This week, Global Justice Ecology Project executive director Anne Petermann’s regular Earth Minute segment on the Sojourner Truth radio show focused on an open letter sent from 89 organizations from 34 countries to end plans promoting biofuels and carbon offsets as a “green” form of air travel.
TRANSCRIPT
On June 11th, 89 organizations from 34 countries called on the United Nations to end plans that promote use of biofuels and carbon offsets to supposedly “green” air travel—one of the fastest growing sources of carbon emissions globally.
The Open Letter warns the UN climate proposal could result in airlines using large amounts of biofuels made from socially and ecologically destructive palm oil.
According to Simone Lovera of Global Forest Coalition, “Palm oil is one of the main drivers of deforestation worldwide, which itself is a major emitter of carbon, yet the UN wants airlines rewarded for burning biofuels made from it.”
Nele Mariën from Friends of the Earth explains the problems with airlines using carbon offsets: “We cannot limit global warming to 1.5 degrees unless all states and sectors rapidly phase out their carbon emissions. There is no role for offsets”.
The Open Letter demands the UN to not only reject aviation biofuel and offsetting plans, but to actually reverse the growth in aviation.
For the Earth Minute and the Sojourner Truth show, this is Anne Petermann from Global Justice Ecology Project.
