There is a growing backlash on both sides of the Atlantic against biofuels
Biofuels
Food Versus Fuel Debate Intensifies in US
The highly-charged debate of food versus fuel is rising rapidly up the American political agenda, after the worst drought for 50 years in the US has inflicted huge damage on the country’s maize crop. The debate has now intensified with the UN calling for an immediate suspension of the US government-mandated scheme which diverts around … Read More
The Madness of US and EU Biofuels Policy
Sometime you just cannot make sense of the madness. In its desire to rid itself of the ravages of foreign oil addiction, the US is subsidizing domestic ethanol production. The success of this programme means that nearly four out of ten bushels of this year’s corn crop will be made into fuel for your car. … Read More
Obama’s War Machine Goes Green
On the fifth anniversary of the Iraq war, a report from Oil Change International, entitled A Climate of War, analysed both the greenhouse gas emissions of the war and the costs involved in fighting that war rather than climate change. The report contained many shocking facts but a couple were that the projected total US … Read More
A complete mockery of forest protection
Anyone following the palm oil debate would not have been surprised by the findings of the BBC’s top investigative programme Panorama earlier in the week, which investigated the industry. Using GPS technology and satellite imaging, the BBC exposed how the palm oil giant Duta Palma Group is logging on both high conservation lands and deep … Read More
A Quarter of US Grain Goes to Biofuels
A shocking new analysis by the respected Earth Policy Institute has revealed that over a quarter of the total US grain crop was turned into ethanol to fuel cars last year. The figure has tripled since 2004. Because the US is by far the largest grain exporter, the fact that it is feeding an increasing … Read More
US biofuels: “Just throwing money out the window”
In its investigation into the explosion of corporate lobbyists swarming around the US Climate Bill last year, the Centre for Public Integrity noted that “agriculture-based alternative fuels were especially well represented among the new lobbying entrees”. In fact, the CIJ pointed out, the agriculture industry is the fourth largest industry lobby on climate in the … Read More
The Angry Mermaid Strikes Back
All the news reports this morning are that a deal at Copenhagen is dead. Barack Obama has said that we had run out of time to secure a deal in December. This will please the corporate lobbyists no end. The longer they can delay action on climate the better. But now Copenhagen’s iconic mermaid is … Read More
Aviation Emissions “Should be Capped at Copenhagen”
Why is the aviation industry been so untouchable when it comes to climate change? That is the question on many people’s lips as the British government prepares to cut carbon from pretty much every sector but aviation. The way aviation is treated may have something to do with the intricate links between the industry and … Read More
Policy Re-Think Needed for “Biofuels Bogeyman”
Here’s yet more evidence to nail into the coffin of the biofuel revolution. Biofuels have gone from the ultimate “win-win solution” to a “bogeyman” that threatens to starve the poor and keep the cars of the rich running, according to a new report by Christian Aid. Having reviewed all the evidence, the development charity has … Read More