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Currently Skimming:

Sustainable Biorefineries--Carina Maria Alles and Robin Jenkins
Pages 75-82

The Chapter Skim interface presents what we've algorithmically identified as the most significant single chunk of text within every page in the chapter.
Select key terms on the right to highlight them within pages of the chapter.


From page 75...
... Opponents accuse biofuels of requiring more energy inputs and causing more greenhouse gas emissions than their fossil counterparts. Many concerns center on possible environmental degradation: erosion, deterioration of soil health, depletion of aquifers, and losses in biodiversity.
From page 76...
... Stakeholder interests are represented by an external advisory panel of subject matter experts from government agencies, academia, industry, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) , who helped prioritize topics, translate them into quantifiable metrics, and formulate specific targets for the environmental performance of the ICBR technology.
From page 77...
... A process model of ethanol production from corn stover in an ICBR facility forms the core of the LCA model. The environmental impacts of material and energy inputs to the biorefinery are tracked back to ground, using LCA databases and publicly available information to describe upstream processes.
From page 78...
... Multiple scenario and sensitivity analyses helped identify favorable design options and optimized process parameter settings. Comparison versus Benchmarks Eventually ICBR technology will have to be competitive against other technologies to produce ethanol from corn.
From page 79...
... All three biofuels cause fewer GHG emissions along the fuel value chain than gasoline. Cellulosic ethanol offers significant advantages in GHG reductions, since corn stover has a smaller GHG footprint than corn grain (Kim et al., unpublished manuscript)
From page 80...
... All data are preliminary. 0 Gasoline Corn Grain EtOH Cellulosic EtOH Cellulosic EtOH Benchmark, 2002 ICBR*
From page 81...
... Reflections: Sustainabiliy in Technology Development In the development of sustainable fuels, materials, and services for the future, researchers are challenged to find innovative technical solutions without losing sight of the economic, societal, and environmental impacts of their work. The ICBR program demonstrates how the early integration of sustainability analysis into the creative process of technology development enables a holistic approach to research guidance, where economic and environmental metrics are used alongside product performance standards to define and monitor success.
From page 82...
... Life Cycle Assessment of Corn Grain and Corn Stover. Unpublished manuscript.


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