In an effort to address the effects of anthropogenic climate change, General Motors is undergoing a major transformation, revamping its vehicle lineup with the launch of 30 new all-electric models by 2025, plans to eliminate tailpipe emissions from new light-duty vehicles by 2035, and achieving carbon neutrality by 2040. Now, a recent study indicates that corn-based ethanol is a greater contributor to global warming than unmixed gasoline.
Per a report from Reuters, a new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that ethanol is at least 24 percent more carbon-intensive than gasoline as a result of land use changes to grow corn, as well as processing and combustion.
The five-year study was partially funded by the U.S. Department of Energy and National Wildlife Federation.
“Corn ethanol is not a climate-friendly fuel,” said assistant scientist at University of Wisconsin-Madison Center for Sustainability and the Global Environment and lead author of the study, Dr. Tyler Lark.
In response, Geoff Cooper, president and CEO of the Renewable Fuels Association, an ethanol trade lobby, characterized the new study as “completely fictional and erroneous,” saying that the authors looked at “worst-case assumptions [and] cherry-picked data.”
The findings run counter to a 2019 USDA study which found ethanol to be 39 percent less carbon intensive than gasoline, partly as a result of carbon sequestration. However, according to Lark, the 2019 study underestimated the emissions impact of land conversion.
In 2005, the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) was enacted in order to reduce emissions, support farmers, and lower U.S. reliance on foreign energy, mandating that national oil refineries mix 15 billion gallons of corn-based ethanol annually into U.S. gasoline supplies. The RFS resulted in an 8.7 percent increase in corn cultivation and a 6.9 million acre expansion.
The recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that the expansion led to the tilling of cropland that would otherwise be retired or enrolled in conservation programs. The tilling of fields releases carbon, as does other farming activities, such as the use of nitrogen fertilizers.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is currently weighing changes to the nation’s biofuel policy.
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Comments
oh pity… it is only E85… it is what i ever use,,, when bought the car asked for a fuel flexi full ethanol motor, which could accept any type of fuel…. also asked an automatic………………… unfortunate car manufactures of the so called developed countries only has old technologies,,,, and made me sad … had to skip… people of Europe, USA, says Brasil is undeveloped…. but there what do not understand Ford, VW, Renault had developed more modern motors which accept all fuels…. yeah paradox. LOVE the smell of alcohols too … do not like diesel, neither hydrogen, neither EV_
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Even though USA robbed Petrobras or the brazilian Ethanol technology …. strange, nothing happened
Troll, who is paying you ? The Ethanol LOBBY ?
So sorry you sad. Trying to make sense of what you said made me sad. But no worries, I think you have no clout in the real world.
Hey numbnuts, Brazil uses Sugar Cane to produce their Ethanol because it’s readily available in Brazil’s warmer climate. There was none of your lies of robbing any Ptrobas/Brazilian technology to ferment two different materials for the easily achieved fermentation process that dries up rural America’s water wells with 6 gal of fresh water required to produce 1 gal. of Ethanol. You haven’t posted a valid point yet in your struggles to master the English Language and produce more lies.
Falls Andrew complain another languages versions
oh schade… es ist nur E85… es ist das, was ich jemals benutze,,, als das Auto gekauft wurde, fragte ich nach einem Kraftstoffflexi-Vollethanolmotor, der jede Art von Kraftstoff aufnehmen könnte…. fragte auch ein Automatik………………… unglücklicher Autohersteller der sogenannten entwickelten Länder hat nur alte Technologien,,,, und machte mich traurig … musste überspringen… Leute aus Europa, USA, sagt, Brasilien sei unterentwickelt…. aber da was nicht verstehen Ford, VW, Renault hatten modernere Motoren entwickelt die alle Kraftstoffe akzeptieren…. ja paradox. LIEBE auch den Geruch von Alkoholen … mag keinen Diesel, weder Wasserstoff, noch EV_
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Auch wenn die USA Petrobras oder die brasilianische Ethanol-Technologie ausgeraubt haben …. seltsam, es ist nichts passiert
