Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
As Corn Devours U.S. Prairies, Greens Reconsider Biofuel Mandate
As Corn Devours U.S. Prairies, Greens Reconsider Biofuel Mandate
Groups now seek overhaul of U.S. renewable fuel quota
Program blamed for boosting corn crops at prairies expense
Jennifer A Dlouhy
July 27, 2016 5:00 AM EDT
Environmentalists who once championed biofuels as a way to cut pollution are now turning against a U.S. program that puts renewable fuels in cars, citing higher-than-expected carbon dioxide emissions and reduced wildlife habitat.
More than a decade after conservationists helped persuade Congress to require adding corn-based ethanol and other biofuels to gasoline, some groups regret the resulting agricultural runoff in waterways and conversion of prairies to cropland -- improving the odds that lawmakers might seek changes to the program next year.
"The big green groups that got invested in biofuels are tacitly realizing the blunder," said John DeCicco, a research professor at the University of Michigan Energy Institute who previously focused on automotive strategies at the Environmental Defense Fund. "Its really hard for the people who really -- shall we say -- hate oil viscerally, to think that this alternative that weve been promoting is today worse than oil."
The green backlash could give a boost to long-stalled congressional efforts to overhaul the Renewable Fuel Standard, including proposals to limit the amount of traditional, corn-based ethanol that counts toward the mandate, as environmentalists side with anti-hunger groups and even the oil industry in calling for change. The RFS forces refiners to blend steadily escalating amounts of biofuel into the gas supply. Most of the mandate is currently fulfilled by corn-based ethanol, which makes up nearly 10 percent of U.S. gasoline and provides oxygen that helps the fuel burn cleaner.
Broken Promise
The Natural Resources Defense Council ...
Groups now seek overhaul of U.S. renewable fuel quota
Program blamed for boosting corn crops at prairies expense
Jennifer A Dlouhy
July 27, 2016 5:00 AM EDT
Environmentalists who once championed biofuels as a way to cut pollution are now turning against a U.S. program that puts renewable fuels in cars, citing higher-than-expected carbon dioxide emissions and reduced wildlife habitat.
More than a decade after conservationists helped persuade Congress to require adding corn-based ethanol and other biofuels to gasoline, some groups regret the resulting agricultural runoff in waterways and conversion of prairies to cropland -- improving the odds that lawmakers might seek changes to the program next year.
"The big green groups that got invested in biofuels are tacitly realizing the blunder," said John DeCicco, a research professor at the University of Michigan Energy Institute who previously focused on automotive strategies at the Environmental Defense Fund. "Its really hard for the people who really -- shall we say -- hate oil viscerally, to think that this alternative that weve been promoting is today worse than oil."
The green backlash could give a boost to long-stalled congressional efforts to overhaul the Renewable Fuel Standard, including proposals to limit the amount of traditional, corn-based ethanol that counts toward the mandate, as environmentalists side with anti-hunger groups and even the oil industry in calling for change. The RFS forces refiners to blend steadily escalating amounts of biofuel into the gas supply. Most of the mandate is currently fulfilled by corn-based ethanol, which makes up nearly 10 percent of U.S. gasoline and provides oxygen that helps the fuel burn cleaner.
Broken Promise
The Natural Resources Defense Council ...
http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2016-07-27/as-corn-devours-u-s-prairies-greens-reconsider-biofuel-mandate
It has been evident for about 8 years that progress on advanced biofuels was stalled, and that the mandate program supporting ethanol blended gasoline was a political boondoggle feeding the agricultural industry. It's time for it to go.
InfoView thread info, including edit history
TrashPut this thread in your Trash Can (My DU » Trash Can)
BookmarkAdd this thread to your Bookmarks (My DU » Bookmarks)
3 replies, 1367 views
ShareGet links to this post and/or share on social media
AlertAlert this post for a rule violation
PowersThere are no powers you can use on this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
ReplyReply to this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
Rec (7)
ReplyReply to this post
3 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight:
NoneDon't highlight anything
5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
As Corn Devours U.S. Prairies, Greens Reconsider Biofuel Mandate (Original Post)
kristopher
Jul 2016
OP
from 1997-2007 cropland actually decreased 4% while pasture/range land increased 6%
Bill USA
Aug 2016
#3
MADem
(135,425 posts)1. Watch MPG go up if they get that stuff out of the gas, too.
Feed the corn to the cows...!
SCantiGOP
(13,869 posts)2. Using corn for biofuel
Is idiotic on several fronts.
Bill USA
(6,436 posts)3. from 1997-2007 cropland actually decreased 4% while pasture/range land increased 6%