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Food versus Biofuels. Sustainability. Caught Between Substitutes. Biodiesel. ($3.30/gal ?). GMA Homepage. Food Before Fuel Site. National Biodiesel Board Site. Biodiesel Benefits. Biodiesel
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Food versusBiofuels Sustainability
Caught Between Substitutes Biodiesel ($3.30/gal ?)
Biodiesel Benefits Biodiesel Biodiesel is made from sustainable renewable resources that are abundant and available right here in the United States. It is made from plant oils, animal fats and even recycled grease and works in conventional diesel engines, with one major exception - biodiesel significantly reduces harmful emissions. A proven alternative Replaces tens of millions of barrels of petroleum Added $4 billion the U.S. economy last year Reduces carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons and other harmful emissions Learn more about one of the fastest growing alternative fuels that we can make right here at home while making our environment cleaner and helping to grow the economy. The Future of Fuel is here.
Sustainability defined: Meeting today's needs for environmental stewardship, economic prosperity, and quality of life without compromising future generations' ability to meet these needs for themselves. Sustainable Biodiesel: Demonstrates environmental stewardship across its lifecycle by maximizing net energy balance and minimizing negative impacts on natural ecosystems, globally and locally; Adds value, creates wealth, and enhances quality of life for the entire community of stakeholders.
Environmental Working Group “Corn-based ethanol production, spurred by federal subsidies and mandates, is polluting our nation’s water, eroding our soil and plowing up precious wildlife habitat -- and worst of all is likely contributing to global warming,” Cox said. “As the polluting ethanol industry gets fat at taxpayer expense, proven clean technologies such as solar, wind and geothermal are fighting for support. America needs a truly renewable energy portfolio, and the evidence is mounting that corn-based ethanol will not get us where we need to go.”Go here for the full report - http://www.ewg.org/node/27498
Ethanol: FoodPriceTruth.org Did you know:There are 56 pounds of corn in a bushel. When corn is $4.00 per bushel, a pound of corn is worth 7.1 cents. According to the Beef Checkoff, it takes 2.6 pounds of corn to produce one pound of beef. This equates to 18.6 cents worth of corn when corn is $4.00 per bushel. The National Pork Board says it takes 3.6 pounds of corn to produce one pound of pork. This equates to 25.7 cents worth of corn when corn is $4.00 per bushel. It takes 2.0 pounds of corn to produce one pound of chicken, according to the National Chicken Council. This equates to 14.3 cents worth of corn when corn is $4.00 per bushel.
Wall Street Journal Biofuel Bean Counters Forget to Count the Beans WSJ on line 6/25/2008 Farm and ethanol groups say biofuels have become a scapegoat for higher food prices, claiming the real culprit is surging oil prices. In their corner: data supplied by the Bush administration. Livestock and food companies want the U.S. to step off the biofuels accelerator by rolling back government mandates that will require the oil industry to use 9 billion gallons of ethanol this year. In their corner: Keith Collins, Mr. Glauber’s predecessor, who recently released a study funded by Kraft Foods Inc. showing that ethanol is having a bigger impact than the government has acknowledged.
Consumer Price Indices (CPI) Food Away From Home Food at Home Fats & Oils Gasoline
Producer Price Indices (PPI) Corn Wheat Oilseeds Soybeans
Dry Peas & Lentils (PPI) Dry Lentils Dry Peas
Food vs Fuel Indirect Land Use Change (iLUC)
Later Refinements in iLUC & GHG Impact Models “… cropping management is a key factor in estimating greenhouse gas emissions associated with land use change. Sustainable cropping management practices (no-till and no-till plus cover crops) reduce the payback period to 3 years for the grassland conversion case and to 14 years for the forest conversion case.”
Greenhouse gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy use inTransportation (GREET) 1developed by Argonne National Laboratory, CA ARB, LCFS Program
Biodiesel is not Ethanol • Soybean meal vs distillers grain • Alternative market for soy oil • Well to tank energy (363,058 vs 1,657,651 Btu/mmBtu) • Well to tank ghg (26.93, 68-74 gCO2e/MJ) iLUC (100-110 gCO2e/MJ) dwarfs differences, the carbon offset benefits of both sets of feedstock (and the 95.3 gCO2e/MJ
Energy Independence & Security Act of 2007 Renewable Fuel Standards • RFS-2: Must reduce ghg by 50%, EPA may adjust to 40% • EPA must consider “significant indirect emissions”
Fuel Mandates • States with or considering mandates: Minnesota Washington Oregon California Missouri Montana New Mexico Florida Connecticut Mississippi Arkansas • California Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) • Carbon intensity • Gasoline: 95.85 • Diesel: 94.71 • Biodiesel: 26.93
Support and Subsidies • $1.00 per gallon blenders tax credit • $0.10 per gallon producer’s credit (less than 60MM gallons capacity)
Food versus Fuel • Alternative liquid fuel • Alternative use of feedstock • Energy Policy Implications • Climate Change- Environmental Policy Implications • Farm Policy Implications