Greens back Biofuelwatch report
06 December 2007
"This report shows that biofuels run the risk of accelerating global warming and undermining climate justice" - Caroline Lucas MEP
Green Party Principal Speaker Caroline Lucas today voiced her support for a new report detailing the harmful effects of biofuel expansion.
'Agrofuels threaten to accelerate global warming' sets out the latest science on biofuels and deforestation, and has been produced by Biofuelwatch - an organisation that campaigns against the use of bioenergy from unsustainable sources. (1)
The report will be released in Bali on Thursday 6th December, where Governments at the key UN climate summit will be discussing how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions after the current Kyoto Protocol targets expire in 2012. Advance copies are available.
Dr. Caroline Lucas MEP, Green Party Principal Speaker, said:
"This report shows that biofuels run the risk of accelerating global warming and undermining climate justice.
"The rush to biofuels is already having a disastrous effect on some of the world's poorest people - with increased food prices, increased competition over land, forced evictions and increased scarcity of water. (2)
"It's estimated that to fill one car tank with biofuel requires around 200kg of maize - enough to feed one person for one year . (3)
"We are pitting the needs of the car drivers in the West for fuel against the needs of much of the world's poor for food.
"I hope politicians and experts at the Bali summit will listen and learn from this timely report."
Dr Andrew Boswell, one of the report's authors and a Green Councillor in Norwich, said:
"Agrofuel policies are being developed without any proper risk analysis having been done. The impacts from the 'worst case scenarios' such as the complete destruction of South-east Asia's peatlands, or the irreversible die-back of the Amazon forest are of such magnitude that they clearly are not risks worth taking.
"The net impact of increased global agrofuels production is likely to be a reduction of natural carbon sinks and an overall increase in greenhouse gas emissions."
ENDS
Notes for Editors:
(1) The full report is at: www.biofuelwatch.org.uk
A Summary sheet prepared for Bali climate talk delegates can be found at:www.biofuelwatch.org.uk
The report includes sections entitled 'Five reasons why agrofuel expansion will make global worming worse and 'Five reasons why agrofuels undermine climate justice.'
(2) Please see pages 32 - 42 of the Statement of the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food Jean Ziegler on 22nd August 2007 - tinyurl.com
(3) Please see paragraph 21, page 8 of the Statement of Special Rapporteur Jean Ziegler on 22nd August 2007 -tinyurl.com
