logo
menu
← Return to the newsfeed...

Climate benefit of cellulosic biofuels ‘greater than thought’

Cellulosic biofuels could provide an environmentally sustainable way of meeting energy needs, providing certain principles are met, according to an article appearing on Science Daily.

“The climate benefit of cellulosic biofuels is actually much greater than was originally thought,” Phil Robertson, professor of Ecosystem Science at Michigan State University, told Science Daily. “But that benefit depends crucially on several different factors, all which we need to understand to get right.”

Cellulosic biofuels are often factored into future climate mitigation scenarios because of their potential to both displace petroleum use and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. The huge amounts of land needed to produce cellulosic biofuels however, has complicated their widespread production.

"The sustainability question is largely about the impact of using millions of acres of U.S. land to grow biofuel crops," Robertson said. "Can we do that without threatening global food security, diminishing biodiversity, or reducing groundwater supplies? How much more fertilizer would we use? What are the trade-offs for real climate benefit, and are there synergies we can promote?"

After ten years of research, Robertson and colleagues from other universities have identified a range of principles for managing the complex environmental issues of cellulosic biofuels.

First, they show in their study how growing native perennial species on land not used for food production because of low fertility, avoids coming into conflict with food security while providing the greatest potential for climate mitigation and biodiversity.

Second, they highlight the importance of crop choice. Native perennial species offer superior environmental outcomes to annual crops, however, no single crop is ideal for all locations, with mixed species providing superior benefits in some areas.

Third, the study stresses that nitrogen fertiliser should be avoided or minimised because of its environmental impacts.

The researchers argue that these principles, and others outlined in their paper published in the journal Science, would be sufficient to guide sound policy decisions for producing sustainable biofuels.

"With biofuels, the stakes are high," Robertson told Science Daily. "But the returns are also high, and if we take key principles into account we can begin shaping the policies and practices that could help make cellulosic biofuels a triple win for the economy, the climate and for environmental sustainability in general."





221 queries in 0.571 seconds.