Time to Move to a Second Generation of Biofuels

The indirect costs of growing biofuels outweigh any benefits, report two studies in the journal Science. A new political and economic response is required on biofuels, suggests Christopher Flavin, president of the Worldwatch Institute, in response. The US government now provides tax incentives to farmers for growing crops that can be turned into energy, which has increased prices of biofuel crops as well as other displaced crops. Such price hikes encourage farmers halfway across the world to clear new land and compete in growing similar crops. Loss of forests and other release more carbon into the atmosphere than biofuels save. Flavin urges governments to retool incentives, to encourage alternative types of biofuels and other, more efficient sources of renewable energy. “The main message the world should take from the new biofuels studies is that the current world agricultural system, like the world energy system, is unsustainable,” writes Flavin. Sensible incentives for the global market can both keep prices reasonable and protect the environment. – YaleGlobal