UN’s Pachauri warns against biofuel use

Speaking at the European Parliament, Rajendra Pachauri said, "We should be very, very careful about coming up with biofuel solutions
that have major impact on production of food grains and may have an implication for overall food security."

Many environmentalists say biofuels have raised food prices, distorted government budgets and have led to deforestation in southeast Asia and Brazil. Pachauri questioned the US policy of converting corn into ethanol for transport fuel. Scientists believe that some kinds of
biofuel generate as much carbon dioxide as the fossil fuels they replace.

Supporters, however, say that biofuels are the only renewable alternative to fossil fuels and do generally result in greenhouse-gas
emission savings.

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