Weeding out a potential biofuels problem?

Growers of plants for use as biofuels are looking for certain qualities in their crops: hardiness, a paucity of pests and diseases and the ability to outcompete other plants.

Unfortunately, according to a new report from the Invasive Species Council released at a global warming conference in Sydney, Australia, those are also hallmarks of invasive weeds, which government and farmers are trying to eradicate.

"It turns out that many potential biofuel species pose a weed risk," the council reported. "Some of the world’s worst weeds may be biofuel prospects for Australia—giant reed and spartina appear in the World Conservation Union’s list of 100 of the World’s Worst Invaders, and Chinese tallow tree is rated as one of the the 12 worst invasive pests in the United States."

"Australia should not try to solve one environmental problem by creating another," warned ISC spokesman and report author, Tim Low. "These plants have no proven value as biofuel crops but bad reputations as weeds."

In February St. Petersburg Times reporter Kris Hundley wrote about a Florida company that wants to grow the giant reed, also known as arundo, for use as a biofuel, despite objections from environmental groups and even from the chairwoman of the Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council, University of Florida assistant professor Alison Fox. "Florida should not accept the risk posed by large acreage plantings of this species," Fox said. "The evidence is piling up that this is not a great idea.

To see the council's press release and find a link to the report itself, click here.

And to read the St. Petersburg Times story about arundo click here.

--Craig Pittman

Comments

[Rufus]

The Chinese Tallow Tree is getting a bad rap; but I don't know what to do about it.

And, man, it's got "MONSTER" POTENTIAL!