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Alternative fuels debate: are green cars the future of European transport? (2013 02 19)

Alternative fuels such as biofuels, natural gas or electricity have been pitched as a way to overcome Europe's dependence on oil as no less than 94% of transport uses it, of which 84.3% is imported. However, support is needed if vehicles running on these alternative fuels are to take off. The Commission presented its ideas for this in its Clean Power for Transport strategy, which will be presented to the EP's transport committee on 19 February. We talked to chair Brian Simpson about it.

What should the EU do to promote alternative fuels? © BELGA_DPA_David Ebener.

The challenge of promoting green cars

Alternative fuels might be the solution to reducing transport's impact on the environment but they are being held back by low consumer demand caused by high prices and a lack of recharging and refuelling stations, which in turn discourage consumers from buying green cars.

Mr Simpson, a British member of the S&D group, welcomed the Commission's long-term strategy for changing this. "We cannot keep relying on fossil fuels. Much of the focus is on electric cars, but we must remember that there are still problems with this solution, not least with battery life. I believe that other fuels, such as water-based fuels and biofuels, may also have a part to play."

The need for infrastructure

The Commission is proposing a package of binding targets on member states for a minimum level of infrastructure for clean fuels. However, would this solve the problem?

Mr Simpson said it was a dilemma to know what to put in place first. "I believe that the infrastructure needs to be in place to give consumers the confidence to buy non-fossil fuel powered vehicles." However, he added: "It should be the producers of non-fossil fuel options that fund the infrastructure, just as petrol manufacturers pay for petrol stations."

European Parliament, © News service, 14 02 2013

Skaitytoju komentarai

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2013 03 31 Isi

I feel that man has a role in climate cnahge. There are 6 billion of us living on the planet. The planet, although huge and very old, is a balanced organism that has to operate under certain parameters to support life. Few people of the earth respect this balance and try to live in harmony with it. We can talk about the major climate cnahges that have occurred over thousands of years, but the cnahges since industrialization are undeniable and profound.In this country, we are consuming the world's resources at an alarming rate. That takes energy and a lot of materials that release massive amounts of gasses into the atmosphere artificially. If everyone in the world lived like us, it would take about 6 earths to supply the necessary resources. Common sense should tell us that something is wrong with that picture.People from some of the most populated countries on earth want to live much like we do. In one Chinese province, about 14,000 more autos come into use every day. China also has a very aggressive energy plan, bringing a new coal plant on line every two weeks. In many underdeveloped countries, people are desperate for fuel, food, and money and have cut many trees down for shelter, agriculture, fuel, charcoal, and other uses. These trees no longer take gasses out of the air.We'll never know for certain whether human activity is primarily responsible for glacial and polar cap recession, forest fires, hurricanes, and other symptoms of a warmer planet. One thing is for sure though we can't afford not to practice a much more energy-conservative lifestyle this is the only planet we have and deserves the benefit of the doubt.Thus, I urge you to consider that climate cnahge may be occuring too rapidly to be considered "normal". Fossil fuels can largely be eliminated if the political will exists in the industrialized world. I predict that the earth is going to become an increasingly difficult place for healthy biological activity and this will force governments world wide to aggressively seek energy efficiency.

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