Since, biofuel is theoretically assumed as a carbon neutral fuel, because the CO2 emitted from the fuel was originally in the atmosphere before it's absorbed in the crops, biofuel is believed as a prospective substitute of fossil fuels whose impact to global warming and limited resources are regarded as critical issues. In fact, public organization in many countries such as Brazil, USA, Canada, EU, etc, already started to promote the biofuel production and usage. However, its disadvantage is also pointed out. One of the most controversial disadvantages is that, the biofuel promotion is the primary cause of rising food prices. In addition to that, according to one research the biofuel usage have no effect in reducing global warming, even as it may cause the effect worse.
It is clear that the biofuel compete with the food production; because of it the price of foods has sharply risen recently. One research shows Biofuel have forced global food prices up by 75% - far more than previously estimated. Rising food prices have pushed 100m people worldwide below the poverty line, estimate the World Bank, and have sparked riots from Bangladesh to Egypt.1 On the other hand, the other research states that one of the most common biofuel products releases about twice amount of NO2 whose green-house effect is 310 times more than CO2. Growing and burning much biofuel may actually raise rather than lower greenhouse gas emissions.2 Supporting the biofuel promotion only means subsidizing higher food prices, while doing nothing to tackle global warming.
Though there are positive and negative aspects about biofuel, a concerned academic group of biofuel came together in Ballagio, Italy in March 2008, and they conclude the alternative policy to maximize its benefits while minimizing its negatives of biofuel. The result was a Sustainable Biofuel Consensus that lays out a new way forward for the biofuel industry and the governments who have worked so hard to build it.
The Consensus suggests the two policy alternatives to improve the situation.3
Since the effect of all kind of biofuel is not the equal; it depends on those cost and benefit, the government should stop subsidizing bad biofuel such as corn and instead provide farmers worldwide with a free and fair market for the best, greenest biofuel science can provide.
The comprehensive international land usage agreement should be encouraged, since the land usage not for food but for growing fuel assumes a finite amount of arable land, which is criticized. A plenty of undeveloped arable land could be used to increase the supply of both food and fuel.
European Biofuel Technology Platform - Its mission is to contribute to the development of cost-competitive world-class biofuel technologies and healthy biofuel industry supplying sustainable biofuel in the
European Union.
SmartWay Grow & Go - It's developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to promote the environmental benefits of renewable fuels, and provide a renewable fuel component.
BioDiesel Filling Station - The single purpose of this site is to provide a list of places in the UK where people can fill their diesel vehicle with Biodiesel.
IEA Bioenergy - It is an organisation set up in 1978 by the International Energy Agency (IEA) with the aim of improving cooperation and information exchange between countries that have national programmes in bioenergy research, development and deployment.
