Update on Crops, Cars and Climate Change tour (November 2008)
Watch the Ottawa forum online! More details below.
Thanks to everyone who came out to the events as part of the Crops, Cars and Climate Change tour. Between the public events and the very extensive coverage by local and national media, we estimate that almost two million people heard about the consequences for people and ecosystems of the global rush to produce fuel from crops.
Nonetheless, the government recently passed through the House of Commons Bill C-33, which provides a $2.2 billion subsidy for biofuels and requires that all gasoline include 5% biofuel content by 2010. The events seem to have played a role in both the NDP and the Bloc Quebecois changing their official positions on biofuels (they voted against Bill C-33), while the Liberals remain divided on the issue. Bill C-33 is now in the Senate and has been referred to the Energy, Environment and Natural Resources Committee. This legislation will create a huge Canadian market for ethanol, increasing the global demand and contributing to the many impacts identified by the speakers during the tour.
Speakers detailed the massive conversion underway of agricultural land to the production of agrofuels, and the forcible displacement of people to make way for agrofuel plantations. They made it clear that the growth of agrofuels is a significant factor in the dramatic rise in food prices. Speakers also questioned the actual efficiency of biofuels and whether they are an effective way to address climate change. While pointing out these problems, they also put forward a model of food sovereignty as a way out of the global food crisis that does address climate change.
The public forum in Ottawa was recorded by the Cable Public Affairs Channel (CPAC). If you were unable to attend, but would like to watch the presentations and discussion, you can find it at:
http://www.cpac.ca/forms/index.asp?dsp=template&act=view3&pagetype=vod&lang=e&clipID=1405
For additional readings on the issue of agrofuels please visit the Canadian Biotechnology Action Network Web site at:
http://www.cban.ca/content/search?SearchText=agrofuels&submit=Go
Two other very good sources of more information on this issue are the Web sites of Food First Institute (http://www.foodfirst.org/) and GRAIN (http://www.grain.org/agrofuels/).
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