Is Biofuel Policy Harming European Biodiversity?

Following on from my previous postings on the discussions about the validity of the benefit of Biofuels ( Biofuels Could Hasten Climate Change and Greener fuels will add to cost of motoring, oil co... ). the following article is from the European Forest Institute, the
leading forest research network in Europe, website.

Current estimates state that transport is responsible for about 25% of the energy-related greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. While biofuels are seen as a possible means to reduce these emissions, they are under heavy discussion in terms of economic cost benefits and their environmental and social impacts.

The EU promotes the production of biofuels and has set a target of 5.75% share of biofuels in the transport section for all EU Member States by 2010, and a target of 10% to be reached by 2020. Currently, the biofuel crops consist mainly of commonly known arable crops, such as cereals, maize or rape seed. Increasing the share of these crops could lead to the expansion of cultivated areas, and in turn, to an increasing pressure on the environment, habitat loss and biodiversity decrease, especially if forest, grassland, peatland and wetlands are converted into monoculture plantations for biofuels crops.

The so-called second generation biofuel crops, produced from nonfood, ligno-cellulosic materials such as wood, energy grass or any other cellulosic biomass, which are being developed, offer an alternative. The effects of their production on biodiversity are estimated to be less drastic than that of regular arable crops.

A recent paper by Eggers et al. presents a new method of assessing biodiversity impacts resulting from changing land use due to the production of biofuel crops in Europe, distinguishing between arable (first generation) and woody (second-generation) crop types. In particular, Eggers et al. focus on two questions: (1) what might happen if we doubled the current EU biofuel target of 5.75%, and (2) what might happen if we abolished the current biofuel target. While biodiversity as such includes all forms of life, their impact assessment was restricted to a set of 313 species pertaining to four taxonomical groups.

The results indicate that more species might suffer from habitat losses rather than benefit from a doubled biofuel target, while abolishing the biofuel target would mainly have positive effects. However, the possible impacts vary spatially and depend on the choice of biofuel crop, with woody crops being less detrimental than arable crops. The results give an indication for policy and decision makers of what might happen to biodiversity under a changed biofuel policy in the European Union. The presented approach is considered to be innovative as to date no comparable policy impact assessment has been applied to such a large set of key species at the European scale.

It certainly makes you think! There are already well documented problems because of the destruction of tropical rain forests throughout the world to provide land to grow biofuel destined crops.

4,010,700 Unemployed in Spain - 17.36%

As a UK ex-pat in Spain I try to keep an eye on the economic situation in both countries.

In the UK there is grave concern at the current level of unemployment at 2.10 million, which is 6.7%, and the highest since 1997, but that is nothing compared with the problem here in Spain.

According to the Labor Force Survey (LFS), unemployment in Spain increased by 802,800 people in the first quarter of this year, a 25% increase over the previous quarter. The strong growth - the rate is nearly 9,000 unemployed people every day - put the total at 4,010,700. This gives a rate of 17.36% the highest for 11 years.

The figure is more than twice the European average. It is a major embarrassment for Spain’s Socialist government, which had claimed the jobless total would peak at four million.

The Bank of Spain recently predicted the jobless rate would reach 19.4% in 2010, as the recession took hold.

One of the most tragic statistics that emerged is that there 1,068,400 households with all members unemployed and has doubled in a year. The number of households with all members unemployed grew by 241,200 for the quarter.

Unemployment increased in the quarter in all regions. The largest increases occurring in Catalonia (166,900 more unemployed than in the previous quarter), Madrid (114,700) and Valencia (109,500).

The unemployment rise in the Valencia region (this is the region I live in) of 109,500 people in the first quarter, is a 28.69% increase on the previous quarter and 103.78% over the same period in 2008. this gives the total number of unemployed for the region at 491,200.

The unemployment rate in the Valencia region finished the month of March at 19.20%. The rate was 18.69% among men, with 271,000 unemployed, and 19.87% among women, with 220,100 unemployed. The construction and the service industry sectors have been the major sufferers in this situation.

Some analysts believe the this situation is a consequence of the way Spain’s economy grew during the 1990’s, a combination of a low-cost construction boom and rampant consumer spending.

UK Benefit Thieves in Spain - Beware!

It is good news that the Department for Work and Pensions has decided to extended its benefit cheats hotline to cover the Costa del Sol and Canary Islands. It was first launched in Alicante as a pilot scheme on 25 September 2008 and now covers two other popular UK Ex-pat destinations.

The Spanish benefit fraud hotline number is 900 554 440. It is free and confidential and operates from 8am to 4pm, Monday to Friday

To support this extension of the hotline a publicity campaign, ‘We’re closing in’, in the local ex-pat media is raising awareness of the hotline as well as a dedicated web site at www.dwp.gov.uk/benefit-thieves-spain which provides more detail on what constitutes benefit fraud along with an on line reporting form.where suspected British benefit thieves living abroad can be reported on-line.

