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The Network for New Energy Choices is a program of .

© 2004- GRACE
 
The Rush to Ethanol:
Not All Biofuels are Created Equal

Demand for fuel is expected to swell dramatically in the coming decades. Oil prices are on the rise and dependence on unstable foreign sources is increasingly problematic. Concerns are mounting over global warming and the immediate need to curb greenhouse gas emissions.


Ethanol Is Not the Answer

Ethanol is not the way to energy independence.

The ability of corn-based ethanol to reduce the U.S. dependency on foreign oil is limited. Dedicating the entire U.S. corn crop to ethanol would displace only a small share of gasoline demand.

Ethanol is not the solution to global warming.

Large-scale corn production requires farm equipment that runs on fossil fuels. Moreover, when fossil fuels are used to power ethanol refineries, it can lead to higher greenhouse gas emissions than the fossil fuel ethanol is intended to replace.

Ethanol is not the solution to revitalizing rural America.

Growth in the ethanol industry could further concentrate agribusiness, draining economic health from rural communities.


States’ Guide for Sustainable Biofuels Production and a Sustainable Transportation Model:
State and local governments have a lot of power and should focus on the urgent need for transition to a sustainable transportation model and act swiftly to decrease fuel consumption, limit the environmental and health impacts of the transport sector and develop a Sustainable Biofuels Standard. Download » (PDF 187k)
 
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The Rush to Ethanol
Ethanol News
Share your story with us!
From Webster County, Missouri, to Yuma County, Colorado, communities are worried about the effects of expanded corn farming and ethanol production on their water resources. Corn crops in drier areas of the country are contributing to the depletion of regional aquifers, while ethanol refineries in states like Iowa, Minnesota and Florida are competing for local water supplies.

If you or your neighbors are concerned about the effects on water availability from expanded corn farming or ethanol plants in your community, we would like to hear your story. Email us to share your story.

Report Summary | PDF 747k
Full Report | PDF 2.8 MB

A comprehensive report that provides analysis and recommendations for U.S. biofuels and transportation policies.

The report was co-authored by the Network for New Energy Choices, Food & Water Watch, and the Institute for Energy and the Environment at Vermont Law School