Josie Cohen, Campaigns Officer

Another day, another snippet from The Big Biofuel Debate. Listen to what professor Kieth Smith of Edinburgh University has to say about bioufuels by watching the video clip of what he said at the debate featured below. You'll be able to see all of the video clips from the debate on our Youtube channel - more are going up every day.

 If you're wondering what ActionAid's response is to Professor Keith Smith's points, have a read of the below comment from Josie Cohen, Biofuels campaigner.

ActionAid's response to Professor Keith Smith:

Interestingly, Professor Keith Smith highlighted the contrast in drivers of the respective biofuel booms in the US and the EU. In the US, investment in biofuels has come from a desire to achieve energy independence and to not be reliant on foreign oil, particularly from the Middle East. In contrast, in the EU, and therefore here in the UK, the widespread interest in biofuels has come from a climate change perspective and a desire to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. As his presentation continues, Professor Smith outlines the reasons why biofuels are not a solution to climate change, citing emissions from land use change and nitrous oxides from fertilisers as the two main factors that current calculations are failing to take into account. Therefore, following his argument, if biofuels are not a solution to climate change then European governments have no business pursuing policies which promote their use.

He ends by promoting what he believes to be the huge potential of second and third generation biofuels. Second generation biofuels use different technologies and do not compete with food in the traditional sense. For example, it is possible to obtain cellulose from dedicated bio crops (micanthus, switchgrass, poplar etc) to make ethanol or the use of so-called agricultural and forestry waste residues such as straw.

However, we believe that second generation biofuels will have to deal with all the same problems as first generation; namely high emissions from land use change and nitrogen fertilisers as well as competing with agricultural crops for natural resources such as water and the best land. Professor Smith also argues for third generation biofuels which are even more advanced biofuels such as algae.

Once again, we have to disagree as both second and third generation are currently ‘pie in the sky’. In fact, only recently, Shell confirmed that second generation biofuels will not be available until 2020 and who knows if third generation will ever be available. If the UK Government is allowed to set their target which will increase the amount of biofuel in our petrol and diesel by four-fold then 100% of this target will be met with first generation biofuels. Even if second and third generation biofuels did not come with many of the same problems as first generation they would not be ready for at least a decade if ever.

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