A Swiss government study analyzed in Science magazine contends that corn, soy, and oil palm biofuels have greater negative environmental impact than fossil fuels. The authors of the report added that the use of waste biomass or switchgrass could provide overall environmental benefits.
The study’s findings received support recently from scholars at the Institute for Energy Research. Adjunct Scholar Jerry Taylor said, “virtually all studies show that greenhouse gases associated with ethanol are about the same as those associated with conventional gasoline once the entire life cycle of the two fuels are compared. Further, as more land is harnessed for corn production, less fertile soils will be brought into production, requiring more energy intensive inputs into the corn production process, primarily in the form of increased use of fertilizers and irrigation.”
The Institute for Energy Research receives substantial financial support from the oil industry and works on projects for the American Petroleum Institute. ExxonMobil alone has provided more than $200,000 in funding to IER since 2003.
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