From today in the UK, all petrol and diesel sold on forecourts must contain at least 2.5 per cent biofuel.

Although the Government insists its flagship environmental policy will make Britain’s 33 million vehicles greener, there is a huge amount of evidence that the biofuel revolution will speed up global warming and the loss of vital habitat worldwide.

As we have repeatedly pointed out on the blog, nearly every day a new voice joins the chorus against using biofuels.

Just today, the New York Times points out that “Biofuels are fast becoming a new flash point in global diplomacy, putting pressure on Western politicians to reconsider their policies, even as they argue that biofuels are only one factor in the seemingly inexorable rise in food prices.”

To mark the event in the UK, the Independent has a front page lead that asks a simple question: “The production of biofuel is devastating huge swathes of the world’s environment. So why on earth is the Government forcing us to use more of it?”

Good question. Anyone got any answers?