Bio-diesel: green fuel we can use today
Greenpeace will be giving away thousands of litres of green fuel to motorists in central Edinburgh on Monday 5th March and in central Glasgow on Tuesday 6th March [1]. The Greenpeace Green Garages will be dispensing bio-diesel - a plant-based fuel that is identical to ordinary diesel but causes only half the damage to the climate. Bio-diesel is widely used in the US, Germany and France, and is guaranteed safe for British motorists, but is not commercially available in the UK, despite the fact that Britain exports vegetable oil to France for bio-diesel production [2].
The action will highlight Greenpeace's campaign for tax cuts on genuine green fuels like bio-diesel, hydrogen and green electricity. Chancellor Gordon Brown has promised to reduce the duty on certain 'green' fuels in the March 7th Budget announcement. However campaigners are concerned he may pick the wrong fuels. Ultra-low sulphur petrol and diesel and unleaded petrol are NOT green fuels, because they are based on oil and therefore increase the risk of climate change, meaning more storms and floods.
Laura Yates, Climate Campaigner at Greenpeace, said, "We are giving away free bio-diesel - one of the genuine green alternatives to the oil-based fuels that are causing climate change, storms and floods. Gordon Brown should use this week's budget to give a boost to real green fuels, not cut the tax on fuels that are wrecking the climate."
The locations of Greenpeace's Green Garages will be announced on www.greenpeace.org.uk from 9.30 am on Monday 5th March and from 11 am on Tuesday 6th March. Anyone driving a diesel vehicle - including private cars, taxis, buses and trucks - is welcome to come and fill their tanks for free.
Further information:
Greenpeace Press Office: 020 7865 8283, mobile 07870 823485 At the garages: Melanie Hill 07801 212968
Notes for Editors
[1] The location of the Greenpeace Green Garage in Edinburgh will be announced at 9.30am, Monday, 5th March, when the garage opens. The location of the Glasgow Green Garage will be announced at 11 am, Tuesday 6th March, when the garage opens. Details will be posted on www.greenpeace.org.uk - and on leaflets distributed throughout the cities.
[2] Bio-diesel is available in thousands of petrol stations in Germany and France at about 40-45p a litre. In most European countries bio-diesel is zero-rated for tax purposes. In the UK bio-diesel is taxed at the same rate as petro-diesel. No UK filling stations supply the fuel, despite the fact that Britain is a major producer of rapeseed oil. Much of the UK rape crop is exported to make bio-diesel in France.
