I feel frustrated by the news this week that the EU is re-thinking its targets for biodiesel in light of the rise in food prices partly prompted by the channellling of grain to gas production. Frustrated because biodiesel isn’t a panaceae but it’s a start and it’s getting kicked from all sides before its even gotten started. Frustrated because the EU’s targets were modest in the first place and hardly enough to dent CO2 emissions. But I am mostly frustrated by the veracity of this: yes, if we grow grain for use as fuel, it’s not going to get eaten. But we vegetarians have been decrying diversion of grain for fuel for years – when it becomes fuel for ruminants, for the cows and pigs that meat-eaters choose to put in their shopping baskets and mouths. It’s an unjust calculation, when you think of all that food getting fed to animals destined for early death when children die daily for want of a bowl of gruel.
Biodiesel and rising food prices said,
January 19, 2008 @ 9:45 pm
[...] John Gartner wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptI feel frustrated by the news this week that the EU is re-thinking its targets for biodiesel in light of the rise in food prices partly prompted by the channellling of grain to gas production. Frustrated because biodiesel isn’ta … [...]