Progress 10/01/08 to 09/30/09
Outputs
OUTPUTS: The production of liquid biofuels globally (and particularly in the US) is growing at a tremendous rate, driven by concerns over energy security, the price of crude oil, and emissions of greenhouse gases. Most nations now have policies to promote the production of liquid biofuels. Although biofuels are often seen as a desirable, green technology, increasing scientific scrutiny over the past few years has suggested that this may not be true, and that some biofuel technologies may be quite harmful to the environment and may possibly release more greenhouse gases than would an equivalent use of fossil-fuel energy. The International SCOPE Biofuels Project was authorized by the International Council of Science to provide for an objective, science-based analysis of the environmental consequences of biofuels on the environment. The Project is chaired by Professor Robert W. Howarth and headquartered at Cornell University. The major activity of the Project was an international workshop held in Gummersbach, Germany in September. This workshop had two major products, in 2009: 1) a short policy brief to be published jointly by UNESCO, UNEP, and SCOPE; and 2) a book which detailed the consequences of biofuels on greenhouse gas emissions, water quality, air quality, biodiversity, and other environmental quality factors. The book, edited by Robert Howarth and Stefan Bringezu, is available on-line, free of charge at http://cip.cornell.edu/biofuels/. PARTICIPANTS: The International SCOPE Biofuels Project involves more than 75 scientists from more than 23 countries globally. The Project works in consort with UNEP and UNESCO. See the web site for the Project for more information: http://www.eeb.cornell.edu/howarth/SCOPEBiofuels_home.html TARGET AUDIENCES: The audiences for the Project include policy and decision makers in international agencies and development banks, national governments, industry, and non-governmental organizations throughout the world. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
The assessment by the SCOPE Biofuels Project is the first science-based analysis by an international organization of the environmental consequences of biofuels on the environment. The conclusions of the Gummersbach workshop include the following: 1) the consequences of biofuels on the environment depend upon the type of fuel, the biomass source used to make the fuel, and where and how the biomass is grown; 2) some biofuel technologies (particularly the production of ethanol from corn) have severe consequences on the environment and have the potential to aggravate rather than mitigate greenhouse gas emissions compared to fossil-fuel use; 3) many of the adverse consequences of biofuels on the environment come from deforestation and other land-use issues as biofuel production is expanding; 4) liquid biofuels have the potential to contribute only a small proportion of the total liquid fuels in the world, if production is to occur in a sustainable manner and without excessive environmental destruction; 5) biofuels have the potential to help provide a local energy source and aid economic and agricultural development in Africa and other regions that historically have had only limited energy supplies; 6) waste materials provide one of the best feed sources for producing biofuels in the developed nations of the world; and 7) the use of biomass for direct combustion to produce heat and electricity offers many advantages over production of second-generation ethanol from cellulose, and probably results in more usable energy at lower cost to the environment. The findings of the Project add to a growing body of science that should help redirect efforts towards a more sustainable use of biomass for energy.
Publications
- Bringezu, S., H. Schutz, M. OBrien, L. Kauppi, R. Howarth, and J. McNeely. 2009. Towards Sustainable Production and Use of Resources: Assessing Biofuels. International Panel for Sustainable Resource Management, United Nations Environment Program, Paris, France. http://www.unep.fr/scp/rpanel/biofuels.htm.
- Howarth, R. W. and S. Bringezu (eds). 2009. Biofuels: Environmental Consequences and Interactions with Changing Land Use. Proceedings of the Scientific Committee on Problems of the Environment (SCOPE) International Biofuels Project Rapid Assessment, 22-25 September 2008, Gummersbach Germany. Cornell University, Ithaca NY, USA. http://cip.cornell.edu/biofuels/.
- Howarth, R.W., S. Bringezu, M. Bekunda, C. de Fraiture, L. Maene, L. Martinelli, and O. Sala. 2009. Rapid assessment on biofuels and environment: Overview and key findings. Pages 1-13 in R.W. Howarth and S. Bringezu (eds), Biofuels: Environmental Consequences and Interactions with Changing Land Use. Proceedings of the Scientific Committee on Problems of the Environment (SCOPE) International Biofuels Project Rapid Assessment, 22-25 September 2008, Gummersbach Germany. Cornell University, Ithaca NY, USA. http://cip.cornell.edu/biofuels/
- Howarth, R.W., S. Bringezu, L.A. Martinelli, R. Santoro, D. Messem, and O.E. Sala. 2009. Introduction: biofuels and the environment in the 21st century. Pages 15- 36, in R.W. Howarth and S. Bringezu (eds) Biofuels: Environmental Consequences and Interactions with Changing Land Use. Proceedings of the Scientific Committee on Problems of the Environment (SCOPE) International Biofuels Project Rapid Assessment, 22-25 September 2008, Gummersbach Germany. Cornell University, Ithaca NY, USA. http://cip.cornell.edu/biofuels/.