The total cost of benefit fraud committed by UK benefit recipients living in or travelling to countries abroad is an estimated £63 million a year. It involves a range of scams such as people on means-tested benefits going abroad but failing to declare their absence, and individuals working while claiming sickness benefits.

Employment and Welfare Reform Minister Tony McNulty said:
“We are absolutely determined to stop benefit thieves stealing from the British taxpayer. Our commitment extends beyond the borders of the UK. Even in sunny Spain, we’re closing in on benefit fraud.”

Unfortunately from my experience talking with numerous residents and visitors there is a reluctance on the part of many of the law-abiding UK ex-pats here in Spain to use the hotline to report suspected parasitic benefit thieves because it is not thought of as the 'done thing',and besides it is seen as 'cheating' rather than what it is, theft. I have no problem with using the hotline, a thief is a thief.

What also has to be taken into consideration is that generally these same thieves are working as part of the black economy in Spain and more often or not are driving around in old UK registered vehicles that are illegal, without insurance, road tax or MOT certificate (they probably didn't have these when the vehicle was in the UK).

Urban Centers With Most Polluted Air: North East Of Barcelona And South East Of Madrid

ScienceDaily (Apr. 21, 2009) — During the summer, the southern region of the Mediterranean basin, where Spain is found, frequently experiences high levels of chemical pollutants in the air. Catalan researchers have studied the contribution of atmospheric processes during the hottest months of the year and have concluded that the areas leeward of Barcelona and Madrid have the poorest air quality levels.

To determine the most polluted areas of north east and central Spain in the summer, a team of researchers from the Universidad Politécnica de Cataluña (Polytechnic University of Catalonia) (UPC) and the Barcelona Supercomputing Centre (BSC) has quantified with great precision the atmospheric processes that contribute to the concentration of pollutants.

"The worst air quality levels are observed in areas leeward of Barcelona and Madrid, due to the plume of urban contamination that affects the south-south-east region of Madrid and north-north-east of Barcelona", María Gonçalves, principal author of the study and researcher at BSC, explains to SINC.

The article continues.............

The Right to Survive - The humanitarian challenge for the twenty-first century

In a report issued today Oxfam makes the point that each year, on average, almost 250 million people are affected by ‘natural’ disasters. In a typical year between 1998 and 2007, 98 per cent of them suffered from climate-related disasters such as droughts and floods rather than, for example, devastating but relatively rare events such as earthquakes.

New research for the report projects that by 2015, this could grow by more than 50 per cent to an average of over 375 million people affected by climate-related disasters each year.

Any such projection is not an exact science, but what is clear is that substantially more people may be affected by disasters in the very near future, as climate change and environmental mismanagement create a proliferation of droughts, floods and other disasters. And more people will be vulnerable to them because of their poverty or location.

In rich countries, an average of 23 people die in any given disaster; in the least-developed countries 1,052.

The point is made that, looking to the future, for many of the world’s poor people their vulnerability to disaster may increase. Amongst the influences driving such an increase are that; there are far more people living in urban slums built on precarious land; the increasing pressure on rural land, caused by drought, population density, and increasing demand for meat and dairy products means that more people will find it difficult to get enough to eat; climate change, environmental degradation, and conflict may drive more people from their homes, stripping them of their livelihoods and assets; the current global economic crisis and it's resulting increase in the unemployment situation may result in a reduction in the provision of humanitarian aid.

The humanitarian challenge of the twenty-first century is this: an increasing total of largely local catastrophic events, increasing numbers of people vulnerable to them, too many governments failing to prevent or respond to them, and an international humanitarian system unable to cope.

Even in daunting economic times, the world can afford to meet the humanitarian needs of every person struggling to survive a disaster.

Rich governments must lead in cutting global emissions so that global warming stays as far below 2°C as possible, and provide at least $50bn per year to help least developed countries adapt to climate change.

The skills and resources exist to mitigate the threats from climate related catastrophic events. Some countries – rich and poor – have already demonstrated the political will to do just that.

The Right to Survive report shows that the humanitarian challenge of the twenty-first century demands a steep-change in the quantity of resources devoted to saving lives in emergencies and in the quality and nature of humanitarian response. Whether or not there is sufficient will to do this will be one of the defining features of our age and will dictate whether millions live or die.

Shake-up of gas and electricity market

The right to compensation for poor service, the right to change gas and electricity suppliers and comparable prices are just three aspects of the proposed "third energy package" being debated today by MEPs in the European Parliament in Strasbourg. The wide ranging piece of legislation has reached the second reading stage and if approved by Members in a vote Wednesday needs to be endorsed by national governments.

At the heart of the proposals is the concept of "unbundling" - separating the operation of gas pipelines and electricity networks from the business of providing gas or generating power.

