The production of biofuels from agriculture to replace fossil fuels was originally widely applauded, but concerns over the displacement of food production, doubts about carbon savings, and dismay over deforestation land use have now changed public opinion, and in July the UK government announced a reduction in its biofuel targets. Has the picture been over simplified, and misinformed by powerful interests, including those who don’t want to lose their lucrative market share in liquid fuels? Malcolm Shepherd is Managing Director of Biofuel Matters Ltd, a company that provides specialist consultancy services on biofuel issues, and he has spoken widely on his investigations into the issues and facts surrounding the “food versus fuel” debate. He will seek to give an insight into the current complex situation, suggesting that if properly produced, the use of food crops for biofuels can actually improve food security, stabilise food prices and reduce poverty. (BBC radio programme “Our food, our future” 28th July)
2008 Cafes
- Understanding Hamas
- Venezuela under Chavez: dictatorship or model for radical democracy?
- Assassination: The not so secret weapon
- Is Asia the new African plunderer?
- Bad days in Basra: A Turbulent time as Britain’s Man in Southern Iraq
- How we got back to the Cold War
- Nuclear Weapons, Abolition Now
- Saving Journalism So It Can Save The World
- Tibet: The country, its refugees and Government in exile
- Food versus/and fuel
- The Credit Crunch and the Financial Markets
- The Geopolitics of piping Natural Gas to Europe: Nabucco, South Stream or the trans-Caspian?
- Turkey at the crossroads
- Sport – Globalisation’s Hidden Persuader