The EU directive promoting the use of energy from renewable sources requires millions of tons of biofuels to be added to gasoline and diesel fuels for road use. A share of 10% will be required in 2020.
Yet biofuels have grave consequences for human nutrition, as they are based almost entirely on food crops: corn, wheat, sugar beet and sugarcane are the raw materials for ethanol, while rapeseed, soybean and palm oil are used for biodiesel. Contrary to the claims of the biofuels lobby, the share of residual and waste materials and non-edible plants is minimal.
The production of biofuels requires huge tracts of land that are not only lost to food production, but also to nature, in Europe and worldwide: already 21 percent of Germany’s arable land – 2.5 million hectares – is being used to cultivate renewable fuel resources.
According to the German government, over half (53%) of the required ethanol is imported from overseas. Brazil – the world’s largest ethanol exporter – is clearing tropical forests and savannas for a sugarcane monoculture.
The production of biodiesel also means importing vast quantities of palm and soybean oil from Southeast Asia and South America. Rainforests are being burned for palm oil plantations in Indonesia and Malaysia, while Argentina and Brazil are clearing forests for soybean cultivation.
Even studies produced on behalf of the EU Commission confirm that biofuels are more harmful than petroleum-based fossil fuels.
The EU now intends to review its biofuels policy. Blending quotas and subsidies are a major source of income, however, and the powerful European biofuels lobby is committed to preventing reason from prevailing over business interests.
Please sign our petition to the EU at https://www.rainforest-rescue.org/mailalert/892?ref=nl&mt=1453.
Start of campaign: Oct 16, 2012
Comments
What do you do with fossi fuel ?
Since mankind discovered fossil fuels he has done his best to use up as much fossil fuels as he possibly could, with total disregard for future generations & in regards to crude oil reserves which is usually converted to petrol or diesel fuel, well their is only 100 years left of supply, unless more fossil fuel oil pools are discovered. The media is broadcasting shows like farmer wants a wife to encourage people to learn to live off the land, hopefully respecting the schools of permaculture & monoculture as fossil fuel petrol & diesel resources are becoming harder to find. Theirs alot of coal in this world & its possible to convert coal into liquid fuel but alot of enviromental groups are against this.
What is clear is that oil is getting harder to find and extract, and this is reflected in rising prices. A barrel that cost $10 in 1998 and $64 in 2007 today costs $135. Economists are predicting that the $200 ceiling will be broached before the end of the year.
Fossil fuels are supposed to be used in landscaping & excavating, creating permaculture habitats & monoculture areas, for humanity to exist. People should learn how to use SUV's with attached trailers for transporting produce around for thats what SUV's were designed for. Utes are ok, chainsaws are cool. Tractors, bobcats & excavators are fun. Motorbikes & scooters are great & trucks are good for those big jobs. If their are to be built up urban areas or cities then these people should work in industries like food engineering & mechanical engineering. We should really concentrate on using fossil fuels for landscaping permaculture & monoculture habitats.
Will Biofuels Replace fossil fuels
Alot of work has to be done before Biofuels will replace fossil fuels, Australia actually lags behind many other countries around the world in the field of biofuel cultivation. Reason being its going to take alot of work by alot of people to establish biofuel production.
Most efficient Biofuel crop yields, in order . . .
algae (open pond)
Copaifera langsdorffii
Millettia pinnata
oil palm
chinese tallow
coconut
avocado
brazil nuts
macadamia nuts
jatropha
jojoba
pecan nuts
castor beans
olives
rapeseed
opium poppy
peanut
cacao (cocoa)
sunflowers
tung tree
rice
safflower
sesame
camelina
mustard seed
coriander
pumpkin seed
euphorbia
hazelnuts
flax (linseed)
coffee
soybean
hemp
cotton
calendula
kenaf
lupin (lupine)
oats
cashew nut
maize (corn)
Note its possible for robotic machinery to cultivate biofuels & even alot of our food can be cultivated by robotic machinery, this would free up time for humanity to concentrate on writing, mathematics, design, divination, scientific investigation & classification & academic research.
Will electric machinery & vehicles replace fuel powered vehicles ?
Possibly they could but this would involve investing in renewables like Geothermal, Hydroelectricity, Solar energy, Tidal power, Wave power & Wind power. Alot of machinery would have to be made to be electric instead of running on fuel. Possibly vehicles will run on roads that have a rail at the same level as the road, note the vehicle does not have to make contact with the rail for a tesla coil can transmit electricity without wires, this would do away with cumbersome batteries & a overhead electric grid.
What about gas powered vehicles ?
Well gas might be able to bridge the gap, until we have electric vehicles or biofuel powered vehicles, but we should really concentrate on investing in biofuels & renewable electric power generation in the mean time.
Algae power is the most efficient biofuel, their are others biofuels which are already being invested in like oil palms, oil seeds & sugercane ethanol & conifer tree methanol as well as others.
http://indymedia.org.au/2011/08/13/closed-energy-loop-for-sydney
http://indymedia.org.au/2012/09/09/algae-humanitys-saviour
http://indymedia.org.au/2012/10/18/secret-geoengineering-in-the-pacific
You are advocating killer agriculture
You are totally ignoring that people are being killed in several countries to get at their land to grow agrofuel crops to power cars. You are totally ignoring that in countries near us forests are wiped out for palm oil plantations with unbelievably huge environmental dangers and human displacement. You are totally ignoring that using land for agrofuel crops has already driven up food prices and is continuing to do so exponentially. What planet do you live on?
Whats the alternative ?
[1] Biofuels, robotic machinery can cultivate biofuel crops, suck up carbon, produce oxygen, clean option . . .
[2] Conversion of rock into fuel, like coal & other rocks, (Thermal depolymerization) more research & development required.
[3] Conversion of Ocean, Atmosphere & rock into fuel, (Thermal depolymerization) more research & development required.
[4] Electric propulsion, well we are getting their slowly.
I say its a toss up between [1] & [4] . . .
Their might be more oil pools yet to be discovered
http://www.imeche.org/knowledge/themes/energy/energy-supply/fossil-energ...
Bring back my donkey
http://indymedia.org.au/2012/08/18/bring-back-my-donkey
The German Government dont know what they are talking about
The German Government dont know what they are talking about, we should be listening to the swedish government.
We should be listening to AUSI
We should be listening to AUSI, Australien Universal Space Industries.
http://indymedia.org.au/2012/08/07/the-space-elevator-demystified
Government should subsidise biofuel producers in Australia
Biofuel producers in Australia should be subsidised by the government, this issue must be addressed otherwise we may as well go back to the horse & cart.
There's a variety of transport options
http://indymedia.org.au/2012/11/18/australia-is-doomed
laser powered vehicles are the future of transportation
http://indymedia.org.au/2013/02/13/laser-powered-vehicles-are-the-future...