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by Tim Newbold (The Guardian) The global approach to energy is changing rapidly. The urgency of the challenge that climate change presents has focused significant attention and resources on renewable energy solutions, as countries and companies seek to reduce emissions. One of the ways that an increasing number of countries have found to provide such mitigation, is the addition of a renewable energy resource like ethanol. When blended, fuel ethanol has a low-carbon content compared to traditional petrol, and so it offers immediate and immense environmental benefits through the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and improving air quality.
Beyond these environmental benefits, ethanol also brings economic and social benefits when adopted widely. Developing countries such as Thailand and Brazil have adopted biofuel policies since the 1980s and 1970s respectively. These policies including blending mandates and fuel quality standards and monitoring have resulted in significant grow
Nearly half of the food eaten in the UK is grown abroad. Take your morning tea or coffee. These are just two of the many crops grown in tropical and sub-tropical climates that depend on animal pollination and countless other services provided by wildlife before they can reach our kitchen tables. But how often do we consider biodiversity when enjoying them?
You’ll probably be used to hearing that animal populations have declined by more than two-thirds since 1970 worldwide, and that around one million species are at risk of extinction. Many of these species are threatened by farmland expanding into their habitats, and while there’s a growing appetite to reform our broken relationship with nature, it’s important to recognise that threats to biodiversity are not equally distributed.