Kelly Backs Down On Biofuel Ban

A contradictory government-backed report on the use of biofuels has produced a predictably watered-down government response, which will do nothing to halt the UK rise in the use of biofuels, when we should be taking a world lead on the issue. 

The long-awaited Gallagher report, from a panel of government experts at the Renewable Fuels Agency, should have forced a review of UK targets for the use of biofuels in place of petrol and diesel. 

Instead, economic arguments crept into what should have been a scientific report, making it political. 

And that allowed transport secretary, Ruth Kelly, to fudge the issue by suggesting only caution and consultation.

Around the world, forests are being destroyed, cattle driven off the land and crops once grown for food now grown for corn, rapeseed, palm and soya. Here fields of corn and rapeseed are being grown for biofuels. 

But the Gallagher report rejected a moratorium on biofuels because "a moratorium will reduce the ability of the biofuels industry to invest in new technology and makes it significantly more difficult for the potential of biofuels to be realised."

Oxfam has said the rush to develop biofuels has played a "significant" role in the dramatic rise in global food prices. Latin American leaders, in Bolivia and Peru, have told the UN using land for biofuels was putting food out of reach of the poor.

Since April, all petrol and diesel in the UK has had to contain 2.5% of biofuels. 

The US, Brazil and the EU are the main players on the biofuel stage. About half of EU vegetable oils now go towards the production of biodiesel and plant-derived ethanol.

The rising use of biofuels both in the UK and in the world has been noted here on a number of occasions, with a warning that the government will do nothing on this issue.

Kelly's statement came on the day the World Bank president called for reform of biofuel policies in rich countries, urging them to grow more food instead and blaming biofuels for a 75% rise in food prices.

Biofuels are green gold and big business. For the moment, it seems, they're here to stay.

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G8 Will Turn Blind Eye To World Poverty

The world's G8 leaders may be gathering in Japan for a summit and protesters gathering, but nothing will be done about one of the main causes of world food poverty, biofuels. The green gold leaves a bitter aftertaste.

Two Latin American leaders, not part of the powerful G8 elite, have already issued warnings about the effects of biofuel production on food supplies.

Speaking at the UN, Bolivian President Evo Morales said growing crops for biofuels harmed the world's most impoverished people. And President Alan Garcia of Peru said using land for biofuels was putting food out of reach for the poor.

Since April, all petrol and diesel in the UK has had to contain 2.5% of biofuels, with a 2010 target of 5%. Oxfam is calling for this target to be scrapped.

Our cars are being driven by greed and the big business of biofuels is forcing millions of people into poverty. Around the world, forests are being destroyed, cattle driven off the land and crops once grown for food now grown for corn, rapeseed, palm and soya.

Here in the UK and more notably in the US, fields of corn and rapeseed are being grown for biofuels. Everyone's a winner except the environment and the starving people.

The government's Gallagher report, backed up by a report from Oxfam, is expected to show the rush to develop biofuels has played a "significant" role in the dramatic rise in global food prices, which has left millions of people without enough to eat.

The reports should forced a review of British and EU targets for the use of biofuels in place of petrol and diesel but it won't.

Ethanol and biodiesel derived from vegetable oil were a central plank of Brown's 'green' strategy. And the biofuel plan is well in place.

The US, Brazil and the EU are the main players on the biofuel stage. The EU is contemplating a 10% target by 2020. About half of EU vegetable oils now go towards the production of biodiesel and plant-derived ethanol.

The G8 consists of leaders from the US, UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Russia. What will they and our 'leader' Brown do about biofuels? Nothing.

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Green Gordon Is Still Brown

Brown doesn't do green. He does deals with his pals in big business. So his 'green' speech at a low carbon economy summit today, probably went down well with greedy business. You can read it here if you must! Green is just the new Brown.

After blaming everything (again) on the world  price of this and global that,  he says he wants to create a cleaner, greener economy with the least cost to consumers and a new generation of green collar jobs.

So can the new green Brown deliver?

What's 'green' about pushng through plans to make it easier for yet more expansion and another runway at Heathrow airport creating more noise and air pollution? 

What's 'green' about building thousands of new homes in the open country side and sticking an 'eco' label in front of them? 

What's 'green' about forcing us to use biofuels in our cars instead of using the fields for food? 

What's 'green' about allowing the big supermarkets to build anywhere and sell anything from anywhere in the world?

What's 'green' about spending billions of pounds on thousands of new wind farms when they'll be twice as expensive to build and maintain as coal or nuclear?

It's all not very 'green', is it?

Just put the word 'greed' in place of 'green' and there you have it. Don't be fooled. Green is the new Brown.

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Biofuels, The Greedy Green Gold Rush

The green gold rush to develop biofuels has played a "significant" part in the dramatic rise in global food prices, which has left millions without enough to eat, according to an Oxfam report today. But the government isn't listening nor will it heed a government report due out later this week. 

Our cars are being driven by greed and the big business of biofuels is forcing millions of people into poverty.

Around the world, forests are being destroyed, cattle driven off the land and crops once grown for food now grown for corn, rapeseed, palm and soya.

Here you get huge grants and subsidies to produce the stuff. The fields of corn and rapeseed are being grown for biofuels. Everyone's a winner except the environment and the people.

The Gallagher report, from a panel of government experts, at the Renewable Fuels Agency, should force a review of British and EU targets for the use of biofuels in place of petrol and diesel  but it won't.

Ethanol and biodiesel derived from vegetable oil were a central plank of Brown's 'green' strategy. And the biofuel plan is well in place. 

Since April, all petrol and diesel in the UK has had to contain 2.5% of biofuels, with a 2010 target of 5%. Oxfam is calling for this target to be scrapped. 

The US, Brazil and the EU are the main players on the biofuel stage. The EU is contemplating a 10% target by 2020. About half of EU vegetable oils now go towards the production of biodiesel and plant-derived ethanol.

What will our government do? They will 'note' the report, come out with some meaningless NewLabourSpeak, maybe call for another review, but do nothing about it.

It's green gold and it leaves a bitter aftertaste.

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