Sir, – Your political correspondent, Harry McGee, analyses the National Economic and Social Council report on climate policy (Home News, October 1st) and concludes that, as regards the transport sector, the 10 per cent renewables target by 2020 can be met by increasing the content of present day fuels with biofuels.
Would that this were so! The only way that this target can be met is by importing bio-ethanol from Brazil or palm oil from the tropical world. In both cases the environmental damage caused and the diversion of edible biomass into fuel production will outweigh any possible benefit that can be derived.
The electric vehicle target has already been abandoned; it is high time that the biofuel target be re-appraised in a careful and systematic fashion, with a proper consideration of the issues involved. Worthy as such subjects as economics and social sciences are, the inclusion of the natural and agricultural sciences into any future reports to Government might not be an altogether bad idea. – Yours etc,