Study models long-term carbon impacts of crop-based biofuels
In Michigan, a new study by University of Michigan researchers uses a stock-and-flow model to examine how crop-based biofuels affect atmospheric carbon over time. In its illustrative corn ethanol scenario, land-use change and other market effects create an initial carbon debt, with atmospheric carbon remaining above the fossil-fuel reference level until 47 years after biofuel adoption began. The model estimates levels 40 teragrams higher in 2050. The author stresses that this is a theoretical analysis, not a verdict on biofuels generally, and that outcomes depend on land, crop yields and market assumptions.
Category: Research
