Biofuelwatch

Last updated

Biofuelwatch is a non-governmental environmental organization based in the United Kingdom and the United States, which works to raise awareness of the negative impacts of industrial biofuels and bioenergy. It opposes the expansion of industrial monocultures driven by demand for bioenergy, and instead advocates for food sovereignty, agroecological farming practices, ecosystem and biodiversity protection and human rights. [1]

Contents

In the UK,it has active campaigns against bioliquid and biomass power stations and the subsidies (Renewable Obligation Certificates) available for those. In the US, Biofuelwatch works closely with network of groups and campaigners against industrial biomass developments and policies. Internationally, the organisation works with a variety of groups and networks and is European Focal Point of the Global Forest Coalition. A lot of Biofuelwatch's recent work has focused on providing a critical perspective on biochar as well. It also campaigns against market based solutions to climate change, especially the inclusion of soil and forest carbon offsets.[ citation needed ]

Founders of Biofuelwatch

Almuth Ernsting helped to found the organisation, Biofuelwatch in 2006. She has researched and published various reports on the central issues to the organization, such as bioenergy, climate, social and biodiversity impacts of biofuels and wood-based biomass. [2] Rachel Smolker is a co-director of Biofuelwatch and an organizer at Engine Justice Network. She is the daughter of one of the founders of Environmental Defense Fund and holds a Ph.D. in ecology/biology from the University of Michigan. [3]

Aims of Biofuelwatch

Ideology

Bio fuels are commonly viewed as a suitable alternative to non-renewable energy and Biofuelwatch works towards bringing light to risks associated with this belief. A benefit is that when biofuels are burned they release (carbon dioxide) which had been used in their production. [5] This is a food source for plants, which they use during the process of photosynthesis. This in turn increases the biomass' (the plants needed to make biofuel) growth. [6] Conversely, Biofuelwatch argue that biofuels' harm the planet. That is biofuels are made out of food crops; these food crops are traded on international markets. When there is an increase in the production of biofuels globally, the price of these crops will increase. Food is less accessible because of the increase in price (e.g., Tortilla Crisis) and the crops that are bought are being used to make fuel and not used for human consumption. [7] The second argument against biofuels is that the sheer amount of crops needed to produce the amount of biofuel demanded by the world is high. This leads to heavy dependence on pesticides, fertilizers, and energy to produce the crops. They argue these factors contribute heavily to pollution. [8]

Biofuel

Biofuel is a biomass that is converted into a liquid that can be used to power motorized vehicles. The main source of biomass that can be used for vehicle fuels is food crops. These crops are cultivated using modern, mechanized agriculture. Crop-based biofuels (e.g., ethanol: produced from sugar cane or corn) have globally increased in production by 75% during the 2000-2006 period. [6] In particular, the United States produces 50 billion liters of corn based ethanol per year. This production of corn based ethanol consumes a third of all planted corn. [6]

Biofuelwatch has argued that the term "Biofuel" is misleading. Biofuelwatch argues that we need to find a term that translates in every language to a more true definition of what biofuel really is. They came up with the term "Agro-fuel", the prefix "agro" comes from agriculture. They believe this is fitting because the production of biofuels taint land and water, which are directly related to agriculture. This term "agro-fuel" is pejoratively based. [6]

Biofuelwatch and Protests

Biofuelwatch has been known to join forces with various other organizations with similar views towards the biomass and biofuel industry in attempts to sway public opinion on public policies. Through actions such as public protests, demonstrations and press statements regarding their views on governments positions towards biofuels and the biofuel industry.[ citation needed ]

Protests

[11] [ better source needed ]

Demonstrations

[11] [ better source needed ]

Biofuelwatch Campaigns

#AxeDrax Campaign

The #AxeDrax Campaign is a UK based campaign based around the UK company Drax Group and the Drax power station. [12] The aim of the #AxeDrax Campaign aims to bring public awareness towards Drax and their CO2 emissions in the UK. [12]

The UK Government announced in 2015 that they will begin to phase-out coal burning power stations leading to a complete banning of coal burning power stations by 2025. To accompany this phase out, the UK government issued 470 million pounds to Drax to begin its conversion from coal to wood pellets, and protestors of Drax also claim that Drax receives more than 1 million pounds in subsidies per day to add to the wood pellets conversion efforts. [13] [ better source needed ]

The BiofuelWatch have received a response from the UK Department of Energy and Climate Change [14]

