Forest conservation beats fuel conservation

While the U.S. has a corn surplus, countries like Malaysia do not necessarily have sufficient production capacity for the commodities needed for biofuel production. While NGO's and Foreign Environmental activists have claimed that Malaysia has cleared its forest cover to plant oil palm, the Malaysian government stands firm on protecting its existing forest cover, and planting of palm oil was carried out only in allocated areas that did not involve any clearing of forests. Malaysia's forest areas amounted to more than 66 percent. While biofuels are providing a viable alternative to fossil fuels, they should not be produced with total disregard for the environment.
[Source: Zeenews]