Australian Medical Association backs ethanol blended fuels

July 29, 2005

The Australian Medical Association (A.M.A.), an independent organization representing over 27,000 doctors, has written a letter to the Australian Government's Biofuels Taskforce supporting the mandatory use of ethanol blends.

“The A.M.A. is a strong advocate on initiatives related to environmental impacts on human health such as global warming,” wrote Dr Haikerwal, President of the A.M.A..

“In our opinion, there is incontrovertible evidence that the addition of ethanol to petrol and biodiesel to diesel will reduce the deaths and ill-health associated with the emissions produced by burning those fuels.” The A.M.A. has recommended the use of petrol with 10% ethanol and diesel with 20% biodiesel.

The A.M.A. also indicated its support for the reduction of toxic aromatics (such as benzene), increased use of liquid petroleum gas (LPG) or compressed natural gas (CNG), and the use of filters and gas-detoxification systems in vehicle tunnels.