Biofuels 'crime against humanity'

Food prices have risen as more land is used to produce biofuel

A United Nations expert has condemned the growing use of crops to produce biofuels as a replacement for petrol as a crime against humanity.

The UN special rapporteur on the right to food, Jean Ziegler, said he feared biofuels would bring more hunger.

The growth in the production of biofuels has helped to push the price of some crops to record levels.

Mr Ziegler's remarks, made at the UN headquarters in New York, are clearly designed to grab attention.

He complained of an ill-conceived dash to convert foodstuffs such as maize and sugar into fuel, which created a recipe for disaster.

 

Food price rises

 

It was, he said, a crime against humanity to divert arable land to the production of crops which are then burned for fuel.

He called for a five-year ban on the practice.

Biofuels: Quick guide

Within that time, according to Mr Ziegler, technological advances would enable the use of agricultural waste, such as corn cobs and banana leaves, rather than crops themselves to produce fuel.

The growth in the production of biofuels has been driven, in part, by the desire to find less environmentally-damaging alternatives to oil.

The United States is also keen to reduce its reliance on oil imported from politically unstable regions.

But the trend has contributed to a sharp rise in food prices as farmers, particularly in the US, switch production from wheat and soya to corn, which is then turned into ethanol.

Mr Ziegler is not alone in warning of the problem.

The IMF last week voiced concern that the increasing global reliance on grain as a source of fuel could have serious implications for the world's poor.

I think it is ever more imperative that we create a clear and stringent standard for Sustainable Biofuels. I must applaud the work of the Sustainable Biodiesel Alliance (SBA) in this area. I think as industry leaders, the sustainable biodiesel movement needs to distance ourselves from from the prevailing model of biofuels production as exemplified by American Petrochemical and AgriBusiness. I know this strategy is seen as divisive and is not popular among biodiesel proponents. But, as it becomes increasingly clear how damaging biofuels can be, when done wrong, we would be wise to stand clearly and firmly against unsustainable practices.

I think the renewable energy movement has been inclined to feel that any change is a step in the right direction- B11 powered Hummers, 5,000 sq.ft. McMansions with shiny photovoltaic panels- and in most cases I agree (begrudgingly). But, in this case, promoting Corn Ethanol or even Soy Biodiesel may lead us in the wrong direction. We have seen how the Corn Ethanol industry has become a runaway train, independent of the development of cellulosic and other sustainable technologies. Similarly, the Soy Biodiesel industry has continued to grow without bringing us closer to technologies such as Algae or Trap Grease. So, again, why are we promoting a fuel that is clearly unsustainable, at best, and socially/environmentally devastating, at worst, when it is not leading us towards our end goal of sustainability?

So, next time your friend/coworker is considering buying a TDI and running biodiesel tell them to carpool, use public transportation, live closer to work, bike/walk, and if they must drive- demand sustainable fuel sources!

-Nick
 

ecoFox:

So, again, why are we promoting a fuel that is clearly unsustainable, at best, and socially/environmentally devastating, at worst, when it is not leading us towards our end goal of sustainability?

-Nick

Because it is leading us towards a more sustainable liquid fuel.

One step at a time sir.

I agree with much of what you say, fellow southern New Englander ecoFox. Biofuels need to be grown and produced in a responsible manner for them to really work out. I do think eventually corn and soy will fall to the wayside for better oil producing crops like algae, jatropha, switchgrass, etc. 

I also agree that folks simply need to lower their consumption of both goods and power. We need to all try to lighten our carbon footprint in terms of how much we consume as we also shift our consumption to greener items such as recycled items, renewable power, etc. 

 

Poor diners vs rich drivers. Forget about centralized biofuels. That's all i have to say about it.

 

http://www.elements.nb.ca/Theme/energy07/tim/Tim.htm 

http://lickmygreenballs.com/green-media-cherries-12182007

http://www.earth-policy.org/Transcripts/SenateEPW07.htm

http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2007/3/28/16510/3803 

Bleri,

 

Did you read Natescape's post before yours,"I do think eventually corn and soy will fall to the wayside for better oil producing crops like algae, jatropha, switchgrass, etc."? 

 I think most people agree that biofuels should not be produced from sources that are human edible foods.  I would suggest you read the forum more and do more research to see how much benefit to the world biofuels can be.