They figured it out in jolly old England, too:
An alternative fuel source once considered more Earth-friendly than petroleum is now being derided by some environmentalists and farming experts for allegedly hastening the destruction of the world's rainforests.
Bio-fuels, fuel made from corn, sugar cane or vegetable oil, can be used to power up everything from sport utility vehicles (SUVs) to diesel engines. Yet in spite of its reputation as a viable alternative to petroleum, this alternative fuel has prompted some environmental groups to point to the potential for environmental damage.
The British government, hard pressed to meet emission restrictions laid out by the greenhouse gas limiting Kyoto Protocol, is being criticized by the environmental group Friends of the Earth (FOE) for proposing to force oil companies to include bio-fuels in five percent of their gas and diesel fuels by 2010.
FOE is concerned that increased production of bio-fuels will cause the destruction of the world's rainforests."We live in a global marketplace and the worry is that some of these fuels will be imported," said Roger Higman of FOE, according to the UK Telegraph on Nov. 11. Higman is concerned that much more land will be needed to grow the crops necessary to produce bio-fuels and in turn increase deforestation.
[Snip]
"Now, suddenly governments are saying, 'Oh we should have lots of bio-fuel so that we don't have to get oil out of the ground,' but we would have to clear 16 million square miles of forest on the planet if we wanted to make any dent in the demand for petroleum," Avery said.
Almost makes you wonder how many of our Legislators have been purchased by ADM in the last few weeks, eh?
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