News Highlight (5 of 6): Progress in Alternatives to Oil (EU biofuels, H2 from oil byproducts, H2 cars)

Whether or not presidant Bush means what he says when talking about curing America's addiction on oil, the issue has benefited from the publicity. The global addiction to fossil fuels is being increasingly questioned.


The EU has recently launched its biofuels strategy, which has been welcomed by many for its climate benefits but has also created considerable concern. If EU biofuels are sourced from abroad then the cheapest option may well be palm oil. Palm oil plantations are likely to expand to the detriment of ancient rainforest, rainforest with far more locked up carbon than a palm oil plantation...this would be a spectacular own goal.

In California BP are investing 1 Billion Dollars in Hydrogen power! (via groovy green) There are several great things about this project:

• It uses waste products from an oil refinery, waste products from nearby mean less transport and less energy wastage.
• The carbon dioxide produced is going to be sequestered and kept out of the atmosphere.
• The waste fuel would usually have been exported to China for use in coal power stations, I`d guess it isn't used in the US as its smoke is toxic; so this project may be helping out the Chinese people to.

Besides these stories, a lot more information can be found about alternatives to Oil on both TheWatt and Green Car Congress

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