Transitioning to Sustainability Through Research and Development on Ecosystem Services and Biofuels Workshop Summary (2008) / Chapter Skim
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3 Biofuels R&D
3 Biofuels R&D
Pages 19-28
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From page 19... ...
Support for expanding biofuels production and use has been driven by the need for the U.S. to become more energy independent and to improve long term energy security.
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BIOFUELS: SUSTAINABILITY CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES Dan Kammen, Director of the Renewable and Appropriate Energy Laboratory at the University of California at Berkeley, opened the biofuels session by describing some of the emerging issues associated with biofuels and the implications of biofuels production and use for sustainability. He focused on the need to consider biofuels as part of a broad energy policy, to take a holistic view; to recognize that corn based ethanol is not likely to be a viable long term solution to increasing energy independence but a short term transitional fuel.
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FEDERAL POLICIES AND RESEARCH PRIORITIES RELATED TO BIOFUELS John Mizroch, the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy at the Department of Energy, discussed the current federal landscape for biofuels. He discussed the new federal mandate for biofuels, DOE's R&D biofuels' priorities and the federal Biomass R&D Board.
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Many countries are beginning to develop or expand their own biofuels production capacity. STATE-OF-THE-ART EXAMPLES OF SUSTAINABLITY R&D The following forum participants described examples of the biofuels R&D being supported by federal agencies: • Jeff Steiner, US Department of Agriculture (USDA)
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She noted that almost 50 percent of US renewable energy supplies are from biomass, mostly used for heat and power. Many of these forest resources are wastes and need to be cleared as part of a sustainable forest management strategy reducing the potential for forest fires and creating healthier forests.
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The project is expected to create a decision tool kit which can assist producers and policy makers in understanding the implications of biofuel investments on critical ecosystem services including air and water quality, local hydrology, natural areas, and wildlife. Corn stover is a crucial natural fertilizer that helps maintain the soil's organic carbon content as well as other nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium.
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If the additional biofuel load on the existing transportation system increases overall traffic congestion, this resulting loss of efficiency increases the waste of all fuels and again decreases the sustainability of a fuel. Optimizing biofuel feedstocks to a regional climate and soil condition and then using that fuel locally would minimize the costs of transport required and often improve sustainability.
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From page 26... ...
Furthermore, there seems to be little understanding of consumer behavior, specifically under what conditions consumers may be willing to buy flex fueled vehicles or to retrofit existing vehicles in order to use higher blends of ethanol and gasoline. A holistic approach also requires considering
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From page 27... ...
Each potential feedstock and fuel needs to be judged on this basis A number of participants suggested that it would be useful to develop a framework for assessing biofuels and other alternative fuels in the context of other societal concerns in order to understand the associated risks and benefits and examine the full range of environmental and economic effects. Others emphasized the importance of maintaining a diverse portfolio of fuel sources to reduce the potentially devastating effects of crop failures.
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From page 28... ...
What are the international trade implications of expanding biofuels? Most participants do not view corn-based biofuels as a long term energy solution, therefore, what will be the implications for local producers, rural communities, and investors of a shift to cellulosic ethanol of other alternative fuels?
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