This is just one post in the Biofuels Category

Smart biofuel policies and global warming: what California can learn from other states

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on April 1, 2008 at 5:31 am

From the California Progress Report:

In the search for alternatives to oil, biofuels have emerged as a promising answer to wean us off our oil addiction. By some estimates, biofuels could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 1.7 billion tons per year, be cost competitive with gasoline and provide a major source of revenue for farmers.

However, not all biofuels are created equal and the rapid rush to develop biofuels is beginning to show some dangerous trends. Biofuel material is being grown on protected lands, fuel production is competing with food production, and recent data seems to indicate that almost all biofuels used today in the United States cause more greenhouse gas emissions than conventional fuels when the full emissions costs of producing the biofuel is taken into account.

We now turn to some of the problems with biofuel production and how states can implement smart policy to ensure sustainable biofuel development.
Biofuels are a type of fuel made from plants and other forms of biomass. The two main forms of biofuels are ethanol and biodiesel. Ethanol is made from a variety of materials, including sugar cane, corn, trees, grass and even municipal solid waste. Cellulose, which makes up a majority of a plant’s structure, can be broken down into sugars, which can then be converted into ethanol.

Most of the ethanol produced in the United States is from corn. According to the National Corn Grower’s Association, 1.8 billion bushels of corn were used to produce 4.9 billion gallons of renewable fuel. Ethanol production consumes 20% of the corn crop in the U.S. and the new federal energy legislation, which mandates a doubling of ethanol made from corn, is predicted to increase that amount to one third of the total corn crop. Yet, environmentalists are seriously concerned with the heavy dependence on corn-based ethanol.

The myopic focus on only developing corn-based ethanol is leading our alternative fuels into a bad direction. Corn-based ethanol is among the least efficient, most polluting, and overall least sustainable biofuel feedstock. In contrast, Brazil has been very successful in developing an efficient ethanol source from sugarcane, which, unlike corn in the U.S., has a higher energy return.

The author is not arguing against biofuels, but rather is recommending people take another look. A hastily crafted biofuel policy could cause more problems than it will fix. Some states have implemented sensible biofules policies, some have not. Find out more by reading the rest of this comprehensive article from the California Progress Report by clicking here.

April 1, 2008 · Filed Under Biofuels