Monday 15 February 2010
Contact: Marie Reynolds, Friends of the Earth press office, 0207 566 1649
Commenting on British Airways' plans to build Europe's first sustainable jet- fuel plant and use biofuel from waste biomass to power part of its fleet from 2014,
Friends of the Earth's biofuels campaigner Kenneth Richter said:
"Biofuels for cars were meant to be a way of using waste cooking oil, but we ended up trashing rainforests to grow the crops, leading to more - not less - carbon dioxide.
"Fuelling planes with biofuels could cause more of the same problems. It seems BA is already backtracking on its claim that it would only use food waste to fuel these planes."
ENDS
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COMMENT FROM JENNY BATES FROM FOE.
Commenting on British Airways proposal for a jet-fuel plant http://www.britishairways.com/travel/bapress/public/en_gb
Friends of the Earth’s London campaigner Jenny Bates said:
“The Mayor shouldn’t be helping to create demand for waste by supporting this plant – he should be maximising recycling and sending any unavoidable food waste for anaerobic digestion to create truly green energy.
“There are also concerns over how the plant will affect East Londoners, who already suffer disproportionately from traffic problems and air pollution and noise from London City airport.”
