Hey Everyone!  Sadly, I had to leave CSD last night, and its just not the same being back here in DC. 

I wanted to share with the blogworld the event that I felt was most valuable to me during my time at CSD.  (And it wasn't just because the delegate's dining room includes free food and drinks, I promise.)  The Biofuels side event, hosted by the Dutch delegation, included an awesome facilitated dialog between the participants and presenters.  The 4 presenters each made quick presentations on their topic and then sat down a table.  Then all the participants were invited to join a table and engage in a conversation with the experts.  After 15 mins of conversation, we got up and switched to another table to engage another expert.  I got to explore the topics that I found the most interesting with the presenters and topics, and in a small enough group so that I was able ask questions directly to the presenters.

Now for the cross post from IGHIH: 

Biofuels, crops which can be converted into a source of energy, are a hot topic in the renewable energy community. Over at itsgettinghotinhere.org we’ve covered biofuels’ potential a few times. There is a lot of excitement around the possibility of mainstreaming a source of energy that can be grown by farmers, who are increasingly facing tough economic times.

As detractors point out, biofules have the potential to ruin dreams. One of the most drastic problems is the destruction of peatlands, a type of wetland common in Southeast Aisa that is a major carbon sink. An alternative fuel created from palm oil is a major culprit in this destruction. As a result of increased demand for palm oil, many new palm oil plantations are proposed in Malaysia and Indonesia, the majority of which will be sited on peatlands.

The main problem covered by the media to date is related to the use of food crops to produce energy. The most notable are the protests in Mexico over the rise in the cost of tortillas, which has been blamed on increased corn use for ethanol production.

In order to address these and other concerns, Andre Faaj at Utrecht University in the Netherlands has proposed criteria for sustainability certification for biofuels. Read on to learn about this innovative set of standards.

The main criteria include:

• Greenhouse Gas Reduction Potential
• Competition with Foodcrops / Land Use Distribution
• Biodiversity Levels
• Labor Standards / Living Wage
• Environment: Waste, Toxins, Soil and Water Quality

This certification is a really forward thinking way of evaluating a product because it includes considerations of economics, equality and environment - the three pillars of sustainability. In order to evaluate all three aspects of sustainability according to existing certification mechanisms, one would need to use multiple certifications, such as the Organic, Shade Grown, Fair Trade triple certification scheme for coffee.

What do you think about biofuels? Are certification systems the answer? I’ll watch comments on the cross-post at itsgettinghotinhere.org for your thoughts.