Thats not true. Your contribution helps us fight junk science. Thats the conclusion Jeremy Martin, senior researcher at the Union of Concerned Scientists, came to in a new report on transportation fuels. How does ethanol reduce pollution? So how can biofuels get around that? Is it better to have 18 or 19 inch wheels. This range can be attributed in part to different farming practicesmore sustainable agricultural practices will lead to larger emissions reductions. The argument that initially sold me on the notion that corn ethanol was an automatic loser was this: If you dedicate land to grow fuel, that means youve got to grow food elsewhere, and ultimately you will end up displacing plants that are already capturing carbon. I want to assure you, though, that this isnt a Schrdingers cat situation, where the truth is unknowable. Treehugger has been spotlighting the famous Andy Singer cartoon below since he drew it in 2007 while complaining about the Energy Independence and Security Act, signed by former President George Bush, and its renewable fuel standard (RFS). A Project of The Annenberg Public Policy Center, 20,000 gallons of ethanol was produced from non-food, cellulosic sources, corn-grain ethanol might not have lower [greenhouse gas emission] values, Congressional Budget Office issued a report, announced it would conduct an independent inquiry, The Club opposes further deployment of corn-based ethanol, corn ethanol seriously damages the environment, American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers, National Marine Manufacturers Association. Please consider making a contribution to Vox today. We've updated our Privacy Policy, which will go in to effect on September 1, 2022. For example, ethanol-fueled vehicles produce lower carbon dioxide. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); on Does ethanol produce more CO2 than gasoline? Gasoline with 10 percent ethanol yields . Edit: As I am contested, let me add the proof, keeping in mind that the enthalpy of formation of the initial hydrocarbures cannot be determined otherwise than with the experiment. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. Learn more. Ethanol carbon footprint is researched to be lower than gasoline . 5. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. WASHINGTON - Switching from gasoline to ethanol touted as a green alternative at the pump may create dirtier air, causing slightly more smog-related deaths, a new study says. E85 (or flex fuel)a high-level, gasoline-ethanol blendis less volatile than gasoline and low-level ethanol blends and results in lower evaporative emissions. Treehugger has long complained about feeding corn to cars instead of people, and in a time when food prices are rising fast, it seems particularly silly. CO2 has a devastating impact on the environment. An independent panel of academic scientists for the National Research Council of theNational Academy of Sciences reviewing the conflicting work of Searchinger, Wang and several others concluded in a 2011 report that corn-grain ethanol might not have lower [greenhouse gas emission] values than petroleum-based gasoline. It cited plausible scenarios in which GHG [greenhouse gas] emissions from corn-grain ethanol are much higher than those of petroleum-based fuels, and questioned the method by which EPA determined that ethanol would produce 21 percent less emissions. (If your gasoline-fueled lawn mower does not start next spring, and the carburetor is full of a green-tinged gel, thats the result of 10% ethanol-blended gasoline left stagnant in the fuel system. The conflicting projections and estimates have left scientists and independent experts in a fog of uncertainty about whether mandating corn-based ethanol leads to higher or lower carbon emissions. Diesel Emits 40% Less CO2 Than Gasoline According to modern science, using diesel fuel reduces the harmful CO2 emissions that contribute to global warming. But the studies dont agree, and each side cites the science that supports its position. As a result, FFVs running on high-level blends of ethanol produce less net CO2 than conventional vehicles per mile traveled. A 20 percent reduction in the greenhouse gas intensity in all that fuel is significant. "In 2002, Shapouri et al. Governments know nothing and think the people are stupid. All such life cycle studies attempt to estimate all the carbon emissions created by producing and burning ethanol, including carbon released from soil by plowing and from fuel burned in planting, harvesting and refining. Ethanol and other biofuels are often touted for their ability to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by replacing fossil fuels. 