Dahveed

Foam is an excellent insulation product. Its biggest downside is cost. If some of the petroleum used in the mix can be reduced by the use of plant based oils, then thats a good thing. My only complaint is that the consumer doesn't value the insulation in their home and only pays extra for nice countertops, not the actual mechanics of the home (at least in my neck of the woods). I guess that makes some sense - friends and family can see the nice countertops, but not the lower energy bills. Perhaps everyone should frame their energy bills by the front door to show off how well their house performs energy wise.

Regarding the whole food vs non-food use of the crops and/or the land that grows it I have this to say. If we have to use food crops to replace or reduce our energy usage we should. The US and its citizens are being CONSTANTLY attacked for using too much energy or creating too much pollution. When we actually try and do something about it with what we have available locally, we are attacked for taking food from starving people. The argument about food crops being used as energy taking away from staving people in Africa is a little like the "clean your plate" argument your parents might have used on you to get you to eat your veggies. People in Africa should be subsisting on locally grown food crops and we Americans need to reduce our dependence on oil and coal for energy and reduce our energy footprint.