Biofuels
Fuels which are produced from wood, waste, (hydrogen) gas, and
alcohol are called biofuels. A wide variety of plant materials like corn,
hemp, willows, poplars and sugar-cane can also be used. Biofuels used
to be regarded as renewable alternatives to fossil fuels and nuclear
energy. Now the disadvantages are emerging.
The plants used as biofuels need land for their
production. This land could otherwise be used to grow crops for food.
The European Union is insisting that 10 % of all
transport fuels must come from 'renewable' sources by 2020. Using
plant-based biofuels would take between 4 and 9 million hectares away
from food production. The United Nations has estimated that this could
increase international food prices by 40 %.
Opening up more unused land for food and biofuel
production would cause an increase of between 27 and 56 million tonnes
of extra greenhouse gases; this would be equal to putting 26 million
more cars on the road.
So yet another 'magic' solution to an environmental
problem seems to create more problems than it solves.