The Burning Question?

Question

This is the headline from today's Independent. It refers to the production of biofuels devastating huge swathes of the world's environment.

Conservation International estimates that the Cerrado of Brazil and Paraguay will disappear by 2030.

Indonesia is now the third biggest climate polluter in the world after the US and China. Indonesia could lose all its rainforests by illegal felling in 15 years.

African countries such as Mozambique and Burkina Fasso are two of the hardest hits countries as their food is turned into biofuel.

Now I don't suppose we can do a single thing by ourselves, but what do you think people can do if they get together?

My thoughts are that we can contact our MP and see what their opinion is and suggest they will lose our vote if their policy on biofuels is not pro-green enough.

What do you think?

Answer 1

buggered if you do buggered if you don't,stop worrying and start enjoying your  end of the world experience

Answer 2

give up the internal combustion engine

and get the whole world to follow.

because what has been set into motion is more terrible ,than Atilla the Hun http://byderule.multiply.com/journal/ite...

But like any good Drug lord they picked an addiction that is hard to get rid off.,

the car

Answer 3

That is heavy you are going to have to take a chill pill

This a big con and you are being conned

Lighten up stop being so fanatical.

You no I makes sense

All the best

Stay silkay

Answer 4

Ideally - Governments around the world, would gradually increase fuel tax's, to encourage people to reduce their demands ...etc.

Unfortunately there - never seems to be a good time to increase tax's, due to - inflation, recession consequences and worries ..etc.

http://www.energysavenow.com

Answer 5

Boycott Mc Donalds!!!

Reason: their beef is largely from Brazil and cattle farming is the primary driver for deforestation.

Biofuels compared to cattle farming use only a small surface.

On the contrary, most cattle farming in developed countries does not lead to additional deforestation.

Answer 6

The biofuel policies in these places are very ill-conceived.  Still, as has been said when others posted this stuff, there are two sides to it.  It's actually pretty unlikely that biofules are causing the food shortages.  The foods involved are wheat and rice, while the biofuels are corn and soybeans.  There is much more support for the idea that it is the worldwide droughts caused by Global Waring.  The real tragedy is the clear cutting of the rain forests, which are irreplaceable.  One problem is these poorly planned biofuel programs are in many cases subsidized by developed countries who don't care if they fail.  They just want to slow the rate of industrialization.  The UN article says  "The EU finances the exports of European agricultural surpluses to Africa ... where they are offered at one half or one third of their (production) price," the UN official charged.

"That completely ruins African agriculture," he added.

It goes on to say

"In addition, international market speculation on food commodities must cease,"

It's like the people who blame biofuels for the rising cost of commodities.  That's total baloney.  It is the high price of oil created by some cozy business deals that drives the price up.

After all, 75% of the worlds KNOWN reserves ar in the Middle East.  They are tapping the same pressure domes they were in the 1950's.  You don't really think it costs them 20 times as much today, do you?

Answer 7

Why haven't these pollution governments never heard of conservation. We help protect vanishing animal species, and national monuments. Shouldn't we (all the inhabitants) try to curtail killing off the world's forests and replant as the trees are felled. Let us all be Johny Apple Seed and plant new forests.

Spartawo...

Answer 8

yes writ to your mp now, they are talking about changing the e.u. targets as they have now seen how short sighted the 'dash for veg' has been.

i have a feeling it was all too easy a quick fix for the energy security thing as well as the renewables obligations, it was very badly thought through.