oh pena… é só E85… é o que eu sempre usei,,, quando comprei o carro pedi um motor full ethanol fuel flexi, que poderia aceitar qualquer tipo de combustível…. também pedi um automático………………… infelizes fabricantes de carros dos chamados países desenvolvidos só tem tecnologias antigas,,,, e me deixou triste… tive que pular… gente da Europa, EUA, diz que o Brasil é subdesenvolvido…. mas aí o que não entende Ford, VW, Renault desenvolveram motores mais modernos que aceitam todos os combustíveis…. sim paradoxo. AMO o cheiro de álcoois também… não gosto de diesel, nem de hidrogênio, nem de EV_
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Mesmo que os EUA tenham roubado a Petrobras ou a tecnologia brasileira de etanol…. estranho, nada aconteceu
oh peccato… è solo E85… è quello che ho sempre usato,, quando l’ho acquistata l’auto ha chiesto un motore flessibile a etanolo pieno di carburante, che potrebbe accettare qualsiasi tipo di carburante… ha anche chiesto a un automatico………………… sfortunati produttori di automobili dei cosiddetti paesi sviluppati hanno solo vecchie tecnologie,,, e mi ha reso triste … ho dovuto saltare … la gente dell’Europa, degli Stati Uniti, dice che il Brasile è sottosviluppato…. ma lì cosa non capisco Ford, VW, Renault avevano sviluppato motori più moderni che accettano tutti i carburanti…. si paradosso ADORO anche l’odore degli alcoli… non mi piace il diesel, né l’idrogeno, né EV_
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Anche se gli USA hanno derubato Petrobras o la tecnologia brasiliana dell’etanolo…. strano, non è successo niente
french, andrew, had studied 2 years, but as suggested had to use google
oh dommage… ce n’est que de l’E85… c’est ce que j’utilise jamais,,, lors de l’achat de la voiture, j’ai demandé un moteur à carburant flexi full éthanol, qui pourrait accepter n’importe quel type de carburant…. a également demandé à une automatique………… les constructeurs automobiles malheureux des pays dits développés ne disposent que d’anciennes technologies,,,, et m’ont rendu triste… ont dû sauter… les gens d’Europe, des États-Unis, disent que le Brésil n’est pas développé…. mais là ce que ne comprennent pas Ford, VW, Renault avaient développé des moteurs plus modernes qui acceptent tous les carburants…. oui paradoxe. AIMEZ l’odeur des alcools aussi … n’aimez pas le diesel, ni l’hydrogène, ni les EV_
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Même si les États-Unis ont volé Petrobras ou la technologie brésilienne de l’éthanol…. étrange, il ne s’est rien passé
Nobody cares
Spanish as official language of USA sometimes …
oh lástima… es solo E85… es lo que uso… cuando compré el auto pedí un motor de combustible flexi full etanol, que podría aceptar cualquier tipo de combustible…. También le pregunté a un automóvil automático………………… desafortunado fabricante de automóviles de los llamados países desarrollados que solo tiene tecnologías antiguas, y me entristeció… tuvo que saltarse… la gente de Europa, EE. UU., dice que Brasil no está desarrollado…. pero ahí lo que no entiendo Ford, VW, Renault habían desarrollado motores más modernos que aceptan todos los combustibles…. sí paradoja. AMO el olor a alcoholes también… no me gusta el diesel, ni el hidrógeno, ni los EV_
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Aunque EE.UU. robó a Petrobras oa la tecnología brasileña de Etanol…. extraño, no pasó nada
As USA people do not goes studying too much, neither other languages, maybe the commentaries are ok
What language was your comment written in?
Troll
ok if USA people only knows the dislike hand, so here goes ,… as said once do not care, hope the record now is 100 down
as said once too… USA does not pays our bills, do not care them there,,, neither we are out of our piece in any way
Hoala! You are nuts!
It’s very apparent this “MK” person is a paid troll for the Corn Ethanol Lobby that is so well-funded that they got the RFM Bill passed by spreading their money around in Congress.
It’s not the hand we don’t like! 🙁
This is false information paid for by big oil, because big oil will lose billions with higher blends of ethanol. Ethanol is cleaner burning, and less carbon-intensive than gasoline. Ethanol is one of the only true renewable fuels. For every unit of energy going into ethanol you get 2 to 3 units of energy back out of it. People need to get information from proper resources. Wish every vehicle was flex fuel. No one source of energy is the answer, we need coal, nuclear, ethanol, wind, solar, and hydro. We are so more efficient now a days, that most of what you see coming from smokestacks at factories is just water vapor.
It looks more like it was funded by environmentalists. But if the data is accurate, I don’t really care who paid for it.
very true, ethenol is very clean and easy to make, I make it, it could shut down all oil if we grow enough corn beans and more
You also get less milage with ethanol so you need to burn more of it to go the same distance.
