EU Suddenly Awakens
The European Union has suddenly come to the realization that their biofuel mandates are causing more harm than good. They are having to completely retool their guidelines.
Europe's environment chief has admitted that the EU did not foresee the problems raised by its policy to get 10% of Europe's road fuels from plants.
Recent reports have warned of rising food prices and rainforest destruction from increased biofuel production.
The EU has promised new guidelines to ensure that its target is not damaging.
EU Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas said it would be better to miss the target than achieve it by harming the poor or damaging the environment……
…..Since then reports have warned that some biofuels barely cut emissions at all - and others can lead to rainforest destruction, drive up food prices, or prompt rich firms to drive poor people off their land to convert it to fuel crops.
I've been pointing these things out for quite a while here at Blue Crab Boulevard. Eventually, I think the EU - and hopefully the US - will come to see that this "solution" is worse than the problem it is supposed to fix.
Energy, Environment, World news | Gaius Monday, 14 January , 2008
By feeblemind, Monday, 14 January , 2008 @ 9:00 am
The whole bio-fuels debacle is a classic case of the consequences of Government command economic decisions.
By Maggie, Monday, 14 January , 2008 @ 1:39 pm
So-o-o-o …
Two things we are behind on with the EU-crats:
socialized healthcare
and
bio-fuels
By Bleepless, Monday, 14 January , 2008 @ 4:48 pm
Obviously, the civilized, sophisticated and nuanced EU never makes a major mistake, so we provincials must conclude that they are cleaning up the place by helping the hungry starve to death.
By Mockin'bird, Monday, 14 January , 2008 @ 5:05 pm
Tip o’ the ballcap to feeblemind, again.
It’s an externality that scientists figured out long ago.
Government grants again, folks. I can just see a grant someday for a guy with an idea for a round thing, could be used for all kind of things. With enough grant money, these round things could be used to, well, transport things.