Numbers in Context
“Green Gold” or “Deforestation Diesel”?
The explosive growth of the biofuel industry has been accompanied by an equally vigorous debate among conservationists about the unintended consequences of using crops to meet our energy needs. A little digging will turn up a multitude of opinions on the subject, with outlooks ranging from enthusiastic to distinctly bleak. We’ve chosen a few notable articles to provide an entry point to the conversation.
Chief IUCN Scientist Jeffrey McNeely Lays Out the Debate
McNeely, J.A. 2006. “Biofuels: Green energy or grim reaper?” BBC News, September 22.
Debate over Biodiesel in Brazil: Op-Eds by Brazilian President and WWF Climate Change Coordinator
Silva, L.I.L. 2006. “Join Brazil in Planting Oil.” The Guardian, March 7.
Volpi, G. 2006. “Soya is not the solution to climate change.” The Guardian, March 16.
Biodiesel: The World’s Most Carbon-Intensive Fuel?
Monbiot, George. 2005. “Worse than Fossil Fuel.” Monbiot.com, December 6.
On the Ground in Borneo
Barta, P. and Spencer, J. 2006. “Crude Awakening: As alternative energy heats up, environmental concerns grow.” Wall Street Journal, December 5.
News and Views from the E.U. and U.S. Biodiesel Industry
European Biodiesel Board. 2006. “Media Corner.”
National Biodiesel Board. 2007. “Press Releases.”
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