World must wake up to the dangers of biofuels, head of Kew Gardens warns
The Independent has a story World must wake up to the dangers of biofuels, head of Kew Gardens warns.
The world should wake up to the dangers of the mass production of biofuels, which are increasingly seen as a major solution to global warming, according to Professor Sir Peter Crane, director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Extensive production of biofuel crops, such as oil palms, could destroy remaining areas of rainforest and bring about a new cycle of worldwide intensive agriculture involving vast applications of artificial fertilisers and pesticides, and requiring enormous water resources, said Professor Crane, who as the head of Kew Gardens is the world’s leading plant scientist.
“There are big opportunities with biofuels, but there are big problems too,” he said. “It’s not a free lunch.”
What you gain on the swings you lose on the roundabouts it seems. The only real solution to the looming catastrophe is to power-down gently before nature forces us to. — DS
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