The Nuffield Council on Bioethics has published its recommendations on ethical standards for biofuels, together with a collection of free teaching resources on the subject.
Concerns over energy security, economic development and climate change are driving the development of biofuels. However, biofuels production, which currently mainly uses food crops, has been controversial because in some cases it has led to deforestation, and to disputes over rising food prices and land use.
New types of biofuels, such as those using non-food crops and algae, are being developed with the aim of meeting our energy demands whilst avoiding the problems of the past.
This report on the ethical implications of biofuels lays out 6 clear principals for future development to follow, and would make an interesting base for discussion in the classroom.
They recommend that:
- Biofuels development should not be at the expense of human rights
- Biofuels should be environmentally sustainable
- Biofuels should contribute to a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions
- Biofuels should adhere to fair trade principles
- Costs and benefits of biofuels should be distributed in an equitable way
Teaching Resources
The Council has published a set of teaching resources for KS3 and above based on its 2011 report 'Biofuels: ethical issues'.
The resources are split into two lessons. In the first lesson, students will begin by learning about the different types of biofuels that are being produced as alternative renewable sources of energy. They will explore the advantages and disadvantages of these different types of biofuels, and begin to make comparisons. The second lesson includes a role-play exercise to aid further exploration of the impacts of biofuels production in countries such as Brazil, Malaysia and the USA.