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Reports say biofuels cause irreversible damage

Two reports cast doubt on the validity of biofuels as a serious alternative to fossil fuels.

The first, by author George Monbiot and published in the Guardian, focuses on the potential damage to the environment and the global food supply.

Monbiot reports cases throughout the world where irreversible damage is already being caused in the chase to provide Western Europe with biofuel. He calls for a five-year freeze on biofuel  production until truly sustainable crops can be developed.

The second report, by former Shell scientist Peter Barlow in the Daily Telegraph, concentrates on the potential damage to engines. Fuel suppliers do not have to label biofuel content up to 5%, and a distributor can add another 5% without having to say so. Barlow says the greater the concentration, the greater the risk of life-shortening engine damage, especially in vehicles not designed for biofuels which could unknowingly be running on a 10% concentration.

He warns that potential problems include acid corrosion, blocked or burst filters and increased microbiological infestation.

n US scientists are warning that the use of biofuels could be more harmful to people's health than ordinary petrol or diesel. A computer model set up at Stanford University in California predicts that ozone levels would rise, which would increase respiratory problems and asthma attacks.