Food shortage, Bio-fuels & Climate change

Dr. R. K. Pachauri, Chairperson of the Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) said on June 30th that he had hoped that the G-8 summit in Japan would address the issue of bio-fuel policies, including subsidy, which was contributing to the rising food prices, which could push an additional 100 million people into poverty. Subsidies on grain and oil seed bio-fuels were making farmers shift from growing food grains to bio-fuel plantation. According to him unbalanced policies disproportionately burden the poor and the G-8 should tackle the interconnected challenges of climate change, food prices and development. Not only food was being converted into fuel, but also forests were being cleared for growing crops to produce bio-fuels like ethanol and palm oil. Dr. Pachauri also wished for a clearer statement from the developed countries on emission reduction and their willingness to take action. He expected them to divert resources allocated to subsidies for bio-fuels for implementing use of renewable energy sources like solar, wind etc which will cut down on gas emissions and reduce climate change. Greenspace has called upon the G-8 nations to take action on climate change by adopting binding emission reduction targets and investing in an energy revolution based on renewable energy and massive increases in efficiency, and give a constructive response to rocketing oil prices. (Source: The Hindu, July 9, 2008)