Because the auto makers and big oil are in bed together, auto makers tune them to get lower milage on ethanol.
Ethanol is, and always has been, nothing but a farm subsidy program. Nothing more or less.
And that’s the 100% truth.
Not true
You are a liar
You’re an idiot to state Ethanol is cleaner-burning than pure gasoline and ignoring proven facts about the internal damages it causes to engines due to Ethanol’s affinity to acquiring Water out of the Atmosphere. Your “proper resources” producing paid-for study results are all bought and paid for by the Corn Ethanol Lobby that is so well-funded. Stupidity reigns supreme when a Bill is passed mandating use of an Environment-damaging product to lower imports of oil and said product returns 30% less fuel mileage than an equal volume of Gasoline. How incredibly counter-productive and illogical can you get ????
Well it is killing most two cycle tools and many vintage cars fuel systems.
When I did landscaping it destroyed numerous weed eaters and blowers also took out one walk behind and one zero turn. Phillips 66 was horrible for this gas. Those mowers are almost $10k a piece to.
No, old age and normal wear and tear is the problem, seals and gaskets and anything else is going to go bad regardless of the fuel used.
Nope. Take apart a small engine fuel system, you’ll find corrosion all over. Pipelines don’t allow ethanol fuel to be shipped because of its corrosivity, ethanol comes by train and is only mixed at the fuel terminal. Automakers went and removed most of the metal that touches fuel or else changed it to stainless. Same issue with biodiesel.
While I like your screen name, your assertions are only partly true and shows you have little or no experience with the Billions and Billions of dollars of repair bills that use of Ethanol in just slightly older ICE equipment caused. The effects on seals, gaskets and fuel lines caused by Ethanol only subsided when Manufacturers became aware of the nasty effects of Ethanol that was costing their customers incredible repair and replacement expenses. “normal wear and tear” was accelerated by over 500 %,or more by having no choice but to buy Ethanol in ICE and not limited to land-based equipment. You should disassemble an engine using this CRUD and observe the corrosion on certain parts caused by Ethanol use and its affinity for water out of the atmosphere and how, since it has a different specific gravity than Gasoline, how it separates from Gas when the equipment it is fueling is not in motion to keep the two products somewhat mixed !
I know two brothers that did the research and two identical vehicles one ran regular gas one ran E85, they took apert the motors at the same milage, the higher blend ethanol motor was in way better shape.
E85 is no problem IF the fuel system and engine is properly designed for it and if the fuel metering is properly tuned for it. All modern cars are designed for a good level of ethanol exposure because carmakers saw E5, E10, and E15-E20 coming, and design changes were also made during the E85 flex-fuel business of the 2000’s.
The original comment is about small motors. They run on very simple carbs, not electronic fuel injection. Further, carbs will overfuel the engine at times and get fuel in the oil, which then exposes rings and pistons. Of course, if you got 2-stroke lawn equipment, everything is exposed to fuel.
In fact, the fuel metering issue increases emissions on these engines, such that it is illegal under EPA regulations to put >E10 in a small engine.
Total Garbage and any experienced engine rebuilder that is not a liar will tell you that you are fabricating nonsense. By the way “regular gas” is mandated to contain 10% Ethanol so your comparo is totally invalid.
I never liked using food as a fuel. It takes a long time to grow, it’s expensive, and it burns up a good resource.
Ummm you can make biofuels from food waste.
Are you going to start eating corn stalks? Strawberry branches? Apple tree branches & stem.
Making biofuels from the discarded inedible food waste is green.
Regardless this study confirms the stupidity in E10 fuel. If your going to use ethanol and want to be green then go E85-E100 like the Brazilians do. Otherwise it’s empty virtue signaling.
Unsurprising. It was always a gift to farmers to push up corn prices. I doubt anyone is going to do anything though, you know EV’s are already here and 95% of the cars on the road are already electric so who cares about gasoline anymore.
More B.S. from an idiot “95% of the cars on the road are already electric” !
God, people on this site can’t even see a sarcastic comment. My point was simply ethanol was a stupid gift to farmers, and nothing is going to be done about it because all attention is on EV’s. There is that clear?
Yeah, now is it seen as sarcastic since you decided to correctly wordsmith it and make yourself understood. You need to learn to include a suitable Emoji or a simple “LOL” when your claimed sarcasm is only apparent to you.
