Biofuels in Colombia

Biofuels in Colombia

Recently in Colombia politicians have been trying to encourage in people an interest in the developing of technologies to produce fuels like ethanol and diesel from organic sources. They argue that this will reduce pollution in cities and will produce new jobs for farmers.

But instead improve life conditions in Colombia, biofuels is just another criminal business. There are some reports of farmers been forced to leave their lands in Chocó and Cesar departments in order to let big landowners to be able to cultivate African oil palms, the main raw material to produce biodiesel.

On the other hand, the assertion that biofuels reduce pollution is not completely true. They reduce carbon monoxide emissions due to the improvement of engines yield, however they increase the production of nitrogen oxides which produces acid rain, as dangerous for the environment and for humans as carbon dioxide.

We can’t be against the implementation of new technologies but we should strive to make them helpful for all Colombians and not for just a few opportunists.