- Simpson, T.W., L.A. Martinelli, A.N. Sharpley, and R.W. Howarth. 2009. Impact of ethanol production on nutrient cycles and water quality: the United States and Brazil as case studies. Pages 153-167 in R.W. Howarth and S. Bringezu (eds) Biofuels: Environmental Consequences and Interactions with Changing Land Use. Proceedings of the Scientific Committee on Problems of the Environment (SCOPE) International Biofuels Project Rapid Assessment, 22-25 September 2008, Gummersbach Germany. Cornell University, Ithaca NY, USA. http://cip.cornell.edu/biofuels/.
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Progress 10/01/07 to 09/30/08
Outputs
OUTPUTS: The production of liquid biofuels globally (and particularly in the US) is growing at a tremendous rate, driven by concerns over energy security, the price of crude oil, and emissions of greenhouse gases. Most nations now have policies to promote the production of liquid biofuels. Although biofuels are often seen as a desirable, green technology, increasing scientific scrutiny over the past few years has suggested that this may not be true, and that some biofuel technologies may be quite harmful to the environment and may possibly release more greenhouse gases than would an equivalent use of fossil-fuel energy. The International SCOPE Biofuels Project was authorized by the International Council of Science to provide for an objective, science-based analysis of the environmental consequences of biofuels on the environment. The Project is chaired by Professor Robert W. Howarth and headquartered at Cornell University. The major activity of the Project in 2008 was an international workshop held in Gummersbach, Germany in September. This workshop will have two products, both to be released in early 2009: 1) a short policy brief to be published jointly by UNESCO, UNEP, and SCOPE; and 2) a book which will present in some detail the consequences of biofuels on greenhouse gas emissions, water quality, air quality, biodiversity, and other environmental quality factors. The book, edited by Robert Howarth and Stefan Bringezu, will be available on-line, free of charge at http://cip.cornell.edu/biofuels/. PARTICIPANTS: The International SCOPE Biofuels Project involves more than 75 scientists from more than 23 countries globally. The Project works in consort with UNEP and UNESCO. See the web site for the Project for more information: http://www.eeb.cornell.edu/howarth/SCOPEBiofuels_home.html. TARGET AUDIENCES: The audiences for the Project include policy and decision makers in international agencies and development banks, national governments, industry, and non-governmental organizations throughout the world. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
The assessment by the SCOPE Biofuels Project is the first science-based analysis by an international organization of the environmental consequences of biofuels on the environment. The conclusions of the Gummersbach workshop include the following: 1) the consequences of biofuels on the environment depend upon the type of fuel, the biomass source used to make the fuel, and where and how the biomass is grown; 2) some biofuel technologies (particularly the production of ethanol from corn) have severe consequences on the environment and have the potential to aggravate rather than mitigate greenhouse gas emissions compared to fossil-fuel use; 3) many of the adverse consequences of biofuels on the environment come from deforestation and other land-use issues as biofuel production is expanding; 4) liquid biofuels have the potential to contribute only a small proportion of the total liquid fuels in the world, if production is to occur in a sustainable manner and without excessive environmental destruction; 5) biofuels have the potential to help provide a local energy source and aid economic and agricultural development in Africa and other regions that historically have had only limited energy supplies; 6) waste materials provide one of the best feed sources for producing biofuels in the developed nations of the world; and 7) the use of biomass for direct combustion to produce heat and electricity offers many advantages over production of second-generation ethanol from cellulose, and probably results in more usable energy at lower cost to the environment. The findings of the Project will add to a growing body of science that should help redirect efforts towards a more sustainable use of biomass for energy.
Publications
- Simpson, T. W., Sharpley, A. N., Howarth, R. W., Paerl, H. W., and Mankin, K. R. 2008. The new gold rush: Fueling ethanol production while protecting water quality. Journal of Environmental Quality 37:318-324.
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