New study highlights benefits of ethanol industry
A new Harvard University study has provided an illustration of ethanol’s carbon footprint, but stressed there is more policy work to be done.
The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) CEO Brian Jennings recognised the study published by Harvard University, Tufts University and Environmental Health & Engineering Inc. scientists.
The study cites ACE’s 2018 White Paper titled ‘The Case for Properly Valuing the Low Carbon Benefits of Corn Ethanol’ that highlighted how US farmers and ethanol producers were improving efficiencies, investing in technologies and adopting practices to dramatically reduce lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from corn ethanol.
“The findings in this report reinforce what we have been promoting for the last several years; the greenhouse gas reduction benefits of corn ethanol have been significantly undervalued because too many regulatory bodies refuse to apply or use the latest lifecycle science,” Jennings said. “Today’s corn ethanol indeed reduces GHGs by approximately 50 percent compared to gasoline, and given improvements occurring in corn farming and within ethanol facilities, corn ethanol’s carbon footprint will continue to decline over time.”
He added: “As elected leaders at the state and federal level look to craft new policies to tackle climate change and meet net-zero emission goals, we strongly encourage them to appreciate that corn farmers and ethanol producers are part of the solution.
“Agriculture and ethanol can make even more meaningful contributions to GHG reductions if new policies reward farmers for climate-smart practices and expand the use of mid-level ethanol blends.”
The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) CEO Brian Jennings recognised the study published by Harvard University, Tufts University and Environmental Health & Engineering Inc. scientists.
The study cites ACE’s 2018 White Paper titled ‘The Case for Properly Valuing the Low Carbon Benefits of Corn Ethanol’ that highlighted how US farmers and ethanol producers were improving efficiencies, investing in technologies and adopting practices to dramatically reduce lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from corn ethanol.
“The findings in this report reinforce what we have been promoting for the last several years; the greenhouse gas reduction benefits of corn ethanol have been significantly undervalued because too many regulatory bodies refuse to apply or use the latest lifecycle science,” Jennings said. “Today’s corn ethanol indeed reduces GHGs by approximately 50 percent compared to gasoline, and given improvements occurring in corn farming and within ethanol facilities, corn ethanol’s carbon footprint will continue to decline over time.”
He added: “As elected leaders at the state and federal level look to craft new policies to tackle climate change and meet net-zero emission goals, we strongly encourage them to appreciate that corn farmers and ethanol producers are part of the solution.
“Agriculture and ethanol can make even more meaningful contributions to GHG reductions if new policies reward farmers for climate-smart practices and expand the use of mid-level ethanol blends.”
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