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<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2007/aug/17/climatechange.energy">http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2007/aug/17/climatechange.energy</a><br>
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<h1>Biofuels switch a mistake, say researchers</h1>
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<ul class="article-attributes">
<li class="byline"> Tristan Farrow </li>
<li class="publication"> <a
href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguardian">The Guardian</a> </li>
<li class="date"> Friday August 17 2007<br>
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<p class="caption">20%
of the UK's agricultural land could be used to grow biofuels, such as
rape seed, by 2010. Photograph: Christopher Furlong/Getty</p>
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<p>Increasing
production of biofuels to combat climate change will release between
two and nine times more carbon gases over the next 30 years than fossil
fuels, according to the first comprehensive analysis of emissions from
biofuels. </p>
<p>Biofuels - petrol and diesel extracted from plants -
are presented as an environmentally friendly alternative to fossil
fuels because the crops absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as
they grow. </p>
<p>The study warns that forests must not be cleared to
make way for biofuel crops. Clearing forests produces an immediate
release of carbon gases into the atmosphere, accompanied by a loss of
habitats, wildlife and livelihoods, the researchers said.</p>
<p>Britain
is committed to substituting 10% of its transport fuel with biofuels
under Europewide plans to slash carbon emissions by 2020.</p>
<p>"Biofuel
policy is rushing ahead without understanding the implications," said
Renton Righelato of the World Land Trust, a conservation charity. "It
is a mistake in climate change terms to use biofuels." </p>
<p>Dr
Righelato's study, with Dominick Spracklen from the University of
Leeds, is the first to calculate the impact of biofuel carbon emissions
across the whole cycle of planting, extraction and conversion into
fuel. They report in the journal Science that between two and nine
times more carbon emissions are avoided by trapping carbon in trees and
forest soil than by replacing fossil fuels with biofuels.</p>
<p>Around
40% of Europe's agricultural land would be needed to grow biofuel crops
to meet the 10% fossil fuel substitution target. That demand on arable
land cannot be met in the EU or the US, say the scientists, so is
likely to shift the burden on land in developing countries.</p>
<p>The
National Farmers Union said 20% of Britain's agricultural land could be
used to grow biofuels by 2010. However, the researchers say reforesting
the land would be a better way to reduce emissions.</p>
<p>Biofuels look
good in climate change terms from a Western perspective, said Dr
Spracklen, but globally they actually lead to higher carbon emissions.
"Brazil, Paraguay, Indonesia among others have huge deforestation
programmes to supply the world biofuel market", he said.</p>
<p>The
researchers say the emphasis should be placed on increasing the
efficiency of fossil fuel use and moving to carbon-free alternatives
such as renewable energy.</p>
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<pre class="moz-signature" cols="72">--
"I am not a liberator. Liberators do not exist. The people liberate themselves." – Che Guevara</pre>
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