Biofuels welcome, though transport fuel demand still soars

The Green Party has congratulated Gull on being first to launch an ethanol blend biofuel product on the New Zealand market, and has called on the motor industry to stop trying to impede progress on climate change.

"I was proud to attend the launch and the first pouring of the fuel yesterday, and to see the enthusiastic support from Honda, Ford, Volkswagen and Holden,” Greens’ Co-Leader Jeanette Fitzsimons says.

"These companies are keen to be part of the future, which will see us using less petroleum fuel - both because it will be less available and more expensive as peak oil approaches, and because it contributes to climate change.

"It is time for other companies to start putting New Zealand's future first, and to stop exaggerating the very small risks which apply to a small proportion of vehicles.

"This fuel is being sold at three outlets, and replaces only 98 octane. The majority of vehicles use lower octane and won't be in the market to buy it. Of those who do use high octane fuel, many will be new vehicles that won't have a problem. Anyone with a vehicle needing high octane fuel with no ethanol has plenty of other service stations they can go to.

“The Greens are particularly pleased that the source of this ethanol is a New Zealand by-product of the dairy industry, whey.

"We are totally against using high quality land to grow food crops for fuel, as the US does with its corn to ethanol programme. We will have no part of any programme that starves people in poor countries in order to feed the cars of people in rich countries,” Ms Fitzsimons says.

"Fortunately New Zealand has a number of opportunities to produce climate-friendly fuels without taking food from hungry people, or destroying rain forests to grow oil crops.

"However, we are going to have to move much faster if we are to make any difference to our imported fuel bill. Demand for transport fuel has been growing at 4 percent a year. The Government's target of a 3.4 per cent contribution by 2012 does not even cancel out one year's growth.

“Biofuels are a worthwhile contribution to a sustainable future, which must also include smaller more efficient cars, better public transport, more use of rail and coastal shipping for freight, and more walking and cycling for short distances." Ms Fitzsimons says.