BIOFUELS VS. ETHICS

The publisher of this piece is “Ethical Corporation” and under its masthead is its motto: “Not an oxymoron.” Really. The title of the piece, though...well, nobody is putting any disclaimers under it.

Renewable energy: Business must see beyond the biofuels bonanza
Chandran Nair, Aust 7, 2007 (Ethical Corporation)

WHO
Chandran Nair (Singaporean poet and former UNESCO director/mediator) vs biofuel advocates

WHAT
Biofuels, if mass-produced, require universal codes of control with enforcement to avoid doing harm in a variety of ways.

The choices get more stark every day. Its either this...

WHEN
- Nair posits the present “craze” for biofuel production will soon exhaust itself.
- 98% of Indonesia’s natural rainforests will be degraded or gone by 2022 (5 years ago forecast was 2032).

WHERE
The biofuels-growing impetus is especially strong in farming and undeveloped regions where the opportunity to make “energy industry-sized” money is seductive.

WHY
- Biomass has a carbon-neutral cycle that the production of biofuels cannot claim. Burning biofuels releases CO2 and methane.
- Biofuels currently require more energy to produce than they provide.
- Clearing forests to grow biofuels destroys carbon sinks, not to mention ecosystems, and is going on a terrifying pace to meet EU goal of 10% biofuels by 2020.
- Result: Malaysian/Indonesian palm oil forests disappearing, Malaysians and Indonesians lacking for palm oil. Mexico: maize price up 6%, soy price up 13%.
Solutions: From Brazil—Set aside sugar for ethanol crop land as reserve. Also: A universal certification of sustainability applying to development for crops in developing nations of Africa, Asia and Latin America, w/participation of agribusiness and energy producers. W/5 provisions—virgin forests off limits, (2) more efficient use of land, (3) better technology, (4) enforcement, (5) organic practices)

...or this. Its not that hard a choice. Spread the word.

QUOTES
- UN report ("Sustainable Bio-energy: A Framework for Decision Makers"): “Where crops are grown for energy purposes the use of large-scale cropping could lead to significant biodiversity loss, soil erosion, and nutrient leaching. Even varied crops could have negative impacts if they replace wild forests or grasslands.”
- Nair: “Tellingly, the UN report concludes that bio-fuels are more effective when used for heating and power, not transport.”