EU biofuel panic threatens planet – Brazil envoy

BRUSSELS, Sept 19 (Reuters) – Europe’s heated debate over biofuels risks weakening one of the world’s best tools to fight climate change and one of the developing world’s best hopes for economic growth, Brazil’s ambassador to the EU said on Friday.

“What I fear is the debate over biofuels has taken on a very emotional character and we have somewhere got lost in this emotion,” said Maria Celina de Azevedo Rodrigues.

“Once, biofuels were seen as the salvation, and all of a sudden they are the devil.”

Environmentalists charge that biofuels made from grains and oil seeds have pushed up food prices and forced subsistence farmers to expand agricultural land by hacking into rainforests and draining wetlands.

“Right now, biofuels is one of the answers to at least slowing climate change,” said Rodrigues.

Guardian