New York plans to heat buildings with biofuels - Reuters

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

New York plans to heat buildings with biofuels

2 hours, 31 minutes ago

NEW YORK (Reuters) - In a further greening of the Big Apple, New
York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said on Monday the city will
incorporate biofuel made from corn and soybeans into oil used to
heat city buildings starting in 2008.

The plan will reduce greenhouse gas emissions blamed for global
warming, improve air quality and support small, family farmers,
Bloomberg said.

Earlier this year, the mayor announced the goal of reducing New
York's carbon footprint by 30 percent by 2030 and has gradually
unveiled more detailed proposals, including a plan to convert the
city's yellow taxi fleet to hybrid fuel vehicles.

Starting in July 2008, one-third of the heating oil bought by
the city must contain 5 percent biofuel, the mayor said. The
proportion will rise in stages to 20 percent biofuel in 2012.

-snip-

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070612/us_nm/newyork_biofuel_dc

[Delphinus]

1. When are they going to start

addressing the issues of pollution raised by using biofuels?

Beyond the pollution, it's also impacting the cost of food.

[KurtNYC]

2. Hmmm, when you consider that one of the first things Bloomberg did as

mayor was to stop the city wide recycling program (saying it "costs too much") one has to wonder how sincere he is in all these press releases.

Does he really think bio-fuel is going to help "small family farmers" ? Doubtful. More likely the guy who built an empire supplying news to stock traders knows EXACTLY who is helped by this kind of legislation.

In Bloomies world, poor people have to compete with city buildings for food and then they will be charged $8 to drive south of 86th street.

And he still hasn't done the most basic energy saving measures -- eg. turn off the lights in schools and city buildings when they are unoccupied. But of course there is no investment money to be made in doing that.