The US Renewable Fuel Standard is the world's largest existing biofuel program, yet despite its prominence, there has been limited empirical assessment of the program's environmental . Both efforts are likely to look at California's findings as a model. Biomass and biofuels made from biomass are alternative energy sources to fossil fuelscoal, petroleum, and natural gas. Because biomass removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere throughout its lifetime via photosynthesis, net-negative emissions biofuels are possible when measures are taken to lower the emissions from biofuel production. As they see it, corn is no better and might be worse than petroleum when total greenhouse gas emissions are considered. (WASHINGTON, D.C., April 2, 2019) A new study released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) finds greenhouse gas emissions from corn-based ethanol are about 39 percent lower than gasoline. Burning either fossil fuels or biomass releases carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), a greenhouse gas. An ad by the anti-ethanol group "Smarter Fuel Future" says: "Mandating corn for ethanol doubles greenhouse gas emissions compared to gasoline, over 30 years." That indeed was the finding. Discover world-changing science. Please turn them on! While some of it is exported internationally, much of Nebraskas corn actually stays []. But an overwhelming majority of ethanol mixed into gasoline today comes from corn. While studies conducted by Argonne and other respected labs include the most recent scientific data, other scientific papers on biofuel LCA continue to use old, disproven data. Additional improvements at ethanol refineries, combined with on-farm conservation practices that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, such as reduced tillage and cover crops, have further decreased emissions associated with corn ethanol. Because biomass cannot be economically transported long distances, biofuel production facilities rely on feedstocks produced within a short radius of the refinery. And President Obama has called for a national low carbon fuel standard. Using cellulosic ethanol provides an even greater benefit. According to Argonne scientists, corn ethanol production increased over the period, from 1.6 to 15 billion gallons (6.1 to 57 billion liters). Create your free account or Sign in to continue. But federal policy is moving in an opposite direction. President Trump has made it abundantly clear he is unleashing the full potential of American energy production as we retake our rightful place as the worlds leader. (for ethanol) and soybeans (for biodiesel). But for this strategy to work, ethanol has to first be converted to a hydrocarbon fuel, a step that could add to overall costs. full climate change impact of corn ethanol, Nanoparticles in Sunscreen Damage Microbes. "If we are going to have policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the burden of proof should be on the fuels to fulfill that policy," Hill said. The study, titled The greenhouse gas benefits of corn ethanolassessing recent evidence, attributes much of these additional benefits to revised estimates of the impacts of land-use change as a result of demand for ethanol. It's supposed to reduce greenhouse gas. Corn helps to recycle carbon dioxide by absorbing it as it grows and then releasing it as the fuel burns. But what happens to all the corn our farmers grow? Secure .gov websites use HTTPS An official website of the United States government. "A recent study by Air Improvement Resources found that using E15 across the nation would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 17 million tons per year, the equivalent of taking nearly 4 million cars off the road," wrote Growth Energy in response to Oregon's state proposal. Cellulosic emits fewer greenhouse gases than corn and has minimal impacts on deforestation rate, air pollution and food prices. California regulators may rule that the biofuel is no better--and might be worse--than petroleum for solving climate change, California regulators, trying to assess the true environmental cost of corn ethanol, are poised to declare that the biofuel cannot help the state reduce global warming. Help shape the future of Nebraskas Corn Industry. With access to these tools, [], When people think of cutting edge-technology, they tend to think of big companies like Google or Amazon in big cities. Cellulosic ethanol can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 85% over reformulated gasoline.By contrast, starch ethanol (e.g., from corn), which most frequently uses natural gas to provide energy for the process, may not reduce greenhouse gas emissions at all depending on how the starch-based feedstock is produced. Other researchers have called these results into question, however. What will happen to all that corn? Evidence suggests that additional improvements can further reduce corn ethanol GHG emissions. This assumes the average gasoline vehicle on the road today has a fuel economy of about 22.0 miles per gallon and drives around 11,500 miles per year. U.S. growers produced 15.1 billion bushels, NASS said, which is the second-highest production on record. Existing technologies and agricultural practices have the potential to make further, significant improvements in the reduction of LCA GHG emissions of ethanol from approximately 40% today to over 70% as compared to a petroleum baseline.