The global biofuels industry will “reshape the Earth’s landscape in a significant way”, as more nations follow the path toward shaping their own programs for national biofuel industry development. To be better prepared for these changes, it is essential that science-based policies be in place, to guide nations toward a more sustainable biofuels industry. This was the call of a group of scientists, whose views were published in the October 3, 2008  issue of the journal, Science. According to the paper, the emerging global biofuels industry could “require as much land as it is currently for food”. “The identification of unintended consequences early in the development of alternative fuel strategies will help to avoid costly mistakes and regrets about the effects on the environment”. The case of the impacts of harnessing first generation bioenergy crops as biofuel feedstocks were cited. The possible effects of using second generation biofuel feedstocks was also mentioned, including those that still need to be investigated. Details of the paper can be found in the Science journal website (URL above)..