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Corn Ethanol And The Climate | Earth Wise

March 29, 2022 By EarthWise 1 Comment

Corn ethanol hurts - not helps - the planet

The Renewable Fuel Standard legislation, first passed in 2005 and updated in 2007, requires billions of gallons of renewable fuel to be added to the country’s transportation fuel supplies.  It created the world’s largest biofuels program.

The standard was hailed as a major victory for the climate as well as a way to reduce our dependence upon foreign oil.

The intent of the legislation was to encourage various forms of renewable fuels – especially cellulosic ethanol from plant and wood fiber – to become an increasing part of the fuel mix.  That has yet to happen.  Instead, corn ethanol has been the backbone of the program.

Back in 2007, the EPA determined that ethanol from corn would lead to a 20% reduction in greenhouse gases compared to gasoline.  But the next year, a study published in the journal Nature projected that corn ethanol would double greenhouse gas emissions over 30 years because demand for corn would drive farmers to plow up increasing amounts of carbon-rich forest and grassland.

A new study published by researchers at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, has again concluded that corn-based ethanol may actually be worse for the climate than fossil-based gasoline as well as having other environmental downsides.  According to the study, since the fuel standard was passed, farmers have expanded corn production on nearly 7 million acres each year, causing the conversion of lands to cropland.  The result is that the carbon intensity of corn ethanol could be as much as 24% higher than gasoline.

The issue is still being debated in Congress, but if these results are verified, the time has come to revamp the terms of the renewable fuel standard.

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Web Links

Corn-Based Ethanol May Be Worse For the Climate Than Gasoline, a New Study Finds

Trots den höga effektiviteten leder inte vissa patienter som tar läkemedlet till en förbättring av erektion. Detta beror på felaktig användning av medicinen eller på att ED helt enkelt är en följd online apotek viagra av en annan sjukdom. I sådana fall är det obligatoriskt att konsultera och undersöka en läkare.

Photo, posted October 23, 2011, courtesy of the United Soybean Board via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Microplastics In Soil

May 4, 2018 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

https://earthwiseradio.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/EW-05-04-18-Microplastics-in-Soil.mp3

Many of us are well aware of the environmental challenge faced because of the proliferation of plastics.  Since plastic does not decompose naturally, most of it remains in our environment. Only 12% has been incinerated and only 9% has been recycled.  A great deal of plastic ends up in the ocean and other bodies of water.  Much of it breaks down into small particles – microplastics – which are now ubiquitous in the oceans.  There are also microplastics that started out that way in the form of little beads used in the cosmetics industry.  Studies have found microplastics in the bodies of 73% of fish from the North Atlantic.

[Read more…] about Microplastics In Soil

Removing Heavy Metals From Water

September 7, 2017 By EarthWise

https://earthwiseradio.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/EW-09-07-17-Removing-Heavy-Metals.mp3

Clean and abundant water is the most essential need for all human societies and the supply of it is threatened by increasing populations and volatile climate patterns.   The quality of water is threatened by a host of contaminants, most of our own making.

[Read more…] about Removing Heavy Metals From Water

The Dirty Laundry On Dirty Laundry

September 1, 2017 By EarthWise

https://earthwiseradio.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/EW-09-01-17-Dirty-Laundry.mp3

We’ve discussed the problem of microplastics polluting our oceans at great lengths on this program before.  Much of the small plastic particles result from the breakdown of plastic litter, such as plastic bags, packaging, and other materials.  Another source is microbeads, which are often found in health products such as face scrubs and even some toothpastes.  But there is a another source of microplastic pollution that is quite troubling: dirty laundry.

[Read more…] about The Dirty Laundry On Dirty Laundry

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