Don't ignore deforestation4 October 2010
The EU promotes biofuels as 'green' - but ignores the hidden costs to our forests.
The massive expansion of biofuel crops is destroying forests and wildlife.
More biofuel plantations means less land for food crops - driving food prices through the roof and contributing to hunger in poor countries.
Worse than petrol and diesel
New research shows that biofuels can produce more green house gas emissions than fossil fuels.
The figures include emissions from deforestation caused by demand for biofuels - known as "indirect land use change" or ILUC.
Our results demonstrate that the net effect of biofuel production via clearing of carbon-rich habitats is to increase CO2 emissions for decades or centuries relative to fossil fuel
Joseph Fargione, Land clearing and the biofuel carbon debt, 2008
Taking ILUC into account, biofuels from crops like palm oil and soy can damage the climate even more than petrol and diesel.
Click here for a graph showing the true extent of emissions from biofuels.
New rules
These hidden emissions are not currently considered by the EU when they assess the impact of biofuels on the climate.
The UK government must make sure that the EU introduces a penalty - the so called "ILUC factor" - for forest-destroying biofuels.
Email the minister responsible and ask him to make sure that deforestation caused by biofuels is not ignored.
Send a message to Norman Baker today
© Milieudefensie / Walhi
