Biofuels
SSW believes that some biofuels (fuels produced from plant material) could provide a more sustainable alternative to fossil fuels (petrol and diesel) as sources of energy for transport. At present, our support would extend to biofuels made from products that would otherwise be considered ‘waste’, such as recovered cooking oils. There is also a case for supporting ‘biogas’ produced from farm wastes (or potentially some municipal wastes) through processes like anaerobic digestion. However there is still a debate as to whether farm wastes are more appropriately used as a fertiliser.
What is less clear is the benefit to be achieved from producing fuels from crops grown specifically for processing into a transport fuel. Notwithstanding UK, EU and US encouragement for their use, it is these products that, for a number of reasons, are becoming increasingly contentious. Firstly, and perhaps most importantly, there is competition for land between that needed to grow biofuels and that needed to grow food. This competition is a contributory factor in current increases in food prices (worldwide) – with potentially serious social, economic and environmental consequences. Secondly, there is some debate about the reductions in CO2 achieved after growing and processing biofuels against using petrol and diesel, with particular concerns around bioethanol (used as a petrol substitute). In addition, extensive fertiliser use for biofuel crops could result in emissions of the more powerful greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (N2O). Thirdly, there is the use of the land prior to planting a biofuel crop. CO2 released by clearing forest (particularly rainforest) or grassland may be equivalent to many decades (or even centuries) of savings from using biofuels in place of oil. Changing the land use can also have adverse impacts on biodiversity, with devastating effects already seen in some tropical areas. Impacts are also seen in the UK, where possibly wildlife-rich ‘set aside’ land is now in use again to grow biofuel crops. Finally, even where there is less controversy over the crop being grown, there may actually be more effective and sustainable uses for the biomass rather than using it as a transport fuel, for example use in combined heat and power plants.
The biofuels debate can be seen as a further example of the fact that there is no ‘technical quick fix’ to many of the sustainability problems that we currently face. Our use of fossil fuels and in particular the amount of travel and transport that we undertake is unsustainable, and is causing us to ‘live beyond environmental limits’. The attempt to replace significant amounts of petrol and diesel with plant based alternatives was never feasible – there isn’t enough land available, and now we are starting to see the social, economic and environmental consequences of assuming that it could be the solution. The UK government has rightly decided to review its biofuel strategy in light of these concerns and it is to be hoped that the EU will soon do the same, as it is clear that the current targets that have been set by both for biofuel use are already causing damage. The so-called ‘second generation’ fuels currently being developed don’t seem to hold much greater promise than current crops, and even though many see ‘third generation’ sources such as oils from algae as the solution these still have their problems (for example costs, and energy expended in processing).
Until solutions are developed which clearly and demonstrably do not create significant social, economic or environmental problems, it is hard to see how wider support for biofuels can be justified. As in many other instances, the ‘sustainable solution’ for transport and travel will be a mixture of responses, some no doubt involving new technology and alternative fuels, but probably most importantly a reduced demand achieved through focussing on ‘accessibility’ to the services and facilities we all need (including re-localisation of provision) rather than just increased ‘mobility’.
© 2007 Sustainability South West - UK registered charity, no. 1106125 - info@sustainabilitysouthwest.org.uk.