"There is a Huge Difference in Biofuels but Policies Just do not Make this Distinction"
14 Sep, 2007 02:46 pm
In a report on the impact of biofuels released Tuesday, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) said biofuels may "offer a cure that is worse than the disease they seek to heal." Richard Doornbosch, co-author of the report, answers Scitizen's questions.
The report assesses that some biofuels are not effective at reducing greenhouse gases...
You are also very critical towards current government policies...
What policy do you advocate?
In response to this report, an EU Commission spokesman said that "Biofuels do produce less CO2 than fossil fuels, there is no doubt about that. I am confident that our biofuel policy is definitely positive for the environment." What is your reaction?
Richard Doornbosch is Principal Advisor Round Table on Sustainable Developement, OECD
Interview by Clementine Fullias
Reference:
Richard Doornbosch and Ronald Steenblik, Biofuels: Is the Cure Worse than the Disease?, September 2007
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The disadvantages of farmed biofuels will ultimately make them uncompetitive economically with algal production. Algal fuel production would rapidly overtake crop-based production at the subsidy levels provided for agricultural production of ethanol. However, some of the technologies for fuel conversion of crop material will indirectly benefit algal production of more traditional liquid fuels.
Algal systems are the only biofuel system that has sufficient potential efficiency to meet fuel needs. It is the only system that also offers the potential for a rapidly-deployable carbon sequestration system, and one that would be exceptionally quantifiable. Algal systems thus not only provide the potential for a carbon-neutral, yet completely sustainable fuel source tailorable to both electric power and liquid fuel propulsion, but it also provides the only system in which development of the system could be solely financed through a completely verifiable and accountable carbon credit.