/s
Studies also show that the production of electric batteries produces more pollution than gas burning engines. I read an article years ago that said a Tesla has to be daily driven for 5-10 years (depending on annual mileage) before it starts to see any saving in pollution impact compared to the average gas burning vehicle like a Honda Civic. Mainly because the production of BEV’s creates a lot more pollution than it takes to produce an internal combustion engine car. Also depending on where you live, electricity is still very dirty and mostly generated from burning fossil fuel and creation of nuclear waste.
In places like Colorado, majority of the electricity produced still comes from burning fossil fuels.
In places like Toronto Canada, majority of the electricity still comes from nuclear reactors.
Just because there are no emissions coming out of tailpipes of BEVs, people forget where the batteries and electricity comes from.
Can you cite the study? One of the most comprehensive reviews I read from the Union of Concerned Scientists did a “study of studies” and came to the conclusion that EVs are essentially always cleaner than regular gasoline cars, although there are certain areas of the country with high coal usage where a hybrid would be the cleanest option.
Yes I agree, right now the best option is hybrid. Until we have hydrogen.
I read this years ago, I’m not going to try and find the exact link.
The problem is mainly the huge batteries. Creating these batteries makes huge amounts of pollution. And when these batteries lose their charge capacities they end up in landfills because we can’t recycle them.
For good info on lithium car battery recycling do a search on this: ‘can lithium car batteries be recycled’ and read the first article. Good Info!
You might start with the information in the article if you’re looking for a source and a link to a recent “study” and their research that contradicts all the Ethanol lobbyist crap they paid for !
It’s more propaganda for BEV, environmental garbage, yes some people will go to EVs only but it’s not the end all of transportation..
Ohh yes Ethanol… Another scan by George W. Bush the cowboy president… Wasn’t during his two terms that we went through a major global recession? Didn’t his family have billions invested in oil companies? Didn’t he say “we are going to get Bin Laden with his obsession with the Iraq war trying to follow on his daddies footsteps! Anything from his two terms should be forgotten about and be a distant memory… Including Ethanol…We don’t need ethanol in our gas it brings down MPG, hurts car engine and is a failure… If Ethanol did anything it made farmers rich.
Remember the days of Sunoco 260 gas, dial up your wanted fuel octane & go.
Feed the beast some good Tetra ethyl LEAD for lunch!
Alcohol is great for AA fuelers, not so much for every day vehicles.
Ben in my opinion no matter what type of cars we drive… Weather it be ICE, HYBRID, OR EV… there is always going to some form of pollution we are never going to be 100% pollution free because if you drive ICE or Hybrid you still need to use Gasoline just less in a hybrid, if you drive an EV the electric to charge it must be made by burning some type of fuel… Although there is solor and wind power but solor and wind power alone can not feed Americas need for electricity! In short it’s never going to be Disneyland where the country or the planet is 100% pollution free… That’s a pipe dream.
Ethanol is well-known to have its own pollutants that are different than Gas emissions. The product, and the 2005 RFM Federal Mandate is a farce funded by intense Lobbying from the very wealthy Ethanol Lobby and ignored not only the damage that Ethanol fuel wreaked havoc on consumer’s large and small engines on both land and water but now, it turns out (surprise…surprise) the Government totally ignored the effects of additional planting/growing of CORN. We have a part-time neighbor ( Lake vacation home) that is custom Corm harvester and a contract Corn-seed grower in West Central Iowa, He told us years ago how the Ethanol Corn Industry, thanks to now-ended Government subsidies, had set neighbor against neighbor in acquiring more land and clearing more highly marginal land ( for corn planting ) in his County because the income from the non-food Corn Ethanol planting was so lucrative. I could go on and on about the disastrous, multi-pronged effects of Ethanol but this study just uncovers another bed side of this Farce forced on the American public. Meanwhile, other Countries laugh at our stupidity for employing a food crop like Corn to use as a source to produce dratted Ethanol.
We knew this, it is just another money maker for the rich, just like electric vehicles and global warming.
Our government lying to us….again. Think about all the damage ethanol has caused to all our equipment through the years. Yes, ethanol made some people rich, and who paid the price for that? Not only us, but the environment as well.
Made a few rich, at a cost to so many.
Now is not the time to do anything about it since the Arabs will not give us anymore oil,I think Putin is a big no also and there is something wrong with using our own oil.
I wonder how carbon-intensive EV’s are to produce, use, and recycle.