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Biofuels - some basic facts compared to ecoglobe sustainability
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Concisely:

  • The basic question is: "food or fuel."
  • Biofuel crops tend to have a very low energetic return on investment in moderate climate regions.
  • Biofuel crops put additional strains on the environments in tropical countries. Sugar cane crops and oil palm plantations distroy natural habitats for people and animals.
  • The quest for biofuels is a part of the trial to mantain our exorbitant lifestyles, in the face of increasing environmental destruction and resource depletion.
  • Biofuels do not help us to get back to a situation of sustainability.
    For more details see Biofuels.

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    8o27-8d06-1225
    The Geneva Environment Network invited for a roundtable, on 10 December 2008,
      "Addressing the Risks and Opportunities of Bioenergy - 10 December 2008
      There is an increasing interest in modern bioenergy and the potential opportunities it offers to both developing and industrialised countries. These include increased energy security, GHG emission reductions and sustainable agricultural and rural development. However, bioenergy is not free from risks and drawbacks and recent scientific opinion and public attention has focused on some of them, particularly those associated with liquid biofuels for transportation.

      The objective of this roundtable is to bring together key stakeholders to discuss the sustainability of bioenergy development projects, how to improve related policies and to better manage the risks and opportunities for climate change mitigation, energy security and economic and social development.

      You are cordially invited by the Geneva Environment Network (GEN) and the International Risk Governance Council (IRGC) to attend this roundtable event, to hear from experts in the field and to contribute to the debate on how to successfully tackle the future challenges of bioenergy."

    Programme
    09:00 Coffee
    09:30 Welcome and introduction by Christophe Bouvier, Director, UNEP Regional Office for Europe
    09:45 Special address by the Moderator, Christopher Bunting, International Risk Governance Council (IRGC)
    10:00 Presentations by the discussants (order of presentations to be confirmed):
  • Marie Valentine Florin, International Risk Governance Council
  • Paolo Frankl, International Energy Agency (TBC)
  • Anna Waelty, Swiss Federal Office for the Environment
  • Lauren Iannarone, Shell International Ltd.
  • Nadine McCormick, The International Union for Conservation of Nature
  • Simonetta Zarilli, Division on International Trade and Commodities, UNCTAD
    • 11:00 General discussion and question and answer session
    12:15 Concluding remarks by the Moderator