Biofuels

Climate survey pooh-poohs biofuels
A poll of 1000 climate change “decision makers” from 105 countries, including government and industry officials, listed solar energy as the technology with the top potential to cut carbon emissions. But biofuels derived from crops, such as corn-based ethanol, placed last, with only 21 per cent saying it was the best option when considering the side effects. Biofuel production has been on the rise in recent years as it is seen as a clean form of energy in an era of soaring oil prices and growing worries about carbon emissions blamed for global warming. Doug Miller, head of the polling company Globespan which conducted the survey, said more policymakers were hopeful about finetuning second-generation biofuels, such as those made from forestry waste. Policymakers may fear “that a kind of disaster with an impact on food prices is going to turn consumers and the political system off the next generation” of biofuel, Mr Miller said. The survey also found that 92 per cent of policymakers believed it was important for all countries to be involved in the next agreement on global warming.

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