Today in Biofuels Opinion: “For the first time we’re facing a situation where the technology path is less difficult than the financing path”

Biofuels Digest editor Jim Lane, on National Public Radio’s Living on Earth: “We’ll be seeing the coming of all kinds of new technologies like cellulosic ethanol, gasification and fast pyrolysis that will be able to increase the yield that we get when we use things like landfill waste. We’re entering technologically perhaps the most exciting time in the industry’s history. It just comes at a very difficult time in terms of raising capital to build all these plants and probably for the first time we’re facing a situation where the technology path is less difficult than the financing path.”

Hans Pienaar, Business Report: “Consumers in Germany believe they are helping to fight climate change by filling their tanks with biodiesel from Africa, without any awareness of how agrofuels are just another instance of big agrobusiness….Trusha Reddy of the ISS said agrofuels were being punted as a panacea for climate change concerns. In Europe, it is punted as the solution to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. In Africa, governments promote it as a creator of jobs and renewable energy sources. “But agrofuels are not about energy security in Africa, and not about food security at all,” Reddy said.”

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