8 questions the 2022 midterms will answer, 9 ballot measures to watch on Election Day, Democrats limp behind Republicans on the messaging game, An atmosphere of violence: Stochastic terror in American politics. The fuel ethanol component of finished motor gasoline is treated as nonemissive. The research is among the . It means more refining of the petroleum, or using high-octane compounds in your gasoline formula, such as you guessed it ethanol. Biden Calls on Congress to Suspend Federal Gas Tax for 90 Days, Vegetable Oil Shortage Highlights Need to Feed People, Not Cars, Agrivoltaics: Where Solar Energy Meets Agriculture, Skyrocketing Fertilizer Prices May Help the Environment, Fuel Prices Are High But the True Cost of Filling Your Tank Is Higher, Farmers Are Fighting Over Fertilizer As Agriculture's Impact on the Environment Becomes Undeniable. Your email address will not be published. The study notes: "The previously underestimated emissions from US land conversion attributable to the policy are enough to fully negate or even reverse any GHG advantages of the fuel relative to gasoline. It is true, as the figure below shows, that ethanol is often cheaper than gasoline: roughly 1/3 of the months since January . surveyed energy values and reported that fuel ethanol from corn produced about 34 percent more energy than it took to produce itThis value was revised in 2004 ["The 2001 Net Energy Balance of Corn-Ethanol"] by updating energy estimates for corn production and yield, improving estimates of energy required to produce nitrogen fertilizer and energy estimates for . But then, in 2008, a pair of papers pointed out that any analysis of ethanol had to consider indirect land-use change. As a result, FFVs running on high-level blends of ethanol produce less net CO2 than conventional vehicles per mile traveled. More recently, scientists discovered a more efficient way to convert CO2 to ethanol. "Right now. Whether you are a high counter who thinks corn ethanol is terrible or a low counter who thinks its great, its here to stay. Using cellulosic ethanol provides an even greater benefit. Ethanol fuel is ethyl alcohol, the same type of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages, used as fuel. The physical CO2 released by the ethanol in the blended gasoline is simply not counted in the total emissions because it is offset by increased photosynthesis. That implies that the ethanol source plantin North America that is cornhas increased the amount of photosynthesis that would have otherwise occurred. Brazil was the world's first nation to run a large-scale program . The study, titled " The greenhouse gas benefits of . For example, during my last visit, the E10 cost $3.299 per gallon while the PureMax was listed at $3 . But new research says that. Thats not all the downside to producing ethanol: The real paradox is that this all helps to meet Paris Agreement goals simply because of the bureaucratic assumption that more photosynthesis has taken place than otherwise would have. Several environmental groups oppose it as well. "Under Trump, Farm Subsidies Soared and the Rich Got Richer." A reduction in U.S. ethanol production (for example, in response to policy changes) would inadvertently pose a significant disruption to the billion-dollar carbon dioxide industry, and the U.S. food industry. E85 Creates Less Emissions Than Gasoline This is one of the biggest E85 environmental benefits. Ethanol (ethyl alcohol) is the alcohol used to create beer, wine and other alcoholic beverages. Ethanol is also produced as an alternative fuel to gasoline. Federal law requires U.S. transportation fuels contain 36 billion gallons of renewable fuel by 2022, of which 21 billion. By now, Martin told me, "Most life cycle analyses of biofuel incorporate this concept of indirect land use change," and researchers have been refining techniques to capture every bit of greenhouse gas emitted in the fuel production process. If this theory were correct, then carbon dioxide emissions in 10% ethanol-blended gasoline would drop by 10%. This is more corn than is consumed by humans on the entire continent of Africa. It basically reaffirms what many suspected, that corn ethanol is not a climate-friendly fuel and we need to accelerate the shift toward better renewable fuels, as well as make improvements in efficiency and electrification, said scientist Tyler Lark, the lead author, in a press release. One of the major sources of the emissions due to ethanol production comes from land-use changes (LUC), which lead to increased environmental impacts. Scientists and policy wonks have been telling each other they are dead wrong about ethanol for more than a decade. Ethanol and other biofuels are often touted for their ability to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by replacing fossil fuels. It is not a stretch to make a rough estimate that 4% of U.S. freshwater usage is for corn-derived ethanol. But new research says that the global effects of losing agricultural land for corn ethanol production will result in twice the carbon emissions of gasoline. So