Flying in the face of reason: biofuels and aviation12 October 2011
Airlines could uses crops to power planes. But biofuel flights threaten to push up food prices and increase deforestation.
Thomson Airways recently flew a plane on recycled cooking oil - but this was only a test flight. Commercial-scale use of biofuels in aviation would rely on crops that should be feeding people.
The availability of recycled cooking oil is very limited: it would take the average person about a hundred years to save up enough chip fat to fly one-way from Birmingham to Lanzarote.
Thomson plans to launch a daily biofuel flight next year. Friends of the Earth is concerned that this will need biofuel derived from crops like soya and palm oil - known drivers of rainforest deforestation.
Climate research
Research has shown that biofuels from crops may use more climate-changing emissions than they save.
Biofuels won't make flying any greener - their production is wrecking rainforests, pushing up food prices and causing yet more climate-changing emissions.
Kenneth Richter, biofuels campaigner, Friends of the Earth
Friends of the Earth is calling on the Government to halt airport expansion and develop greener alternatives to flying, like:
- Better rail services to replace short-haul flights.
- Promoting video conferencing.
The aviation industry has consistently opposed measures to protect our economy and our environment from global warming - the EU must force the sector to play its part.
Richard Dyer, transport campaigner, Friends of the Earth
An EU legal expert has advised that rules forcing airlines to pay for their carbon is legal.
What you can do
Read more about biofuels and their impact on the environment.
Please tell your MP that biofuels are a false solution.
