by Michael Smith (Veshengro)
Environmental groups have called for the targets for biofuels to be scrapped after data published by the Renewable Fuels Agency showed that less than twenty percent of all biofuels that are currently on sale in the Britain are meeting environmental standards.
The British Government's Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) aims to increase biofuels to five percent of all fuel sold by 2010-11, while the EU is expected to agree a target of ten percent by 2020.
The Renewable Fuels Agency's first monthly report, published recently, and which covers the first month of the RTFO from April 15 to May 14, showed that just nineteen percent of biofuels have met environmental standards, compared to a thirty percent target for the year.
The market was dominated by imports, but retailers had no idea of the country of origin or of the feedstock used for nearly half of the fuels they sold.
All one can say to that is “what a shambles”.
Friends of the Earth's biofuels campaigner, Asad Rehman, said: "The shocking admission that we are unable to identify the origin of nearly half the biofuels used in the UK means that the Government cannot assure the British people that the biofuels in their petrol tanks have not destroyed rainforests.
"That less than a fifth of the biofuels used fail to meet even minimal environmental standards adds further weight to Friends of the Earth's view that they are a phoney solution to climate change.
"The Government must put the RTFO on hold and vote against EU biofuels targets."
To this one can but add that this is not a sustainable way and we, therefore, must get away from such biofuels, especially as it has been shown that the use of agrofuels is causing the current food crisis and will but make matters worse if we continue down that road.
Last month, the Renewable Fuels Agency's review of biofuels, led by Professor Ed Gallagher, concluded that biofuels could harm biodiversity, cause greenhouse gas emissions, and contribute to rising food prices, if not more safeguards be put in place.
As stated above, I think that we must stop playing with agrofuels and look for better alternatives.
© M Smith (Veshengro), August 2008
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Biofuels fail to meet standards
