The book is produced by the Swedish Research Council Formas and contains reflections from an international group of 40 plus scientists.
Maria Osbeck and Neil Powell warn of the serious flip side of Europe’s increased use of biofuels. Technical solutions are too much focused on European end-product needs rather than the carbon emitting consequences of growing crops such as palm oil, they say.
Fuel crops soak up carbon while growing but they often displace vegetation that soaks up even more carbon. Osbeck and Powell use the example of Indonesia, where lush forests and lands have been destroyed in order to grow palm oil for the European market.
