NHK: Scientists warn of biofuel boom effects

NHK reports from a symposium held in Tokyo on Wednesday to discuss the increasing use of ethanol for cars, which has pushed up food prices. Nearly 600 people took part in the forum. At the symposium, Lester Brown, director of Earth Policy Insitute, warned that a further surge in food prices might have a serious impact on people in poor nations.

The use of bio-fuel has been adopted in many countries as a promising way to fight global warming. Plants, which are used to create the fuel, absorb carbon dioxide, and therefore can offset carbon dioxide gas emitted by burning the fuel. But the use of crops for fuel production has increased demand and forced up food prices.

Mr Brown said it is not correct to follow only marketplace principles in allowing food to be used as material for auto fuel. He insisted that the construction of new bio-fuel plants should be temporarily suspended, saying people are now at a critical point to decide which way civilization should head.

Other panelists suggested that new technologies should be developed to make bio-fuel from non-edible plants.

After the forum, one participant told NHK that people should change their lifestyles as well as their mindsets toward reducing energy consumption and not merely replace their use of gasoline with ethanol.