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New Science Shows Biofuels Carbon Debt Can Be Eliminated
Washington DC (SPX) Jan 27, 2009 A newly published study shows that effective land management practices can reduce the so called carbon debt attributed to biofuels to near zero. Greenhouse gas emissions associated with growing agricultural feedstocks for biofuels can be greatly reduced using available crop management techniques, such as no-till agriculture, according to the new study in the journal Environmental Science and Technology by Bruce Dale and Seungdo Kim of Michigan State University and Hyungtae Kim of Phillips Academy Andover. Brent Erickson, executive vice president of the Biotechnology Industry Organization's (BIO) Industrial and Environmental Section, noted that the study is relevant to the continuing debate on the life cycle assessment of biofuels to be included in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's rules for the Renewable Fuel Standard. "Increased domestic biofuel production and use can reduce America's reliance on oil, which is the key to cutting U.S. greenhouse gas emissions in the transportation sector. "This new study makes an important contribution to our understanding of how to produce these renewable biofuels more sustainably. It also provides a counterpoint to previously published scenarios of international land use change that greatly overestimate greenhouse gas emissions. "Measuring greenhouse gas emissions from biofuel production and international land use change has received a great deal of attention, but the science is still in its infancy and still contains many uncertainties, making the EPA's task of regulatory analysis difficult. This study shows that applying best practices in biofuel production and agriculture can dramatically improve the outcome of life cycle analysis for biofuels. Available crop management practices, such as no-till agriculture, which is already in widespread use, can significantly reduce the greenhouse gas emissions attributed to biofuels." The conclusions put forth in the study include: Existing land use change studies have not considered important variables that can improve the greenhouse gas emissions of biofuels. Cropping management following land use change is a key factor in determining greenhouse gas emissions associated with land use change. + No-till agriculture can reduce the carbon debt associated with converting grassland and temperate zone forests to crop production to 4 and 20 years, respectively. + No-till with cover crop agriculture can create a carbon sink, resulting in higher soil organic carbon levels than those in unmanaged forests and grasslands. The Advanced Biofuels and Climate Change Information Center presents the latest commentary and data on the environmental, greenhouse gas and other impacts of biofuel production. Drop in and add your comments. The study, "Biofuels, Land Use Change, and Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Some Unexplored Variables," was published Jan. 6 in the journal Environmental Science and Technology. Share This Article With Planet Earth
Related Links BIO Bio Fuel Technology and Application News
Phase II Biofuels: The Tie Between Biofuels And Chemicals From Biomass
Menlo Park CA (SPX) Jan 27, 2009Two things are apparent concerning the biofuels industry. First, they are entering a new era. Second, their future as well as the future of many chemicals is linked together. Today, SRI Consulting (SRIC) published its new report: 2008 Biofuels and the Impact on Chemicals, providing its most comprehensive study on phase II biofuels, bioethanol, biodiesel, biobutanol, and many other products. |
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