[1]. Transportation is the number one cause of greenhouse gas emissions in this country. SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Use of sugar cane-based ethanol as a substitute for gasoline is among the cheapest and easiest ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, according to a Brazilian. Such a declaration, to be considered later this week by the California Air Resources Board, would be a considerable blow to the corn-ethanol industry in the United States. . The study, led by Dr. Jan Lewandrowski of USDAs Office of the Chief Economist, and published in the journal Biofuels, supports findings of other research that ethanol has a significantly better greenhouse gas profile than previously estimated. The GHG emissions of a biofuel depend on what its made from, how and where its made, and how its usedthe full life cycle of the biomass, biofuel production, and use. Cellulosic ethanol has the potential to cut greenhouse gas emissions by up to 86%. In fact, any cars manufactured in 2001 or more recently will have the capability to do so! Thanks for reading Scientific American. rely on measuring ethanol's life-cycle greenhouse gas . These same renewable feedstocks can realize greater than 70% GHG emissions reductions for a variety of end-use fuels. The Impact Assessment predicted that corn ethanol's emissions would be 17 percent lower than gasoline's by 2022. Scientists assessed corn ethanol's greenhouse gas ( GHG) emission intensity (sometimes known as carbon intensity, or CI) during that period and found a 23% reduction in CI. Does the electrification of vehicles pose a threat to the biofuels sector? Using ethanol can reduce oil dependence and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. More information on the greenhouse gas profile of biofuels is available at www.usda.gov/oce/oeep. Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary's Office, Weatherization and Intergovernmental Programs Office, Systems Development & Integration Related Links, Consortium for Computational Physics & Chemistry, Feedstock-Conversion Interface Consortium, 1.5 billion gallons in 2000 to 16 billion gallons in 2018, other credible studies have found similar results, abundant U.S.-based biomass and waste resources, Lewandrowski, J, J. Rosenfeld, D. Pape, T. Hendrickson, K. Jaglo, & K. Moffroid. Score: 4.5/5 (69 votes) . Also note above the % (optional) is shown. As the worlds largest producer and consumer of biofuels, the United States is a critical leader in biofuel science, technology, and policy, and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has spent decades advancing the science behind biofuel emissions life cycle analysis (LCA). Contact: USDA PressEmail: press@oc.usda.gov. That study, published February in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, concluded that the combined climate-change and health costs are $469 million for gasoline, $472 million to $952 million for corn ethanol, and $123 million to $208 million for cellulosic ethanol. "But the science behind (California's proposal) is extremely uncertain." Schwarzenegger calling the policy misguided and based on limited scientific models that improperly punish corn-based biofuel. Argonnes analysis found that carbon emissions from U.S. corn ethanol have fallen 20% between 2005 and 2019 due to increased corn yields per acre, decreased fertilizer use, and improved ethanol production processes. In the near futureand with NREL-developed technologyagricultural residues such as corn stover (the stalks, leaves, and husks of the plant) and wheat straw will also be . Significance. Greenhouse gas emissions from corn ethanol are 44-52 percent lower than gasoline, according to a new study from the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory. Most life-cycle studies have found that replacing gasoline with ethanol modestly reduces greenhouse gases (GHGs) if made from corn and substantially if made from cellulose or sugarcane ( 1 - 7 ). Federal law requires U.S. transportation fuels contain 36 billion gallons of renewable fuel by 2022, of which 21 billion gallons must be cellulosic ethanol. Just make sure to check your owners manual. Besides reducing greenhouse gas emissions, ethanol also cuts down on other harmful pollutants, like: So, not only is corn-based ethanol a smarter choice for the environment, its also a healthier one for you and your family. 