Biofuelwatch played a role in the social media campaign, #AxeDrax on media outlets such as Twitter, where outlets such as the Ecologist have been promoting the demonstrations and encouraging people to join in. [13]

Campaign to end UK subsidies for biomass electricity

As of 21 December 2017, the government of UK reported a increase in bioenergy production by almost 23 percent compared the year 2016, due to increased availability at Drax following extensive outages a year earlier. [15] Biofuelwatch launched awareness campaigns arguing biodiversity losses and climatic implications of such an increase in bioenergy productions and propose a subsidy reformation to allow proper allocation of resources to other renewable sources of energy: wind, solar and tidal.[ citation needed ]

UK Local Campaigns against Biofuel and Biomass Power stations

This campaign aims at offering advice and support to the local community concerned about "proposed and existing biomass power stations in the UK". Some local groups they supported include campaigners in West Thurrock, Androver, Milford Haven, and Norwich.[ citation needed ]

Geoengineering

Biofuelwatch has released a number of Reports and Briefings providing detail on some of the effects of using geoengineering technologies to cope with climate change.[ citation needed ] Rachel Smolker of BiofuelWatch, suggests " geoengineering research is being actively promoted by vested interests." [16]

Biotechnology for Biofuels

Biotechnology for Biofuels refers to research on biofuels derived from lignocellulose and algae. In partnership with Friends of the Earth U.S., the organization released the report: "Microalgae Biofuels: Myths and Risks". [17] Various reports have been released, that encompass the use of genetically engineered organisms in different contexts and the effects of the endeavor to the general public. [18] [19]

Genetically Engineered Trees Campaign (GE Trees)

The Genetically Engineered Trees Campaign (GE Trees Campaign) pertains to companies that genetically engineer trees in attempts to increase resistance to certain pests, diseases, environmental conditions, and herbicide tolerance, or the alteration of lignin levels in order to reduce pulping costs of their tree plantations. The GE trees campaign "supports the call for a global ban on the testing and commercial deployment of GE trees" The campaign also tells of risks involved with the commercialization of genetically engineered trees. [20] [21] [22]

See also

Further listening

  1. Biofuelwatch official website
  2. Biofuelwatch's Yahoo group

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Biofuel</span> Type of biological fuel produced from biomass from which energy is derived

Biofuel is a fuel that is produced over a short time span from biomass, rather than by the very slow natural processes involved in the formation of fossil fuels, such as oil. Biofuel can be produced from plants or from agricultural, domestic or industrial biowaste. The climate change mitigation potential of biofuel varies considerably, from emission levels comparable to fossil fuels in some scenarios to negative emissions in others. Biofuels are mostly used for transportation, but can also be used for heating and electricity. Biofuels are regarded as a renewable energy source.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Renewable resource</span> Natural resource that is replenished relatively quickly

A renewable resource, also known as a flow resource, is a natural resource which will replenish to replace the portion depleted by usage and consumption, either through natural reproduction or other recurring processes in a finite amount of time in a human time scale. When the recovery rate of resources is unlikely to ever exceed a human time scale, these are called perpetual resources. Renewable resources are a part of Earth's natural environment and the largest components of its ecosphere. A positive life-cycle assessment is a key indicator of a resource's sustainability.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bioenergy</span> Energy made from recently-living organisms

Bioenergy is energy made from biomass, which consists of recently living organisms, mainly plants. Types of biomass commonly used for bioenergy include wood, food crops such as corn, energy crops and waste from forests, yards, or farms. The IPCC defines bioenergy as a renewable form of energy. Bioenergy can either mitigate or increase greenhouse gas emissions. There is also agreement that local environmental impacts can be problematic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pellet fuel</span> Solid fuel made from compressed organic material

Pellet fuels are a type of solid fuel made from compressed organic material. Pellets can be made from any one of five general categories of biomass: industrial waste and co-products, food waste, agricultural residues, energy crops, and untreated lumber. Wood pellets are the most common type of pellet fuel and are generally made from compacted sawdust and related industrial wastes from the milling of lumber, manufacture of wood products and furniture, and construction. Other industrial waste sources include empty fruit bunches, palm kernel shells, coconut shells, and tree tops and branches discarded during logging operations. So-called "black pellets" are made of biomass, refined to resemble hard coal and were developed to be used in existing coal-fired power plants. Pellets are categorized by their heating value, moisture and ash content, and dimensions. They can be used as fuels for power generation, commercial or residential heating, and cooking.

