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ALTERNATIVE FUELS * USA
* Oregon State: Study Questions Green Credentials of Biofuels
(Photo:biofuels)
Corvallis,OR,USA -Eurekalert.org -29 Nov 2011: -- As natural gas vehicles face the challenge of hydraulic fracturing, biofuels has its share of critics and studies that make gaining government, business, and public support tougher. A new study by economists at Oregon State University questions the cost-effectiveness of biofuels and says they would barely reduce fossil fuel use and would likely increase greenhouse gas emissions. The idea that biofuels can reduce dependency on fossil fuels and mitigate climate change has led governments to promote them as substitutes for gasoline and petroleum-based diesel, using mandates and subsidies, said Bill Jaeger, the lead author on the study... The bigger picture is more complex, Jaeger said, in part because biofuels are produced and transported using fossil fuels. For example, nitrogen fertilizer, which is made using natural gas, is used to grow corn for ethanol. Additionally, growing biofuel feedstocks can push food production onto previously unfarmed land, according to well-documented research, Jaeger said. When this new acreage is cleared and tilled, it can release carbon that accumulated over long periods in soil and vegetation, thus increasing greenhouse gas emissions, he said. The costs of these side effects tend to be overlooked by policies that focus only on gallon-for-gallon substitutions, he added... Labels: alternative fuels, biofuel debate
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