Biofuel analysis indicates youths' concerns

Young people's concerns about the future of renewable energy have been incorporated into biofuel analysis published by the Department of Energy and Climate Change.

In a recently published report, the government body explains how future generations' views on renewables - ranging from biomass to wind and solar energy - are important as they will live in the world as it exists in 2050.

The section of biofuel analysis included in the summary of findings for the report lists a variety of different concerns and opinions on how the energy source should be managed.

For instance, there is worry from one respondent that biomass crops may be grown on land cleared of trees, impairing the overall environmental benefit attained.

Another recommendation made from the report is that biofuels must only be produced using sustainable resources and processes.

Tom Youngman, a 17-year-old member of the Youth Panel that worked on the study, says: "We do not want to inherit a diminished planet, as it often seems we are being asked to."