Energy forestry is a form of forestry in which a fast-growing species of tree or woody shrub is grown specifically to provide biomass or biofuel for heating or power generation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Energy crop</span> Crops grown solely for energy production by combustion

Energy crops are low-cost and low-maintenance crops grown solely for renewable bioenergy production. The crops are processed into solid, liquid or gaseous fuels, such as pellets, bioethanol or biogas. The fuels are burned to generate electrical power or heat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Drax Group</span> Power generation business

Drax Group PLC is a power generation business. The principal downstream enterprises are based in the UK and include Drax Power Limited, which runs the biomass and coal fuelled Drax power station, near Selby in North Yorkshire. The Group also runs an international biomass supply chain business. The company is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Biomass (energy)</span> Biological material used as a renewable energy source

Biomass (for energy) is matter from recently living (but now dead) organisms which is used for bioenergy production. Examples include wood, wood residues, energy crops, agricultural residues, and organic waste from industry and households. Wood and wood residues is the largest biomass energy source today. Wood can be used as a fuel directly or processed into pellet fuel or other forms of fuels. Other plants can also be used as fuel, for instance corn, switchgrass, miscanthus and bamboo. The main waste feedstocks are wood waste, agricultural waste, municipal solid waste, and manufacturing waste. Upgrading raw biomass to higher grade fuels can be achieved by different methods, broadly classified as thermal, chemical, or biochemical.

<i>Miscanthus × giganteus</i> Species of grass

Miscanthus × giganteus, also known as the giant miscanthus, is a sterile hybrid of Miscanthus sinensis and Miscanthus sacchariflorus. It is a perennial grass with bamboo-like stems that can grow to heights of 3–4 metres (13 ft) in one season. Just like Pennisetum purpureum, Arundo donax and Saccharum ravennae, it is also called elephant grass.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Short rotation coppice</span> Coppice grown as an energy crop

Short rotation coppice (SRC) is coppice grown as an energy crop. This woody solid biomass can be used in applications such as district heating, electric power generating stations, alone or in combination with other fuels. Currently, the leading countries in area planted for energy generation are Sweden and the UK.

Biofuel is fuel that is produced from organic matter (biomass), including plant materials and animal waste. It is considered a renewable source of energy that can assist in reducing carbon emissions. The two main types of biofuel currently being produced in Australia are biodiesel and bioethanol, used as replacements for diesel and petrol (gasoline) respectively. As of 2017 Australia is a relatively small producer of biofuels, accounting for 0.2% of world bioethanol production and 0.1% of world biodiesel production.

On April 25, 2006, Executive Order S-06-06, the Bioenergy Action Plan was issued by the then governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, outlining a set of target goals which would establish the increasing use and production of biofuels and biopower for both electricity generation and substitution of natural gas and petroleum within the state of California. The plan asked multiple state agencies to work towards the advancement of biomass programs in California. The order would also help provide statewide environmental protection, mitigation and economic advancement. The plan was passed on July 7, 2006, with progress reports issued in 2007 and 2009.

Second-generation biofuels, also known as advanced biofuels, are fuels that can be manufactured from various types of non-food biomass. Biomass in this context means plant materials and animal waste used especially as a source of fuel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008</span> United States federal law

The Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 was a $288 billion, five-year agricultural policy bill that was passed into law by the United States Congress on June 18, 2008. The bill was a continuation of the 2002 Farm Bill. It continues the United States' long history of agricultural subsidies as well as pursuing areas such as energy, conservation, nutrition, and rural development. Some specific initiatives in the bill include increases in Food Stamp benefits, increased support for the production of cellulosic ethanol, and money for the research of pests, diseases and other agricultural problems.

China has set the goal of attaining one percent of its renewable energy generation through bioenergy in 2020.

There are various social, economic, environmental and technical issues with biofuel production and use, which have been discussed in the popular media and scientific journals. These include: the effect of moderating oil prices, the "food vs fuel" debate, poverty reduction potential, carbon emissions levels, sustainable biofuel production, deforestation and soil erosion, loss of biodiversity, effect on water resources, the possible modifications necessary to run the engine on biofuel, as well as energy balance and efficiency. The International Resource Panel, which provides independent scientific assessments and expert advice on a variety of resource-related themes, assessed the issues relating to biofuel use in its first report Towards sustainable production and use of resources: Assessing Biofuels. In it, it outlined the wider and interrelated factors that need to be considered when deciding on the relative merits of pursuing one biofuel over another. It concluded that not all biofuels perform equally in terms of their effect on climate, energy security and ecosystems, and suggested that environmental and social effects need to be assessed throughout the entire life-cycle.

Bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) is the process of extracting bioenergy from biomass and capturing and storing the carbon, thereby removing it from the atmosphere. BECCS can be a "negative emissions technology" (NET). The carbon in the biomass comes from the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO2) which is extracted from the atmosphere by the biomass when it grows. Energy ("bioenergy") is extracted in useful forms (electricity, heat, biofuels, etc.) as the biomass is utilized through combustion, fermentation, pyrolysis or other conversion methods.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Association for Renewable Energy and Clean Technology</span> UK non-governmental energy trade association

The Association for Renewable Energy and Clean Technology, previously known as Renewable Energy Association (REA), is a renewable energy and clean technology trade association in the UK encompassing all of renewables industry in the United Kingdom. REA covers renewable power & flexibility, heat and cooling, circular bioresources and transport. The REA is a not-for-profit company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NNFCC</span> Bioenergy consultancy in York, England

NNFCC is a consultancy company specialising in bioenergy, biofuels and bio-based products.

The economic biomass potential of Turkey is 32 million tons of oil equivalent (Mtoe)/year. Total biomass production is estimated to reach 52.5 Mtoe by 2030. Arable crops in Central Anatolia and the Mediterranean have the most potential for electricity, and in 2021 biomass generated 7.6 TWh, which was 2.3% of the nation's electricity, from over 2 GW capacity. An estimated 6.5 million homes in Turkey use biomass as their main source of heating fuel.

References

  1. Doussou-Bodjrenou; et al. (July 2007). "Agrofuels in Africa the impacts on land, food and forests" (PDF). African Biodiversity Network. p. 4. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 August 2008. Retrieved 8 May 2009. [Biofuelwatch's paper highlights] agrofuel impacts in nine key areas, including discussions on climate change, GMOs, biodiversity, food security and rural development. Credibly backed up by scientific evidence.
  2. "Almuth Ernsting". www.truth-out.org. Archived from the original on 30 November 2014.
  3. "Rachel Smolker". HuffPost.
  4. "Anger over power station's biomass bid". Thurrock Gazette. Thurrock News.
  5. Biofuel. (2013). In National Geographic (Ed.), National geographic science of everything. Washington, DC: National Geographic Society.
  6. 1 2 3 4 The Biofuels Debate: Searching for the role of environmental justice in environmental discourse Fast, StewartAuthor InformationView Profile. Environments; Waterloo Vol. 37, Iss. 1, (2009): 83-100.[Scholarly Journal]
  7. "II. Biofuels and household food security". www.fao.org. Retrieved 18 June 2022.
  8. US EPA, OP (17 April 2014). "Economics of Biofuels". www.epa.gov. Retrieved 18 June 2022.
  9. "Virtual protest held over Drax power station biomass". BBC News. 22 April 2020. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
  10. "biofuelwatch | #AxeDrax AGM Protest 2016". www.biofuelwatch.org.uk. Retrieved 23 February 2018.
  11. 1 2 "biofuelwatch | Past Protests". www.biofuelwatch.org.uk. Retrieved 23 February 2018.
  12. 1 2 "biofuelwatch | #AxeDrax Campaign". www.biofuelwatch.org.uk. Retrieved 23 February 2018.
  13. 1 2 "#AxeDrax: campaigners unite for climate justice against coal and biofueled deforestation". theecologist.org. The Ecologist.
  14. "Department of Energy and Climate Change" (PDF).
  15. https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/669764/Press_Notice_December_2017.pdf [ bare URL PDF ]
  16. Mathiesen, Karl (11 February 2015). "Is geoengineering a bad idea? | Karl Mathiesen". The Guardian.
  17. "Biofuelwatch | Biotechnology for Biofuels".
  18. "Genetically Engineered Trees Condemned in Myrtle Beach". 21 October 2016.
  19. "Protests to UK Prime Minister - Scrap Biofuel Targets / Scrap RTFO - UK Indymedia".
  20. "GE Trees".
  21. "Home - STOPGETREES.ORG". STOPGETREES.ORG. Retrieved 23 February 2018.
  22. "Media Coordinator Hired for Campaign to STOP GE Trees and Biofuelwatch". ProQuest   1532439256.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)