Blogging Ethanol & Biodiesel

U.N. is urged to disavow 'rogue' ethanol predictions

The gathering alliance of ethanol interest crusaders which last week was content to simply call for more production is now calling on the United Nations to disavow “rogue” and “apocalyptic” statements made recently by one of its representatives.
        The rogue in question is Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food Jean Ziegler, who in Switzerland is a senior professor of sociology at the University of Geneva. In August, Ziegler called the conversion of farmland to biofuel production "a crime against humanity," and recommended in his recent report to the U.N. a five-year ban on biofuel production and expansion. Ziegler argues that converting land to biofuels lowers food production and raises food prices for the poor.
        Pandering to the world's poor is a dangerously anti-ethanol sentiment, and Brazilian Sugar Association President Marcos Jank, held a press conference to accuse Ziegler of simply making an "emotional argument."
        "A moratorium would be bad news for the ethanol industry around the world," Jank told reporters.
        "It could hinder countries in Europe in particular from expanding their own ethanol production," Jank said.
       Now who's being emotional?

Lula convinces Sweden to lift its import duty

Image courtesy: National Geographic
Sweden's announcement that it will remove its import duty on ethanol speaks to the apparent success of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's visit last month. His tour of Scandinavia was aimed at striking a deal to standardize the co-development of ethanol in order to create a larger world market for its trade.

Swedish PM Fredrik Reinfeldt wants Sweden's duty, introduced in January 2006, to be lifted by January 1, 2009 at the latest.

However, the measure first needs to be approved by the European Union.

The EU has recommended that countries add ethanol to petrol at a proportion of 5.7% by 2010, and also replace 10% of fuels with renewable energy sources by 2020.

How does that Lula charm play States-side? No country is looking to rankle its base of production. In March, Lula signed a memorandum of understanding with President Bush towards the "promotion of the use of ethanol in other countries." I.e., all the world (of non-producing countries) should be the stage.