/conference/blog/2008/02/08/rfa-responds-to-new-studies/#comment-15579 The real message to get from our belated discovery that agricultural biofuels displace food production is that we need to retarget sustainability as a whole. We've been looking at it the wrong way entirely, as a problem of sustaining growth not a problem of sustaining the earth. The right strategy starts by painting a truer picture, including the environmental fact that harsh footprint interactions multiply as growth systems hit their limits. It's really obvious when you think it through. The hidden silver lining?? Using the growth of footprint interactions *as a measure* gives you a reliable long term forecasting too for otherwise 'invisible' limits and an ability to steer clear of them! I consult and write on the physics of open (uncontrolled) systems... It can help. The real message to get from our belated discovery that agricultural biofuels displace food production is that we need to retarget sustainability as a whole. We’ve been looking at it the wrong way entirely, as a problem of sustaining growth not a problem of sustaining the earth.

The right strategy starts by painting a truer picture, including the environmental fact that harsh footprint interactions multiply as growth systems hit their limits. It’s really obvious when you think it through. The hidden silver lining?? Using the growth of footprint interactions *as a measure* gives you a reliable long term forecasting too for otherwise ‘invisible’ limits and an ability to steer clear of them!

I consult and write on the physics of open (uncontrolled) systems… It can help.

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