Sowing the seeds of environmental doubt

Under heavy skies, pylons and electricity wires dominate the skyline leading from Monk Fryston sub-station, but even the darkest of clouds can't take away from the brightness of the fields of oil seed rape beneath.

Across the UK, the crop has come into full bloom in recent weeks, turning the countryside into a patchwork of yellow and green.

Originally grown for animal feed and vegetable oil, rapeseed is increasingly being talked of as a biofuel of the future. However, while the crop is certainly versatlie, it's not always popular.

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While Yorkshire's countryside has long been characterised by its rolling green hills and dales, the landscape is changing, and with rapeseed replacing more traditional crops, some people have begun to question its environmental credentials.

Biofuels, like rapeseed oil, have been billed as a replacement for traditional fossil fuels. When burnt, the plant simply returns the same amount of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere as it took out while growing.

It is, say its proponents, carbon neutral and, therefore, one way of lessening climate change.

But others now believe the environmental benefits are outweighed by the amount of fertiliser used to grow the crop and the cost of carbon emissions which come from transporting and refining the plants.

Technical details: Picture taken on a Nikon D2Xs digital camera with an ISo of 400 using a 70-200mm lens with an exposure of 125th sec at f13.

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