Clean Energy View: Invasive Species For Renewable Energy?

As we shift from petroleum-based energy to renewable energy, the production of biofuel, created from invasive species appears to be a viable option. However, certain plant species which have been proposed for biofuel production include invasive species and/or other plants which have the potential to escape cultivation. Is this a good solution for eliminating an environmental issue while satisfying an energy need or is this type of biofuel merely creating a disaster in the making? In this segment of The Clean Energy View Radio Show, hosts, June Stoyer and special guest host, Luis Mejia talk to Dr. Lewis Ziska about the pros and cons of using invasive species as biofuel. Dr. Ziska is a Plant Physiologist with the USDA's Agricultural Research Service in Beltsville, Maryland. After graduating from the University of California, Davis, he began his career as a Smithsonian fellow, and then took up residence as the Project Leader for global climate change at the International Rice Research Institute in the Philippines before joining USDA. Dr. Ziska has published numerous papers on carbon dioxide and climate change impacts on agriculture, weed biology and public health. At present he is investigating the role of rising carbon dioxide and changing climate on food security, invasive species and aerobiology. Dr. Ziska's research has appeared in: The Wall Street Journal, National Geographic, The New York Times, USA Today, The Washington Post, Newsweek, U.S. News and World Report and CNN Headline News.

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