Analyst says Science magazine article erred on corn ethanol emissions; ethanol may raise needed barrier to land-use conversion for homes

March 4, 2008

An analysis of two articles appearing in Science magazine, which have led to resounding reversals in global biofuels policy, reports that actual land use conversion in the US, primarily from soy to corn, has little discernible effect on global emissions. David Morris of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance found that the carbon return of no-till cultivation and the overlooked impact of distillers grains, offset the impact of conversion of land from soy cultivation.

Morris found that the major impact of land use conversion comes not from biofuels, but from 2.2 million acres converted for urban and suburban development, which does not have any offsets and results in other land-use conversions to replace both food and fuel production.

The study raises the possibility that, by raising farm prices and the opportunity cost of land conversion for suburban development, corn ethanol is a highly significant barrier to further erosion of the national carbon sink.

The complete supporting online material from the Searchinger study, including well-to-wheel emission tables can be downloaded (free) here. Reaction from world press is linked below, most of it strong reading, usually condemning biofuels:

The Register
San Francisco Chronicle
World Changing
Wall Street Journal
Science
The Morning Call
TIME
National Post (Canada)
CTV
The Car Connection
The Nature Conservancy
New York Times
Los Angeles Times
Washington Post
25×25 response

More on the Science magazine controversy from Biofuels Digest:

The New York Times ran an editorial reviewing the 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act in light of recent articles in Science magazine regarding greenhouse gas emissions and biofuels.

UK government has ordered a revised analysis review on biofuels.
Greenpeace called on the government to suspend biofuels targets.

European Federation for Transport and Environment says quantity targets for biofuels should be dropped in favor of a low-carbon standard.

Argonne National Lab says Science article authors’ models did not factor in changing crop yields

Bad, bad biofuelsâ€, more Science magazine reaction, and downloads to complete underlying data

A group of scientists write to US President George Bush and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi urging them to revise US biofuels policies

Biofuels emissions authors say biofuels OK if made from waste, perennials, or abandoned land

93 percent increase in greenhouse gases? Renewable Fuel Association says fossil fuels created the â€œcarbon debt we can never repayâ€

Nature Conservancy study says converting land for biofuels increases net carbon usage

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Written by Jim Lane · Filed Under Policy, Producer News