The Hidden Cost of the Biofuels Stations proposed for Bristol and for sites across Britain.

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Public Meeting

The Hidden Cost of the Biofuels Stations proposed for Bristol and for sites across Britain.

THURSDAY 3RD DECEMBER
7:00pm to 9:00pm
3rd Floor, Bush House (Above the Arnolfini), 72 Prince St.,Bristol, BS1 4QD

Simply attending this meeting would hugely improve our chances of preventing this proposal from going through - please spread the word far and wide!

Background
A company called W4B Renewable Energy want to build a 50 MW power station at Avonmouth Docks in Bristol, which would burn 90,000 tonnes of vegetable oil, most likely palm oil, every year. More than 22,000 hectares of oil palm plantations would be required to feed this one power station, and even more land if other feedstock was used. W4B have mentioned jatropha as well as palm oil, yet jatropha is not yet commercially available, many plantings are failing, yet thousands of people have already lost their land and livelihood for jatropha plantations to feed Europe’s biofuel market. Peat expert Professor Siegert of Munich University has said about palm oil power stations in Germany: “We were able to prove that the making of these plantations and the burning of the rainforests and peat areas emits many thousands of times as much CO2 as we then are able to prevent by using palm oil. And that is a disastrous balance for the climate.” (tinyurl.com/y9xel3g)

Ever more communities in countries like Colombia, Malaysia, Indonesia and Ecuador are losing their land to palm oil companies, with plantation expansion to a large extent driven by Europe’s biofuel policies. Avonmouth local residents will be affected by increased levels of nitrogen oxide and small particulates which are linked to respiratory and cardiac disease in an area that already has high levels of pollution.

In agreement with Europe's biofuel policies, the UK GOVERNMENT HAS COMMITTED TO INCREASE UK BIOFUEL CONSUMPTION ON A YEARLY BASIS. IT PROVIDES LARGE FINANCIAL INCENTIVES TO STIMULATE THE CONTINUED GROWTH OF THE BIOFUEL MARKET IN THE UK: In 2008, Biodiesel received a 20 pence per litre fuel duty incentive and Biofuel sales were approximately 1100 million litres (UK Report to the European Commission under Article 4 of the Biofuels Directive (2003/30/EC)) and are targetted to rise.

Why its important to attend this meeting!
Whether you would like to learn more or want to make your views heard, then please attend the meeting. Politicians and the press have been invited so we can make those in power aware of our concerns by showing strength in numbers. Planning proposals for the Avonmouth biofuel plant will be considered early in 2010 and plans exist to build a number of similar 'agrofuel' (biofuels from industrial agriculture) power plants around the UK. There are sustainable alternatives to biofuel! The more of us who show support NOW, by attending the public meeting, the greater our chance of halting biofuel plant development in the interests of more sustainable fuel sources.

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