>We probably ought to phase subsidies to petroluem produces are well ;-)
WEAVER!!! You're not supposed to even THINK about that! Never mind that it's the only thing that matters! Never mind that the level playing field required for business-as-usual looks more like the side of Mount Everest! Never mind that it could mean the imminent demise of the biosphere and us with it and the sky will fall on our heads too, Halliburton comes first! And also last and in the middle! This is a respectable family list if you please, no more of this subversive talk about making business play fair! Damn, some people just don't know anything... Anyway who cares if the OECD doesn't know the difference between biofuels and agrofuels, if Lester Brown and George Monbiot can screw it all up why shouldn't the OECD? Best Keith >Keith Addison wrote: > > >http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/e780d216-5fd5-11dc-b0fe-0000779fd2ac.html > >FT.com / World - > > > >OECD warns against biofuels subsidies > > > >By Andrew Bounds in Brussels > > > >Published: September 10 2007 22:28 | Last updated: September 10 2007 22:28 > > > >Governments need to scrap subsidies for biofuels, as the current rush > >to support alternative energy sources will lead to surging food > >prices and the potential destruction of natural habitats, the > >Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development will warn on > >Tuesday. > > > >The OECD will say in a report to be discussed by ministers on Tuesday > >that politicians are rigging the market in favour of an untried > >technology that will have only limited impact on climate change. > > > >"The current push to expand the use of biofuels is creating > >unsustainable tensions that will disrupt markets without generating > >significant environmental benefits," say the authors of the study, a > >copy of which has been obtained by the Financial Times. > > > >The survey says biofuels would cut energy-related emissions by 3 per > >cent at most. This benefit would come at a huge cost, which would > >swiftly make them unpopular among taxpayers. > > > >The study estimates the US alone spends $7bn (?5bn) a year helping > >make ethanol, with each tonne of carbon dioxide avoided costing more > >than $500. In the EU, it can be almost 10 times that. > > > >It says biofuels could lead to some damage to the environment. "As > >long as environmental values are not adequately priced in the market, > >there will be powerful incentives to replace natural eco-systems such > >as forests, wetlands and pasture with dedicated bio-energy crops," it > >says. > > > >The report recommends governments phase out biofuel subsidies, using > >"technology-neutral" carbon taxes instead to allow the market to find > >the most efficient ways of reducing greenhouse gases. > > > >"Such policies will more effectively stimulate regulatory and market > >incentives for efficient technologies," it said. > > > >The study, prepared for the OECD's round table on sustainable > >development, will be discussed in Paris on Tuesday and on Wednesday > >by ministers and representatives of a dozen governments, including > >the US. Also attending will be Ángel Gurría, the OECD > >secretary-general, scientists, business representatives and > >non-governmental organisations. > > > >The survey puts a question mark over the European Union's plan to > >derive 10 per cent of transport fuel from plants by 2020. It says > >money saved from phasing out subsidies should fund research into > >so-called second-generation fuels, which are being developed to use > >waste products and so emit less CO2 when they are made. > > > >Today, only three kinds of biofuels are preferable to oil, the study > >says: Brazilian sugar, which converts easily to ethanol, the > >by-products of paper-making, and used vegetable oil. > > > >The EU has said only biofuels that meet as yet undefined standards > >for sustainability will count towards its target to get a tenth of > >transport fuel from plants by 2020. Tariff discrimination on > >sustainability grounds is illegal under World Trade Organisation > >rules and the authors call for talks at the WTO to set up a global > >certification scheme. > > > >Adrian Bebb, biofuels campaigner with Friends of the Earth said: "The > >OECD is right to warn against throwing ourselves headfirst down the > >agrofuels path." > > > >Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2007 _______________________________________________ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/sustainablelorgbiofuel Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (70,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/