Large State utilities would not be able to generate and supply energy.

This would mean for example that integrated companies such as Électricité de France would not be able to generate power and own the grid. Its supporters claim it would also allow smaller companies into the market, offer more choice to consumers and boost renewable energy.

For the consumer the shake-up in the market also entails receiving all the relevant data about how much gas or electricity they use and information on bills and what rights they have as consumers. The creation of an energy Ombudsman or consumer council is also envisaged.

More independence for national regulators planned

The 3rd energy package also foresees the establishment of an EU Agency for the cooperation of Energy Regulators and the establishment of European Networks of Transmission System Operators for electricity (ENTSOE) and gas (ENTSOG) to implement the changes.

Improving regional cooperation and making national regulators more independent is also part of the plan.

Limits on roaming charges debated Tuesday

Tuesday the 21st April 2009 sees MEPs debate the 'roaming' package on mobile telephone networks with many expected to back dramatic cuts in the price of calls and texts when abroad. The Industry Committee has already called for a maximum price of €0.43 per minute when you make calls abroad and €0.11 for text messages. The vote will take place on Wednesday on the first reading of this proposed EU-wide regulation.

The compromise sets price ceilings beneath which mobile operators could compete by offering lower prices:

• From 1 July 2009: a maximum of €0.43 per minute (excluding VAT) for outgoing and a maximum of €0.19 per minute (excluding VAT) for incoming roaming calls.

• From 1 July 2010: a maximum of €0.39 per minute (excluding VAT) for outgoing and a maximum of €0.15 per minute (excluding VAT) for incoming roaming calls.

• From 1 July 2011: a maximum of €0.35 per minute (excluding VAT) for outgoing and a maximum of €0.11 per minute (excluding VAT) for incoming roaming calls.

• From 1 July 2009 travellers should pay no more than a maximum of €0.11 (excl. VAT) per text message they send.

MEPs also succeeded getting the amendment through that travellers will no longer have to pay for receiving a roaming voicemail from 1 July 2010.

Downloads and internet surfing

The Industry Committee also wants to improve transparency for surfing the web and downloading data on mobile phones while abroad. Members agreed with the Council and Commission that price caps should be set for data roaming services (such as downloading and sending emails from mobile phones).

The price caps for the rates the host operator charges a roaming customer’s home operator will be as follows:

• From 1 July 2009: a maximum of €1.00 per megabyte (excluding VAT).

• From 1 July 2010: a maximum of €0.80 per megabyte (excluding VAT).

• From 1 July 2011: a maximum of €0.50 per megabyte (excluding VAT).

Against killing of strays within the European Union

I have just been made aware of this petition 'Against killing of strays within the European Union' to the European Parliament.

If you feel so inclined perhaps you might consider adding your name to it!

Greener fuels will add to cost of motoring, oil companies say

The cost of motoring will rise under a European Union plan to force oil companies to add more biofuel to petrol and diesel, the industry has claimed.

An analysis by the UK Petroleum Industry Association said that drivers of cars built before 2000 would be worst hit because they may have to buy a more expensive type of fuel to avoid damaging their engines.

All drivers will have to fill up more often because biofuels produce fewer miles per gallon.

The Government is also removing the fuel duty discount for biofuel from next year and this is expected to add about 2p a litre to pump prices.

Oil companies have had to spend more than £100 million in the past year on adapting refineries and storage facilities to cope with biofuels. The costs of complying with the EU directive will increase sharply over the next five years and most of the cost will be passed on to drivers.

Biofuel made from crops such as soya, oilseed rape and palm will, in theory, reduce greenhouse gas emissions because the plants absorb carbon as they grow. However, a Friends of the Earth report this week said that biofuels could increase emissions because forests were being cut down to clear land for crops.

Read the full article in the Times.

Biofuels Could Hasten Climate Change

ScienceDaily (2009-04-15) -- A new study finds that it will take more than 75 years for the carbon emissions saved through the use of biofuels to compensate for the carbon lost when biofuel plantations are established on forestlands. If the original habitat was peatland, carbon balance would take more than 600 years.

Conversion of forest to oil palm results in significant impoverishment of both plant and animal communities. Other tropical crops suitable for biofuel use, like soybean, sugar cane and jatropha, are all likely to have similar impacts on climate and biodiversity.

“Biofuels are a bad deal for forests, wildlife and the climate if they replace tropical rain forests,” says research scientist Finn Danielsen, lead author of the study. “In fact, they hasten climate change by removing one of the world’s most efficient carbon storage tools, intact tropical rain forests.”

“The EU and the US should only import and subsidize bio-fuel from guaranteed sustainable productions and only from countries which can demonstrate that their forests are sustainably managed,” says Danielsen.

Click on link above to read full article.