Topic: Don't put wildlife in your tank

[Derek]

Driven by the thoughtless policies of governments around the world, biofuels production is decimating swathes of important habitat and threatening the survival of many species, including Sumatran tigers, orang utans and countless bird species.

Biofuels advocates justify this destruction by citing their potential for combating climate change. However, whilst biofuels can play a part, many of those on the market today don't deliver the greenhouse gas savings they promise and some are even more polluting than the fossil fuels they're meant to replace. There is also evidence to suggest that taking land used for growing food, and converting it to growing biofuels, is reducing the amount of food produced and contributing to increasing prices.

Despite this, from 15 April, the Government will give you no choice but to put biofuel in your car. 2.5% of all of the fuel sold at UK garages will be biofuel - already added to the petrol or diesel you put in your tank. And these plans are just the beginning. The current target is for the proportion of biofuels in our tanks to increase to 5% by 2010, and talks are underway in Europe that could lead to us being forced to use even more.

http://campaigning.rspb.org.uk/eactivist/user/userJ.jsp?CLS@XiumoO7t3Yl2xVeHsc