Water Education Foundation
This is just one post in the Biofuels Category
Click here to view all posts

Bioethanol: A drain on agricultural water resources

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on April 26, 2009 at 6:47 am

From the John Hopkins Newsletter:

In the United States, about 9 billion gallons of bioethanol are produced each year. This bioethanol, derived from corn and other plants, is mixed into the gasoline supply to fuel cars and trucks across the nation. As a clean-burning alternative to oil, gasoline and natural gas, bioethanol is widely seen as a necessary step in our nation’s move to sustainable energy usage. It has been endorsed by Congress and the Obama Administration as part of a broader energy reform package.

However, a recent study from the University of Minnesota reports that, in some regions of the country, the amount of water needed to produce this biofuel may actually take a large toll on the environment, offsetting the potential benefits of this new technology.

The researchers found that a surprisingly large amount of water might be required for growing and harvesting the plants from which bioethanol is derived. This finding raises a new controversy about whether bioethanol is worth the impacts on our water resources. The study appears in the April 15 issue of the journal Environmental Science and Technology.

Read more from the John Hopkins Newsletter by clicking here.

April 26, 2009 · Filed Under Biofuels

Comments

Leave a Reply