The European Commission last Friday approved a certification scheme which would brand biofuels produced from palm oil as ‘sustainable’, despite evidence that their production contributes to deforestation, peatland degradation, disputes over land rights, and climate change.Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth Europe argue that legitimising the use of palm oil biofuels by approving the scheme …
Mining for smartphones: the true cost of tin
Tin used in some of the best-selling brands of smartphones is almost certainly linked to the devastation of forests, farmland, coral reefs and communities in Indonesia, according to a new report ‘Mining for Smartphones: the True Cost of Tin’ from Friends of the Earth. The investigation links destructive mining techniques in Bangka, Indonesia, to products …
Conference: Reducing Europe’s land dependency and its impacts
On the 3rd December, Friends of the Earth Europe will be holding a conference discussing the causes of, and solutions too, Europe’s excessive land footprint. The half-day conference, ‘Resource Efficiency in Europe: reducing Europe’s land dependency and its impacts’, taking place in the conference hall of The Press Club, Rue Froissart 95, Brussels, will discuss the …
Conference: Reducing Europe’s land dependency and its impactsRead more
Biomass ‘dirtier than coal’
Burning whole trees in power stations can be dirtier than coal, concludes a new report in the UK by Friends of the Earth, the RSPB, and Greenpeace. Using the UK government’s own data, the report ‘Dirtier Than Coal, finds that electricity generated by burning conifer trees could increase greenhouse gas emissions by 80% compared to …
Biofuels capped but still likely to starve and pollute
Reforms announced today by the European Commission will not stop biofuels pushing up food prices and accelerating climate change, says Friends of the Earth Europe. [1] The proposals include a 5% cap on crop-based biofuels, which goes some way to controlling the quantity of crops which will be used for fuel. But, this limit is …
Biofuels capped but still likely to starve and polluteRead more
Barroso must not back away from biofuels reform
Brussels, 15 October – EU chiefs must follow through with plans to slash biofuel use, Friends of the Earth Europe warned today as crucial decisions on biofuels policy reform are taken by European Commissioners in Brussels. The warning comes on the eve of World Food Day, against the backdrop of a looming food crisis – …
