Where Does Biofuel Come From?
The problem with forcing countries to include 10 percent biofuel in all fuels is that “there is no specification of any kind of conditions of where those bio fuels come from,” James Wilson, author of the UK-based Alternative Energy Blog, told the E-Commerce Times. “There won’t be any way for them to regulate how they accept biofuels … and that can result in a big increase in carbon emissions.” For instance, some biofuels are grown and created in ways that generate more emissions and energy use than traditional fuels. The production of palm oil in Indonesia and Malaysia, for example, may actually wreak havoc on the environment there. The expansion of palm oil plantations by burning natural land can in itself release enormous amounts of carbon dioxide. In addition, “biofuels very much rely on internal combustion engines,” Wilson noted. “And biofuels tie us to the existing technology rather than innovation in electric vehicles.
