At 02:43 PM 6/26/2007, Karl Mullendore wrote... >It's a good idea to read all studies before taking one study's >conclusion as fact. Negative biodiesel production is a myth being >propagated by those against it. I think you'll find varying results >depending on the source and funding of the study...

I'll take a citation of an authoritative study over an individual's claim, anyday. I notice you don't provide any, although you seem to be claiming UC-Berkeley is shilling for Big Oil? LOL!

More details below from the study done by Berkeley students (which was the precursor to the paper mentioned in the article I earlier cited). Here's a link to the actual paper: http://petroleum.berkeley.edu/papers/patzek/EthanolFromCorn.htm

"Patzek said that studies showing energy gain do not take into account the amount of energy stored in the corn. "The energy stored in the corn is not free," he said. "To grow the corn, you've used up soil and water. We must also account for the disposal of waste water polluted by nitrogen and phosphate fertilizers, as well as by pesticides and herbicides."

"When calculating the net energy loss, Patzek and his students took into account the energy equivalent contained within one bushel of corn. According to the report, it takes a total of 0.87 gallons of gasoline equivalent to grow one bushel of corn, which itself contains 3.17 gallons of gasoline equivalent energy. That calculation includes the fossil energy expended from the use of fertilizer, pesticides, machinery, irrigation and other inputs in corn production." - http://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2003/06/05_ethanol.shtml