With the climate crisis in full swing, the development of biofuels looked to be the answer everyone was hoping for. Experts, however, have found that biofuels may not be all their cracked up to be.

Biofuels, according to the Energy North East Web site, are transport fuels made from plant material and recycled elements of the food chain.

It may sound like a miracle-fuel, but according to Dr. Mark Jareb, director of the Pre-Medical Advisement Program and professor of biology at Sacred Heart, the realities of it are far from ideal.

"The argument for using biofuels is that replacing gasoline with ethanol produced from crops such as corn results in fewer greenhouse gases being produced," said Jareb.

Of course, with every outwardly ideal solution follow the issues.

"The additional land being used to produce the crops for biofuel has primarily been forest or grasslands that have been converted into croplands. The forest and grasslands were much more productive in taking carbon out of the atmosphere than the crops," said Jareb.

"Therefore, using these lands to grow biofuel actually results in a net increase in carbon emissions and greenhouse gasses."

According to a recent article in Time Magazine, it's estimated that the ultimate effects of the production of ethanol from corn will actually increase global warming because of the large areas of the Amazon Rainforest that are being cleared to grow soybeans since a plethora of American soy farmers converted their land to corn fields.

But the environment isn't going to be the only thing suffering.

After the grasslands and forests are converted into croplands, all those crops will go straight to biofuel production plants instead of being used to feed the hungry.

"Using food for fuel, especially corn, drives up food prices worldwide making feeding the worlds hungry more difficult," said Dennis Demchak, professor of air pollution studies at Sacred Heart and employee of the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection.

"The cost of food has gone up dramatically across the globe in the past year. A number of studies have found that the increase in food prices has been in part due to the shift of crops from the food supply toward biofuel," said Jareb.

Just because we don't see immediate effects or skyrocketing prices overnight, it doesn't mean they're not waiting for us just a few years down the road.

"Biofuels are harmful to the environment and are contributing to soaring food prices around the world. That rise in prices is hitting the poorest people of the world hardest," said Dr. Grant Walker, professor of Sociology at Sacred Heart.

"As demand for food and biofuel production go up causing the price of corn to rise, more producers switch their land use toward corn because it's profitable. This takes away land use for other grains such as wheat, decreasing their supply, also causing prices for those grains to rise," said Jareb. If the trend continues, given enough time, all crop-based foods will rise in price.

With the 2008 Presidential Election rapidly approaching, those who are running are doing their best to campaign wisely.

According to their Web sites, Senator Barack Obama and Senator Hillary Clinton both openly support the production of biofuels through the corn conversion process, whereas Senator John McCain, according to the Bioenergy Business Web site, would prefer to use other products like, sugar cane, as well.

This touchy subject has proved itself central in both the Presidential Election process as well as in everyday life.

From raised food prices to an increase in CO2 emissions, only time will tell what the ultimate effect will be on the environment and the hungry people worldwide.