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Biofuels' Green Cred in Dispute

Some say producing more of the greener fuel makes world less green overall

By Kevin Spak, Newser Staff

Posted Nov 11, 2008 12:16 PM CST

(Newser) – Biofuels, once hailed as a planet-saving alternative to gasoline, are now savaged as much the opposite, the Wall Street Journal reports, with critics charging the “ripple effect” on land use globally actually adds climate-harming carbon. The EPA has signaled plans to modify biofuel emissions measurements to reflect that, but interested lobbyists are already lining up to refute those findings.

Increased demand for crops has caused farmers to level more forests in places like Brazil, detractors say. Consider these ripples, as the EPA was instructed to do in 2007, and ethanol increases emissions by 93%, according to one study. But some doubt anyone can precisely measure such indirect forces. “All this stuff is accounting,” said one professor.

[Images (3)]

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A soybean producer drives a tractor as he prepares to plant in Pulinopolis, Brazil, in this 2006 file photo. (AP Photo)

A cane cutter works in Batatais, Brazil, in this 2007 file photo. (AP Photo)

In this 2006 file photo, a handful of corn is shown before it is processed at the Tall Corn Ethanol plant in Coon Rapids, Iowa. (AP Photo)

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If population grows in America and we need to build a new Wal-Mart, are we going to debit that pregnant woman with the indirect life-cycle greenhouse-gas footprint? - Michael Parr, spokesman for biofuel backer DuPont, on the problem with life-cyle accounting

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Biofuels' Green Cred in Dispute