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One of the several questions I have about biofuels as a centerpiece in any energy strategy is the demand on water resources. There has been a lot of discussion of impacts of biofuel production on food production and the environment broadly, but what is the current thinking on competition for water supplies and impact on water in the environment? A few articles from a quick internet search follow; I don't know if these are representative: Report by the NRC's Committee on Water Implications of Biofuels Production in the United States, October 2007 http://national-academies.org/morenews/20071010.html "Biofuels report warns of strain on water resources," MIT News, October 11, 2007 (references the above) http://national-academies.org/morenews/20071010.html "Biofuels can be a menace for water resources," a blog entry on the occasion of World Water Week 2007 that mentions the Stockholm International Water Institute's assertion "that in 2050, crops used to yield biofuels will double agriculture water usage." http://www.autobloggreen.com/2007/08/17/biofuels-can-be-a-menace-for-water-resources/ "Water experts worry biofuel will crowd out food crops," International Herald Tribune article on August 17, 2007 that references the above statistic http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/08/17/europe/EU-GEN-Sweden-Biofuels.php "Biofuels and Global Water Challenges," report by Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy in 2007 http://www.tradeobservatory.org/library.cfm?refid=100547
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