Lohne, 19.1.2011
Dr Donal Murphy-Bokern and representatives more than 30 Citizens’ Initiatives across German (Initiativen mit Weitblick) today met Niedersächsen’s Environment Minister Hans-Heinrich Sander. The meeting was prompted by Minister Sander’s leading role in the revision of Germany’s Renewable Energy Law.
Minister Sander expressed his great concern at the boom in food (maize) fuelled biogas production in Germany and a determination to do all he can to reduce the subsidisation of biogas from food resources. He also expressed great irritation at the misrepresentation of his position by the biogas sector. Further details are presented by the Initiaiven mit Weitblick press release www.initiativen-mit-weitblick.de. The Minister also said that the Group’s knowledge of the biogas issue was admirable.
After an in-depth and productive discussion in which the Minister expressed support for the aims of group, it was agreed that the Ministry and the group would work closely together to ensure each is well informed of developments.
Biogas and Climate presentation in Damme
Later this evening, Dr Donal Murphy-Bokern presented a talk on the science and politics behind the use of food crops for biogas. His presentation was based on international peer-reviewed research results and scientific consensus.
The main points were:
The German policy subsidising the use of arable food crops for bioenergy (including biogas) is fundamentally flawed. Bioenergy systems based on arable food crops such as maize perform poorly in terms of greenhouse gas mitigation per hectare. This result in unacceptably high greenhouse gas mitigation costs for society.
The effect of widespread use of arable land for bioenergy has profound global consequences adding to pressures on land use change, for example deforestation in South America or destruction of grassland in Europe. This replacement of arable land lost to food production when food resources are used for bioenergy leads to greenhouse gas emissions that exceed those saved by the bioenergy system. In his presentation Dr Murphy-Bokern drew on research from across the world and on the scientific consensus now being expressed world-wide that the expansion of food-based bioenergy is counterproductive in terms on climate protection.
Notes:
Dr Donal Murphy-Bokern is an independent agricultural scientist based in Lohne in Germany. He leads international research projects, contributes to the direction of international agricultural research programmes, and works as a specialist in public policy within international research teams. The overall aim of his work is the development of resource conserving and efficient agricultural systems for food, bioenergy and renewable materials.
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