Who are you trying to bio-fuel?
by Jo-ann Hodgson in Your car on 15.04.08
We’re guessing the government didn’t count on a backlash from environmental campaigners when drafting the seemingly ‘eco-friendly’ biofuel legislation that came into effect today, but that’s just what they’ve got.
As of today, UK car and truck fuels must consist of at least 2.5% biofuel under the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation, and, as we reported a couple of weeks ago, the new legislation has already attracteda fair amount of criticism.
Oxfam and Friends of the Earth are among those to argue the new laws could do more harm than good to the environment and push up food prices in the developing world.
The government line is that crops for biofuels are replanted, taking out of the atmosphere the same amount of CO2 as burning them puts in. But many worry that the energy used to power machinery, produce fertiliser and transport crops to processing plants will prove a carbon-intensive undertaking.
Friends of the Earth warned that: “Without appropriate safeguards, this flagship policy could have disastrous unintended consequences - actually increasing carbon emissions, intensifying deforestation, and causing extensive negative social impacts.”
“The sorts of problems that biofuels are causing are irreversible,” Robert Bailey, policy adviser to Oxfam recently added to the debate. “If somebody loses access to food, they become malnourished, their physical and mental development is impaired and they may die.”
Oxfam points to research by the International Food Policy Research Institute that states the price and price volatility of food in developing countries will increase as more land, water and capital is diverted to the production of biofuel.
IMAGE by Flickr user fazen
Government messes up again when it comes to ‘green initiatives’! When will the powers that be realise that a holistic approach to green living is best and begins by reducing the numbers of cars on the road whilst improving public transport at zero increases in fares.
18.04.2008 at 11:11 am