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Aug
17
2007
Total carbon emissions from biofuels far exceed those generated by burning fossil fuels, according to research published this week in Science. Renton Righelato of the World Land Trust, together with University of Leeds Earth scientist Dominick Spracklen, present data outlining various routes to alternative power, such as production of ethanol and diesel from crops, and conversion from one land use type to another. There’s a startling bottom line: over a thirty-year period, an area of forested land will lock up between two and nine times as much carbon as the emissions avoided if the same area was instead devoted to biofuel production. If that’s not enough bad news, the other statistics don't make comfortable reading either. Replacing just 10% of petrol and diesel demand with biofuel would require 43% and 38% of current US and European croplands, respectively. Fortunately, we simply haven't got the space. Given the other problems with biofuel production -- vast monoculture being just one form of biological impoverishment it brings -- perhaps we should concentrate on finding other ways to reduce emissions. That's right, reduce emissions. Source: Righelato R & Spracklen DV (2007) Carbon mitigation by biofuels or by saving and restoring forests? Science DOI: 10.1126/science.1141361
Related story in Conservation magazine: Are We Putting Tigers in Our tanks?
Image © Jim Parkin
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