Author of 490 scientific papers including 20 books, Dr. David Pimentel is Professor Emeritus, Entomology, Ecology and Systematics, Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University. His research interests include natural resource management including soil, water, energy, biodiversity, and ecosystems. His current studies include water resources, biodiversity conservation, diseases due to environmental degradation, soil degradation, energy use in agriculture, and exotic species invasions.

Green Plants, Fossil Fuels, and Now Biofuels, by David Pimentel and Tad Patzek [2006 November]

"For 700 million years, green plants contributed to the formation of soil, oil, natural gas, and coal. As the human population increases, so too does the consumption of soil and fossil energy. If this trend continues unabated, humans will consume most of these precious resources within the next few hundred years."

"Energy use in the United States increased nearly 40% from 1970 to 2000 (USBC, 2001). Projections are that it will increase by an additional 40% by the year 2020. The finite energy resources of petroleum, natural gas, coal, and other mined fuels provide the U.S. with about 93% of its energy needs at a cost $567 billion per year (USBC, 2001). With increasing energy shortages and prices, this growth over the next 2 decades cannot continue (Ableson, 2000; Duncan, 2001)."

Energy and Dollar Costs of Ethanol Production with Corn by David Pimentel, Hubbert Center Newsletter # 98/2 [Spring 1998]

Renewable Energy: Economic and Environmental Issues

Solar energy technologies, paired with energy conservation, have the potential to meet a large portion of future US energy needs
by David Pimentel, G. Rodrigues, T. Wane, R. Abrams, K. Goldberg, H. Staecker, E. Ma, L. Brueckner, L. Trovato, C. Chow, U. Govindarajulu, and S. Boerke [Originally published in BioScience -- Vol. 44, No. 8, September 1994]