IPS/SouthCentre: Biofuels - No Silver Bullet Against Fossil Fuels

The Inter Press Service published a column piece today on Biofuels authored by Vice Yu, Coordinator of the Global Governance for Development Programme, South Centre.

According to Mr. Yu, biofuels should be seen as a part of a broader strategy of diversifying the energy mix that allows society to shift to more sustainable energy sources with minimal economic and social disruption. It is crucial that biofuel production does not compete directly with food production, especially in developing countries, and that the latter's poor not be made to vie for food with the livestock and automobiles of those in developed countries. More research, development, and investment needs to be made in other climate-friendly energy alternatives (i.e. biogas, solar, wind, tidal, water, geothermal, hydrogen), for power generation, transportation, and daily consumer use, to expand the use of these alternatives as future replacements for fossil fuels.

For more information, go to: http://www.ipsnews.net/columns.asp?idnews=39520