1 E10 and E15 With science as a guide, DOE and partners have spent decades researching, studying, and testing ethanol and ethanol technologies, as well as second generation biofuels to best understand the potential for this essential, sustainable energy source. BETO is currently examining strategies to lower GHG emissions and carbon intensity within the existing corn ethanol industry, including: The U.S. ethanol industry has sufficient capacity to produce more than 17 billion gallons of ethanol and reduce GHG emissions by an estimated 42.7 million metric tons (CO2-eq) per year, which is approximately 2% of total U.S. transportation emissions. A recent study looking at the total climate change and health costs from fuels found that corn-based ethanol equals or exceeds the costs of gasoline. "If we are going to be using corn-ethanol in any large quantities, we really need to be sure it is having its intended effects," said Jason Hill, a research associate in applied economics at the University of Minnesota and lead author of the PNAS study. Dr. Valerie Sarisky-Reed is the director of the Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) in the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE). Thanks for reading Scientific American. Nebraska Corn Board Lincoln, NE 68521-6729, 2022 Nebraska Corn Board. A typical passenger vehicle emits about 4.6 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year. Help to recycle syringe filters. Transitioning to a sustainable, net-zero GHG emissions economy in America will only be possible by embracing the clean energy biofuels provide. Biofuels, 11:3, 361-375, About Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, Ethanol vs. Petroleum-Based Fuel Carbon Emissions, Implementing low-carbon agricultural practices, Switching to renewable process heat and power (e.g., wind, solar, renewable natural gas, or biomass), Developing new productivity and conversion efficiency measures in biorefinery processes, Agricultural residues (e.g., corn stover), Forestry residues (e.g., logging residues and forest thinning), Dedicated energy crops (e.g., switchgrass, miscanthus, energy cane, sweet sorghum, high-biomass sorghum, hybrid poplars, and shrub willows). BETO is funding research, development, and demonstration of next generation biorefineries which will leverage a variety of sustainable biomass and waste feedstock sources. DOEs Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) is committed to ensuring that future domestic biofuel production adheres to rigorous sustainability metrics, including those for substantially reduced GHG emissions. This article originally appeared at The Daily Climate, the climate change news source published by Environmental Health Sciences, a nonprofit media company. "Results from the model have not been verified enough to be useful," said Harvey Blanch, a professor of biochemical engineering at University California, Berkeley, and one of the signatories. Corncob ethanol may help cut China's greenhouse gas emissions. In 2019, the ratio of carbon dioxide emissions to total greenhouse gas emissions (including carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide, all expressed as carbon dioxide equivalents) for passenger vehicles was 0.994 (EPA 2021). 2022 Scientific American, a Division of Springer Nature America, Inc. A lock ( LockA locked padlock ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. But California's regulators say they have no choice. Are there other sources of greenhouse gas . The early LCA studies of the 2000s projected that U.S. landowners would convert large swaths of forests and wetlands for agricultural production in response to higher demand and prices for corn, which in turn would increase climate emissions. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. If passed, the measure could serve as a model as other states and the federal government tackle carbon emissions. These new findings provide further evidence that biofuels from America's heartland reduce greenhouse gases even more than we thought, and that our farmers and ethanol plants continue to become more efficient and effective, said Secretary Sonny Perdue. USDA Study Shows Significant Greenhouse Gas Benefits of Ethanol Compared with Gasoline, More, Better, and New Market Opportunities, The greenhouse gas benefits of corn ethanolassessing recent evidence. In this role, she manages efforts to improve performance, lower costs, and accelerate market entry of bioenergy technologies. Low-GHG liquid transportation fuel production can provide jobs to rural economies and help decarbonize remote communities without near-term access to electric vehicle charging stations and thus reliant on existing fueling infrastructure. "We strongly support the low carbon fuel standard," said Roger Salazar, spokesman for Growth Energy, an ethanol advocacy group. The Renewable Fuels Association says using ethanol and other biofuels has reduced transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions by 980 million tons since 2008. The proposal would work like this: If increased production of corn-based ethanol in the U.S. raises corn prices and accelerates the conversion of rainforests and conservations lands to farmland worldwide, greenhouse emissions and loss of the carbon sink associated with such deforestation and disruption must be counted towards the biofuel's total emissions. Explore our digital archive back to 1845, including articles by more than 150 Nobel Prize winners.
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