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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2009
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9

EPA Eyes Crackdown on Not-So-Green Biofuels

Turns out, it's greener to burn plants than to make ethanol

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(Newser) – Plants consume carbon dioxide, so growing corn to produce ethanol should be at worst a zero-sum game, emissions-wise, right? Wrong, says the EPA. There's another factor involved: Turning food crops into fuel drives up their prices, which raises demand for farmland worldwide. In places like Brazil, that means chopping down the rainforest, which produces massive emissions, NPR reports.

Once it factored worldwide deforestation into its energy equations, the EPA found that the current biofuels standards might cause more harm than good—and is considering stricter regulations for ethanol plants that could curb the industry. "What I think this means for the industry is you need to innovate," says a UC Berkeley scientist.

Because of the rising demand for ethanol, farmers are growing more corn, which needs more nitrogen fertilizer than other crops. This raises worries about groundwater pollution.
Because of the rising demand for ethanol, farmers are growing more corn, which needs more nitrogen fertilizer than other crops. This raises worries about groundwater pollution.   (AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato)
Corn-and-soybean farmer John Adams walks past corn storage silos on his 950-acre farm Thursday, April 5, 2007, near Atlanta, Ill.
Corn-and-soybean farmer John Adams walks past corn storage silos on his 950-acre farm Thursday, April 5, 2007, near Atlanta, Ill.   (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green, file)
A handful of corn is shown before it is processed at the Tall Corn Ethanol plant in Coon Rapids, Iowa, in this May 24, 2006 file photo.
A handful of corn is shown before it is processed at the Tall Corn Ethanol plant in Coon Rapids, Iowa, in this May 24, 2006 file photo.   (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, file)
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paul123
May 10, 09 4:38 PM CDT
Turning food crops into fuel drives up their prices, which raises demand for farmland worldwide....it also will drive up the prices of the other crops. Ethanol is a major boondoggle and should be dropped alltogother. Reply
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OriginalMike007
May 11, 09 5:34 PM CDT
First, food prices especially for wheat and corn are too low to be farmed economically as things stand right now. Hence the subsidies many countries including the United States pay their farmers to not grow crops or to burn crops. We have too much food not too little. Therefore increasing the demand and prices for crops should be a boon to farmers both large and small alike and rural communities while at the same time addressing the very serious fuel problem facing the entire world. Second, many potential biofuel crops don't necessarily have to be grown with traditional farming methods or on traditional farm land. Agave, Algae, hydroponics, aeroponics, and other crops and techs all allow biofuel (and food) crops to be grown in typically arid or otherwise non-arable environments including desert and urban landscapes.
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justme
May 10, 09 9:54 PM CDT
Corn ethanol was the darling of the "Green" coalition. Too bad the rush to political correctness outpaced the real science. Ethanol is a great fuel when produced from other biomass (leftover non-food products.) Reply
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wwwonderer
May 11, 09 3:10 PM CDT
I live in Chicago and have seen Durbin push this for years. Of course the corn-growers of IL would love to see corn-based ethanol 'mandated' if you will. Unfortunately it looks like a crappy crop to use. I guess any biofuel discussion would have to to point out the good crops.
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IN RESPONSE:
OriginalMike007
May 11, 09 5:25 PM CDT
This seems to be consistently true with the Green religion like movement. The Green's shrill, sky is falling mentality is their biggest downfall.
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