>From: "ETC Group" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Subject: ETC Group News Release: Biofuels, Bioenergy and Biochar: >False Solutions Lead to Land-Grabbing >Date: Fri, 03 Dec 2010 > >Side Event: ETC Group, Biofuelwatch, EcoNexus, African Biodiversity >Network/Gaia >Friday Dec 3rd, 20:15-21:45 >Room SandÃa, Cancunmesse > >Industries and governments are joining forces to create policies >that support the use of crops and other "biomass" (trees, >agriculture "residues," manure and more) as substitutes for coal, >oil and gas - not just for energy and fuels, but also for the >production of plastics and chemicals. While presented as "green, >clean, and renewable," the shift from petroleum to biomass is, in >fact, worsening climate change, increasing deforestation and >biodiversity loss, degrading soils and depleting water supplies. >Further, the new "bio-based" economy threatens livelihoods, >especially in the global South where it encourages "land grabs." > >At the same time that a massive demand for biomass is being created, >using lands for carbon sequestration (as offsets via REDD, for >example) is being promoted. Creating an industrial demand for >biomass is clearly incompatible with slowing deforestation, and yet, >predictably, industry players are pushing to ensure that the >expansion of industrial monocultures plantations and practices >associated with growing, harvesting and using biomass will be >rewarded by offset-financing. > >"The example of biofuels should serve as a warning", said Silvia >Ribeiro from Canada based ETC Group. "They have resulted in >increased deforestation, hunger and land grabs, without reducing >carbon emissions. Biotech companies are now pursuing 'synthetic >biology' to create artificial microbes that can convert plant >biomass into all manner of fuels, chemicals and products. This is >shortsighted and risky. We have no regulatory structures to oversee >the production and use of synthetic life forms. What will happen if >biomass-digesting, engineered microbes are accidentally released >into the environment, as is likely?" > >"Creating new demands for plant materials will never solve the >problem of climate change" stated Rachel Smolker from Biofuelwatch. >"Incredibly, some are now advocating that we burn massive quantities >of plant material to make charcoal (aka biochar) and bury it in >soils. Proponents make all sorts of claims about the capacity of >biochar to sequester carbon, for which there is little scientific >basis, and they fail to consider the impacts of dramatically >increasing the demand for plant matter." > >Finally, Teresa Anderson from the Gaia Foundation said that "false >solutions add insult to injury for people in the global South. >Small farmers, indigenous peoples and pastoralists are not the >people who caused climate change, yet they are already suffering the >consequences. Now these false solutions are making them suffer even >more as they face eviction from their lands to make way for biofuels >and the bioeconomy. Our new report "Biofuels - a Failure for >Africa" exposes the false claims made about biofuels, and how they >are failing farmers and Africa as a whole." > >Contacts: >Silvia Ribeiro, ETC Group, (mobile 552 653 3330) ><mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>[EMAIL PROTECTED] >Teresa Anderson, EcoNexus/African Biodiversity Network/Gaia (998 189 >6201) <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>[EMAIL PROTECTED] >Rachel Smolker, Biofuelwatch (mobile 998 108 3108) [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > >FOR MORE INFO: > >On biofuels: >See Gaia Foundation/ African Biodiversity Network report: Biofuels - >A Failure for Africa, available here: ><http://www.etcgroup.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=119&qid=52354>http://www.gaiafoundation.org/content/biofuels-failing-africa-report-ethiopia > >On the "bioeconomy:" >See ETC Group's newly released report: The New Biomassters, available here: ><../../node/5232>http://www.etcgroup.org/en/node/5232 > > >On biochar: >See Biofuelwatch's briefing: Biochar For Climate Mitigation: Fact or >Fiction, available here: ><http://www.etcgroup.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=120&qid=52354>http://www.biofuelwatch.org.uk/docs/biocharbriefing.pdf > > >See also: >African Biodiversity Network and Gaia Foundation's joint briefing: >Biochar Landgrabbing: The Impacts on Africa, available here: ><http://www.etcgroup.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=121&qid=52354>http://www.biofuelwatch.org.uk/docs/biochar_africa_briefing2.pdf > > >Biofuelwatch's handout: Offsetting tar sands emissions with biochar? >(English and Spanish), available here: > ><http://www.etcgroup.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=122&qid=52354>http://www.biofuelwatch.org.uk/docs/biochar_and_tar_sands_handout.pdf >and ><http://www.etcgroup.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=123&qid=52354>http://www.biofuelwatch.org.uk/docs/biochar_and_tar_sands_espanol.pdf > >----- >ETC Group is a registered Charity in Canada. ETC Headquarters are at: >431 Gilmour Street, Second Floor >Ottawa, ON K2P-0R5 >Canada
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