gasoline companies arent using ethanol for its energy theyre buying it for its high octane rating. is too broad to answer definitively, but we can narrow it down. | #, If Brains was Fuel Liberals couldnt muster enough fuel to power Piss Ants Go Cart halfway around a Cheerio, Sep 20, 2021 at 3:09 pm In fact, the scientific jury is still out on whether requirements to blend ethanol with gasoline lead to the lower carbon emissions that Congress intended when it made those requirements law. Pure ethanol, in an optimized engine, may not match gasoline in terms of miles per gallon. Environmental Working Group, 2021. Gasoline with 10 percent ethanol yields about 3 percent less fuel economy than straight gas. This means that ethanol contains less energy per gallon than gasoline. A. You can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions even more by driving a flex fuel car and running it on higher blends of ethanol-enhanced gasoline. Human activities such as the burning of oil, coal and gas, as well as deforestation are the primary cause of the increased carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere. You could envision replacing the existing 15 billion gallons of corn ethanol with next-generation biofuels as that production comes online. Today, 10 percent of the gas going into our cars is ethanol, and even if lawmakers repealed the Renewable Fuel Standard which mandates that we mix that 10 percent into our gas the percentage wouldnt drop. 119, no. About 19.64 pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2) are produced from burning a gallon of gasoline that does not contain ethanol. When leaded gasoline was banned due to elevated cancer risks, it was discovered that most substitutes for tetraethyl lead were even more carcinogenic, except ethanol. Thats because refiners have come to rely on ethanol to raise the octane of gasoline. The research, which was funded in part by the National Wildlife Federation and U.S. Department of Energy, found that ethanol is likely at least 24% more carbon-intensive than gasoline due to emissions resulting from land use changes to grow corn, along with processing and combustion. In a study published in Lake and Reservoir Management this month, scientists for the first time detected an airborne instance of the algal toxin anatoxin-a (ATX), also known as "very fast death factor.". An assessment paid for by DuPont said that the ethanol it will produce there could be more than 100 percent better than gasoline in terms of greenhouse gas emissions. By applying this offset theory, governments want refiners to increase the ethanol content by as much as 15% in regular gasoline (the limit your current automobile can likely handle). The research, which was funded in part by the National Wildlife Federation and U.S. Department of Energy, found that ethanol is likely at least 24% more carbon-intensive than gasoline due to emissions resulting from land use changes to grow corn, along with processing and combustion. Thats because it all comes down to indirect cause and effect, linked only by the action of the markets invisible hand: A farmer in Iowa opts to grow corn two seasons in a row, rather than alternating corn and soy beans; at the same time, a farmer in the Brazilian Cerrado plows a new field for soy. The premise that ethanol offsets CO2 emissions is false. As NPR reporter Dan Charles explains: Octane is a measure of gasolines tendency to ignite under pressure. Science doesnt support this claim. Now, new research indicates they could even poison the air. So far, practically all ethanol in U.S. gasoline comes from corn. . When I first looked at the environmental impact of corn ethanol,I thought it was simple: Growing an acre of corn for fuel means you have to grow another acre elsewhere for food, which ultimately means cutting down forests and releasing a lot of carbon into the atmosphere. Is ethanol worse for the environment than gasoline? We use a lot of land for corn and ethanol right now, Lark said. Emissions of primary concern include hydrocarbons, oxides of nitrogen (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO), air toxics, and CO2. Ethanol produces MORE CO2 emissions than petrol, study claims Biofuel release 7% more emissions compared to petrol in its early years University of Nebraska-Lincoln study said while. In 2010, a group of researchers, including Kammen, did another accounting this time including the effect of land use change and they concluded that ethanol's carbon footprint is the same as. As a result, FFVs running on high-level blends of ethanol produce less net CO 2 than conventional vehicles per mile traveled. EPA Trims Ethanol Fuel Mandate for 2020-21 But Raises It for 2022 - WSJ. A study we just published in the journal Biofuels found that the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from corn ethanol are about 39 percent lower than