Further studies cast doubt on environmental merits of biofuels
Fri 15 February 2008
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More reports published recently have cast doubt on the environmental benefits of biofuels. The New York Times reported the results of two studies which said that almost all biofuels used today are causing more greenhouse gas emissions than conventional fuels when full life-cycle emissions are taken into account.
The studies, published in the prestigious journal Science, took a comprehensive look at the emissions effects of the large amount of natural land that is being converted to cropland globally to support biofuels development. They say that the destruction of natural ecosystems — whether rainforest in the tropics or grasslands in South America — not only releases greenhouse gases into the atmosphere when they are burned and ploughed, but also deprives the planet of natural sponges to absorb carbon emissions.
Both studies - one from researchers at the University of Princeton, led by Dr Timothy Searchinger, and the second led by Dr Joseph Fargione from Nature Conservancy - conclude that it does not matter if it is rain forest or scrubland that is cleared, the greenhouse gas contribution is significant. They say that, taken globally, the production of almost all biofuels resulted, directly or indirectly, intentionally or not, in new lands being cleared, either for food or fuel.
The European Union and a number of European countries have recently tried to address the land use issue with proposals stipulating that imported biofuels cannot come from land that was previously rainforest. But even with restrictions in place to stipulate that imported biofuels should not come from land of such high ecological value Dr. Searchinger’s study shows that the purchase of biofuels in Europe and the United States leads indirectly to the destruction of natural habitats far afield.
The study cites the example of vegetable oil prices rising - as they have because of increased demand for biofuel crops- leading to the clearance of more new land as farmers in developing countries try to take advantage of the higher prices. There is a displacement effect as crops from old plantations go to Europe for biofuels, while new fields are cleared to feed people at home.
In the UK, Friends of the Earth has published a new report entitled, 'Losing Ground', which states that palm oil production for food and biofuels is resulting in widespread human rights abuses in Indonesia.
Meanwhile the RSPB has also warned that a flourishing wetland on Kenya's northern coast is under serious threat from plans to grow large amounts of sugarcane, partly for biofuel production.
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