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Environmental groups have expressed serious concerns about the ecological impact of 'green' biofuel, after Virgin Atlantic Airways launched the first-ever flight to be powered (in part) by biodiesels made from tropical oils.
The 747 flew from London to Amsterdam on Sunday using a fuel made from a combination of 80 per cent regular kerosene-based jet fuel and 20 per cent biodiesel composed of babassu oil (from a tree in Brazil) and coconut oil.
In theory, biodiesel uses less carbon as the fuel comes from plants that are already on the surface of the Earth, which had sucked carbon dioxide from the atmosphere when they were growing. Fossil fuels on the other hand are said to add carbon because they unlock molecules that have long been buried.
However, as well as costing more, critics have said biodiesel can in fact exacerbate the impact on the environment -- leading to monoculture farming, rises in food price as crops displace the growing of staple foods and, with greater fertiliser use, increased carbon emissions.
Kenneth Richter, Friends of the Earth biofuels campaigner, said: "Biofuels are a major distraction in the fight against climate change. There is mounting evidence that the carbon savings from these crop based fuels will be small at best. And even if every plane leaving the UK was able to run on biofuels from tomorrow, any carbon savings would be wiped out in less than ten years by the rapid growth of the aviation industry."
"If Virgin is serious about reducing the aviation industry's impact on the environment it should support calls for aircraft emissions to be included in the Climate Change Bill."
Friends of the Earth are also calling for a postponement to the government's Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation (RTFO), set to come into force on 15 April. The RTFO will require all petrol sold in the UK to contain a percentage of biofuels in order to meet EU targets to increase the use of alternative fuels for road transport.
Meanwhile, Pete Hardstaff, head of policy at the World Development Movement said: "This is nothing more than a Virgin publicity stunt with dangerous consequences for the planet. The concept of using biofuels and continuing the rate of expansion in the aviation industry is nonsensical."
26 February 2008 09:51am
Watch Richard Branson talk exclusively about his new biofuel planes.
www.digitalnewsagency.com/story/view/739-virgin-atlantic-becomes-the-worlds-first-airline/all
26 February 2008 05:37pm
Go Mr Branson go! Please remember this is a step in the right direction, any saving in carbon dioxide entering the atmoshere is a saving. I disagree that this is any sort of a distraction.
27 February 2008 06:26pm
Biofuels are not the answer to world fuel problems - it seems we don't have the planetary farming space to grow all the crops needed to produce enough biofuel to replace fossil fuels... and the more space we make the less forests we have left..!
BUT, I think fossil fuels can play a small part in solving the puzzle - when used where it makes sense (e.g. where grown and processed close to point of use), and while we continue to work on better answers. In that sense they are a distraction, but a useful one!
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