Biofuels - problem or cure?
Tuesday, 08 Jul 2008 13:50
Biofuels for transport are proving a controversial option
Controversy over the use of biofuels as an energy source rumbled on this week as the government decided to shift its commitment to them down a gear.
With climate change on the agenda for all world leaders, finding ways of reducing carbon emissions is a key challenge.
Biofuels at first seemed to be an exciting prospect for generating energy without the CO2 emissions that contribute to global warming.
But with environmental campaigners and scientists raising concerns that growing the crops for the fuels could actually do more harm than good, the government asked for a review by Professor Ed Gallagher to assess the pros and cons of biofuels.
And what was presented to ministers has caused them to announce the government will take a "more cautious approach" to biofuels, with a slowdown in the rate of increase in the controversial renewable transport fuel obligation (RTFO).
This was introduced in April and requires fuel suppliers to ensure that 2.5 per cent of their sales is made up of biofuels - which was due to rise to five per cent.
Following the Gallagher Review transport secretary Ruth Kelly announced in parliament that the government would consult on slowing down the RTFO rate of increase to 0.5 per cent per annum so that the RTFO reaches five per cent in 2013/14 rather than 2010/11.
She said that until the evidence is clearer about the wider environmental and social effects of biofuels the government would hold fire on increasing biofuel use.
This decision has split campaigners. Has the government abandoned a potential solution to both energy supply and climate change? Or should campaigners who are relieved at the dampened enthusiasm for the fuel supply be believed?
inthenews.co.uk takes a look at the pros and cons of biofuels.
What are biofuels?
Biofuels are made from a range of agri-crop materials including oilseeds, wheat and sugar. They are then blended up to five per cent with petrol and disease and used in vehicles.
The energy source potentially offers the ability to reduce greenhouse gas emissions because the carbon content of the plant matter from which biofuels are produced comes from the CO2 absorbed by the plants from the atmosphere during their lifetime.
This is in contrast to the carbon in fossil fuels, which has been locked under the ground for millions of years and is released into the atmosphere as CO2 when the fuels are burnt.
What are the concerns?
While biofuels have the potential to make greenhouse gas emissions savings, these can be offset by the energy needed to cultivate the crops required for the fuel.
In some cases the production process may take more energy than will be saved when the biofuels are used.
And carbon emissions could be created by changing land for biofuel crop cultivation.
Dr Mark Avery, conservation director of the RSPB, explained: "[Without a halt on biofuel production] the destruction of rainforest and grasslands will continue. And with that will come huge carbon emissions and widespread losses of wildlife."
Concerns have also been raised that biofuels have contributed to an increase in the cost of food, with a leaked World Bank report saying that the use of biofuels has pushed global food prices up by 75 per cent.
ActionAid, which works against global poverty, wants an immediate moratorium on biofuel developments on arable land as it believes this would improve the lives of people in developing countries.
"Grain and vegetable oil are being diverted to biofuels, leading to scarcity and rocketing food prices," said Dr Claire Melamed, ActionAid head of policy.
"In the developing world, land on which farmers and pastoralists depend is being converted into biofuel monocultures. Rural communities are losing their land and risk being driven into destitution and starvation."
Others are more positive about biofuels and have expressed disappointment at delays in their development.
The National Farmers Union (NFU) believes sustainably produced biofuels can play a key role in addressing climate change and energy security, and wants the government to restate its commitment to their use rather than changing targets.
NFU vice president Paul Temple said efforts should be redoubled to produce biofuels sustainably, rather than constraining their development.
"The misguided food versus fuel debate surrounding biofuels is merely the tip of an iceberg of long-term problems in world agriculture and land management," he maintained.
"Energy security, food security and climate change are linked, not separate, challenges. British farmers can play a role in addressing these challenges, using the best methods available with reduced environmental impacts.
"Sustainability criteria, for instance as part of farm assurance schemes, can play a crucial role in ensuring this is the case."