Corn ethanol is not solution to energy independence
mongabay.com
July 18, 2007





A new report claims that corn ethanol will not significantly offset U.S. fossil fuel consumption without "unacceptable" environmental and economic consequences.

The report, The Rush to Ethanol: Not all BioFuels are Equal, reviews recent scientific studies on the environmental and economic implications of replacing fossil fuel production with corn ethanol. It found that corn ethanol is neither realistic nor productive source of biofuel.

"Dedicating the entire U.S. corn crop to ethanol production would only offset 15 percent of gasoline demand," explained a statement release by the Network for New Energy Choices, one of the groups that sponsored the report. "Conversely, modest increases in auto fuel efficiency standards of even one mile per gallon for all cars and light trucks, such as those passed by the Senate last month could cut petroleum consumption by more than all alternative fuels and replacement fuels combined."

Further, says the report, at best corn ethanol will only reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 18 percent to 28 percent relative to gasoline. In comparison, cellulosic ethanol is expected to offer a reduction of 87 percent. Corn ethanol also presents health and pollution concerns.


The Rush to Ethanol: Not all BioFuels are Equal
"Expansion of the corn ethanol industry will lead to more water and air pollution and soil erosion of America's farm belt, while failing to significantly offset fossil fuel use or combat global warming," said Scott Cullen, Senior Policy Advisor for the Network for New Energy Choices.

"Rural communities won't benefit from the Farm Bill becoming a fuel bill. In the long run, family farmers and the environment will be losers, while agribusiness, whose political contributions are fueling the ethanol frenzy, will become the winners," said Wenonah Hauter, Executive Director of Food & Water Watch, a group that also underwrote the research.

The report recommends specific revisions to the 2007 Farm Bill, including tying biofuels promotion policies to the sustainability of the feedstock, eliminating subsidies for coal-fired ethanol refineries, and offering lLoan guarantees for refineries owned directly by farmers and rural communities -- not agribusiness giants.

The Vermont Law School Institute for Energy and the Environment also backed the report.



The Rush to Ethanol: Not all BioFuels are Equal

Related articles

Beyond high food prices, little to show for $11B/yr in biofuel support, says OECD report
(7/17/2008) Government support of biofuel production in rich countries is squandering vast amounts of amounts of money while exacerbating the global food crisis and failing to meaningfully curb greenhouse gas emissions and improve energy security, alleges a new report from the OECD, the club of industrialized nations.

Using farm waste for ethanol may hurt crop yields in some areas
(7/15/2008) Cellulosic ethanol proponents have pushed the idea of using farm waste as a way to boost biofuel production without impacting food crops, but such conversion may carry a hidden cost in areas with insufficient rainfall or lacking irrigation, warns a soil scientist from Washington State University.

Britain urges 'cautious approach' on biofuels
(7/7/2008) Britain and the E.U. should exercise caution in pushing for wider use of biofuels, warns a new study commissioned by the U.K. government.

Clean energy gold rush in 2007
(7/1/2008) New investment in renewables and energy efficiency surpassed $148 billion in 2007, rising 60 percent rise from 2006, according to an analysis issued Tuesday July 1 by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). High oil prices drove the trend.

Brazil fines 24 ethanol producers for illegal forest clearing
(7/1/2008) Brazil fined two dozen ethanol producers accused of illegal clearing the country's endangered Mata Atlântica or Atlantic rainforest, reports The Associated Press.





Comments?



News options
News index | RSS | Add to MyYahoo!


Advertisements:


Organic Apparel from Patagonia | Insect-repelling clothing


MONGABAY.COM
Mongabay.com seeks to raise interest in and appreciation of wild lands and wildlife, while examining the impact of emerging trends in climate, technology, economics, and finance on conservation and development (more)

CONTENTS
Rainforests
Tropical Fish
News
Madagascar
Pictures
Kids' Site
Languages
Blog
T-shirts
Newsletter
About
Contact
Archives
Interns
Help


 
SUPPORT
Help support mongabay.com when you buy from Amazon.com

POPULAR PAGES
Rainforests
Rain forests
Amazon deforestation
Deforestation
Deforestation stats
Why rainforests matter
Saving rainforests
Deforestation stats
Rainforest canopy

News
Most popular
Worth saving?
Forest conservation
Earth Day
Poverty alleviation
Cell phones in Africa
Seniors helping Africa
Oil palm in rainforests
Extinction debate
Extinction crisis
Extinction debate
Palm Oil
Borneo
Orangutans in Borneo

News topics
Amazon
Biofuels
Brazil
Carbon Finance
Climate Change
Deforestation
Energy
Happy-upbeat
Interviews
Oceans
Palm oil
Rainforests
Solutions
Wildlife
MORE TOPICS

Advertising by





T-SHIRTS

  • Madagascar Wildlife
  • Dancing lemurs
  • Don't fall asleep the sloths will eat you
  • Sucking on this frog may make you insane


    CALENDARS

  • Mount Kenya
  • East Africa Safari Wildlife
  • Kenya's Turkana People
  • Peru
  • African Wildlife
  • Alaska
  • China
  • Madagascar Chameleons


    CANVAS BAGS

  • Hallucinogenic frog bag
  • Madagascar wildlife bag







  • Copyright mongabay 2007