Biofuels switch a mistake, say researchers

SPIGOT is not a natural Guardian reader, but is indebted to that esteemed British newspaper for the following. Shock, horror! Increasing production of bio-fuels to combat climate change will release between two and nine times more carbon gases over the next 30 years than fossil fuels. Researchers at the University of Leeds have calculated the impact of bio-fuel carbon emissions across the whole cycle of planting, extraction and conversion into fuel. Bio-fuels look good in climate change terms from a Western perspective but globally they actually lead to higher carbon emissions, they conclude. "Brazil, Paraguay, Indonesia among others (Mocambique, South Africa) have huge deforestation programmes to supply the world bio-fuel market", he said. Does the Law of Unintended Consequence loom over the horizon? Spigot wonders.