As solutions to global warming go, producing biodiesel from palm oil looks like a pretty poor idea, since it generates ten times the amount of CO2 that conventional fossil diesel does. George Monbiot calls for a moratorium on biofuels before it’s too late.
Africa’s vast arable lands have the potential to rival top agricultural nations like the United States in supplying biofuels to a world seeking cleaner energy sources.
But using land reserved for food production to supply biofuel demand could squeeze food supplies in a region vulnerable to shortages. It could also hurt poor consumers if the biofuel boom continues to push food prices higher.
The debate over the use of biofuels continues. Is it good or bad? A leading British investor voices concerns over the use of biofuels to combat climate change.
The expansion of biofuel crops around the world are forcing indigenous people off their lands, the United Nations reports.
“Prime Minister Stephen Harper recently announced a $1.5-billion, nine-year plan to make Canada a leader in biofuel production.”
However, a new report in the journal Science states that restoring and protecting forests would have a larger impact on reducing carbon than planting “energy crops.”
“Sweden and Brazil signed a deal on Tuesday to promote bioenergy and foster a world market for biofuels, the Swedish government said. The two countries will also work to increase cooperation between researchers and companies to improve techniques for sustainable production.”
“Plans by China and India to raise biofuels production from irrigated maize and sugarcane could aggravate water shortages and undermine food output, an international report said on Thursday.”
“Six in 10 Americans believe the use of corn to make ethanol has raised food prices and caused more people to go hungry, the latest evidence of a growing global backlash against alternative “green” fuels.”
Ecotec, a north western firm in London has developed a method to turn the by-products from chocolate manufacturing to biodiesel.
A report by the Royal Society warns that although there has been a strong interest in the development in biofuels, it may not “deliver significant reductions in transport emissions and could even be environmentally damaging unless the government implements the right policies.”