gasoline on energy equivalent basis. We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. Continuing as opposed to increasing the production of ethanol shouldnt cause more land conversion to agriculture. Gore, November 2010: One of the reasons I made that mistake is that I paid particular attention to the farmers in my home state of Tennessee, and I had a certain fondness for the farmers in the state of Iowa because I was about to run for president. If you look at the big picture, farmers have increased the amount of corn they grow, but theres been a long-term decrease in other crops, and across the US the total amount of farmland hasnt changed much. both traditional diesel and biodiesel produce lower . When you burn - or combust - ethanol (C2H5OH) in air (which contains oxygen, O2), the final products obtained are carbon dioxide gas (CO2) and water (H2O). By using a catalyst made up of copper, nitrogen, and carbon, they were able to create a chemical reaction that significantly reduced side reactions, producing much more ethanol with much less energy than some others. Thats just in the US but we also have to ask if other countries are plowing more land to grow cotton and wheat as we dedicate less land for those crops here. By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. CO2 from ethanol plants is regarded as high grade after some minor processing to remove the small amounts of impurities. Either the article is wrong, or the lobbyists are mistaken. Get their email newsletter here, and follow them on Facebook and Twitter. Lloyd Alter is Design Editor for Treehugger and teaches Sustainable Design at Ryerson University in Toronto. And the average ethanol (E85) emission rates for all vehicle models are 22% lower compared to gasoline. Both efforts are likely to look at California's findings as a model. But others include: the National Council of Chain Restaurants(which says diverting corn to fuel unfairly drives up food prices for chain restaurants and their customers); the National Marine Manufacturers Association (which says requiring a 15 percent ethanol blend in gasoline could damage boat engines); as well as poultry producers; cattlemen and dairy farmers concerned about higher feed prices;motorcyclists;and makers of chain saws, lawn mowers and other outdoor power equipment. A typical ethanol plant producing 50 million gallons of ethanol per year will also produce roughly, Emissions of primary concern include hydrocarbons, oxides of nitrogen (NO, Study: Ethanol Worse for Climate Than Gasoline Biofuels like corn ethanol have been hailed as climate-friendly fuels. Even your mechanic has a negative opinion; increased ethanol can cause engine stalling, accelerated breakdown of aluminum and rubber components, and clogging of fuel lines. Ron Barmby (www.ronaldbarmby.ca) is aProfessional Engineer with a Bachelors and Masters degree, whose 40+ year career in the energy sector has taken him to over 40 countries on five continents. Their only possible motive is they believe without ethanol being used in gasoline, there would be less production in the farms they represent. Because of this property, gasoline will help a vehicle create its maximum horsepower rating. Numerous studies have compared the emissions of E85 and gasoline. Because its molecules are littler than the ones of gasoline. The ethanol lobbys ad shows President Obama with a devil on one shoulder and a figure with a halo on the other, saying he must choose to listen to his own experts or to the oil industry, which it says is lying about biofuels. Thats a common deceptive technique known as the false dilemma. In fact, environmental groups oppose the ethanol mandate, too. So it looks like corn ethanol is much more legitimate than I initially thought, and the measurement of its carbon intensity more complicated. What the author is saying is that plants of SOME kind would be grown on that farmland even if corn for ethanol production wasnt grown there. But that would be expensive, Martin told me, and its not likely to happen anytime soon. Traditional biofuels like ethanol can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 19-48 percent compared with gasoline, while advanced or cellulosic biofuels can reduce emissions by more than 100 percent. Kammen started out on the pro-ethanol side: His lab published a paper in 2006 suggesting corn ethanol was better than fossil fuels. I promised to figure it out and report back. Other researchers suggest that planting an acre of solar panels could drive an electric car 70 times the distance than an acre of corn could, and earn the farmer three times as much income. The offset theory is that physical CO2 emissions from the burning of ethanol are not counted as increased human emissions because they are offset by the atmospheric CO2 consumption during photosynthesis by the plants grown by humans as feedstock for ethanol.