Biofuels worse than petroleum?
09/10/07 20:31
The 
has released a report indicating that many biofuels "offer a cure that is worse than the disease... The current push to expand the use of biofuels is creating unsustainable tensions that may disrupt markets...
...without generating significant environmental benefits," the OECD said. "When acidification, fertiliser use, biodiversity loss and toxicity of agricultural pesticides are taken into account, the overall environmental impacts of ethanol and biodiesel can very easily exceed those of petrol and mineral diesel," it added.
The report points out that biofuel subsidies in the EU and the USA are probably associated with agricultural protectionism and energy security, and suggests biofuel production is best suited to tropical countries.
Meanwhile the
an answer appeared: better efficiency from existing technology
"The best way of tackling greenhouse gas emissions is for countries to pass laws that enforce the use of existing energy-efficient technology", a UN climate change expert said Monday.
"The experts in this area will all tell you that voluntary is nice but if you want impact, it has to be mandatory" he told reporters at a climate change conference. "Governments should introduce standards and labels to phase out the use of inefficient electrical products, added Alers, who is part of the UNDP's Global Environmental Facility.
The European Union's mandatory standards on low carbon emission refrigerators are "spectacular examples" that have transformed the market in the last 10 years, Alers said. "Energy efficiency and energy conservation provides the most cost-effective means of achieving emission reduction targets," said Alers.
The report points out that biofuel subsidies in the EU and the USA are probably associated with agricultural protectionism and energy security, and suggests biofuel production is best suited to tropical countries.
Meanwhile the
"The best way of tackling greenhouse gas emissions is for countries to pass laws that enforce the use of existing energy-efficient technology", a UN climate change expert said Monday.
"The experts in this area will all tell you that voluntary is nice but if you want impact, it has to be mandatory" he told reporters at a climate change conference. "Governments should introduce standards and labels to phase out the use of inefficient electrical products, added Alers, who is part of the UNDP's Global Environmental Facility.
The European Union's mandatory standards on low carbon emission refrigerators are "spectacular examples" that have transformed the market in the last 10 years, Alers said. "Energy efficiency and energy conservation provides the most cost-effective means of achieving emission reduction targets," said Alers.
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