Biofuels like an extra half million cars on the roads17 April 2009
It is one year since the Government began asking fuel suppliers to add biofuels to their products.
This was meant to cut climate changing emissions.
But new research by Friends of the Earth shows the rules have had the opposite effect.
The new research reveals that less damage may have been done if half a million extra cars had been put on our roads.
What's wrong with biofuels?
Growing plants absorbs the same amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) as burning them does. So in theory biofuels should have a neutral effect on climate change.
The problem lies in the way that biofuel crops like soy and palm oil are produced.
Using more biofuels increases demand for farmland - and leads food producers to seek new places to grow their crops.
The only way to meet this demand is to chop down rainforests and other precious habitats.
Forests store billions of tonnes of carbon - so when they're cut down, climate changing emissions soar.
Ignoring the impacts
The Government currently ignores these emissions when calculating the overall climate impact of biofuels.
The truth is that many crop-based biofuels actually cause more climate changing emissions than the petrol and diesel they replace.
Trying to cut emissions by adding biofuels to petrol is like trying to cut down on beer by lacing your pints with vodka.
Andy Atkins, Friends of the Earth's Director
If just 10% of the land used for biofuels has displaced other crops, the biofuels used in the UK would have released an additional 3 million tonnes of CO2.
But the real figure is likely to be much higher.
Real solutions for transport
Friends of the Earth is calling for a new direction in transport.
We want investment in solutions that work, including:
- First-class public transport.
- More cycle routes.
- Smarter cars that save on fuel.
© Friends of the Earth
