It is an established fact that our reliance on fossil fuels is destroying the planet, despite our continued usage of them. There is little that can be said in their defense, given their links to climate change and air pollution, much of which is also causing serious health problems in humans. 

 

During the early 21st century, we finally began to realize the need for a new, healthier source of energy, and biofuels seemed like the perfect option. At first glance, there is much to like about them: biofuels are produced from biomass materials, which are organic, renewable compounds (such as plant waste). The 2010s saw the creation of more biorefineries, designed to increase biofuel production, thus stymieing carbon emissions from traditional transport fuel. It seemed, to most, like a foolproof plan. 

 

The most common biofuel is by far ethanol, which made up over 80% of biofuel production and consumption in the US in 2021. Much of this is produced in the form of corn ethanol, leading to a sharp increase in corn production in the US over the last decade. This was exacerbated by several federal programs to increase biofuel usage, including the Renewable Fuel Standard, which has required transportation fuel to contain a minimum percentage of renewable fuels since 2005. More recently, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which caused global oil prices to rise rapidly, has further amplified reliance on biofuel production and consumption. 

But new evidence suggests that the increased corn production necessary to produce such a large volume of ethanol may have come at an astonishing cost to the environment. A 2022 study found that, between 2008 and 2016, corn cultivation increased by 6.9 million acres (much of it on previously unfarmed land), leading to a 3-8% increase in fertilizer usage and a 3-5% increase in water pollution. These effects can be seen as far south as the Gulf of Mexico, where nearly four million acres of marine habitat are now a dead zone. At best, the carbon emissions of corn ethanol production are equal to that which would have been caused by fossil fuels. At worst, carbon emissions are now at least 24% higher. 

 

Yet, a concerningly large number of people seem content to ignore this new research, and are even pushing for an increase in corn ethanol production. But if the increased production of biofuels is no longer for the US to achieve energy independence (which fracking has already allowed it to do) or to mitigate climate change (it’s actually doing the opposite), then what is it for?

 

This, like so many other things, can be explained by greed. The huge increase in corn cultivation was not due to a collective effort to combat climate change, or even a government mandated policy (corn ethanol production is actually much higher than intended by the Renewable Fuel Standard), but because of a 30% spike in corn prices. The majority of corn plantations are now owned by large corporations, who are earning record profits. It is troubling to consider that the expansion of biofuels, which was intended to combat climate change, has been twisted into yet another way of increasing monetary wealth. 

 

Perhaps the real problem is that we are searching for an easy way out, a simple method to undo all of the damage we have done to our planet. But we cannot hope to create any change if we continue to be sidetracked by other pursuits. Time is running out, and if we don’t act to save the planet soon, it may be too late. 

 

written by Srisha Nannapaneni

 

References:

 

Biofuels explained. (2022, July 19). U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/biofuels/

Fairley, P. (2022, December 13). The new era of biofuels raises environmental concerns. Scientific American. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-new-era-of-biofuels-raises-environmental-concerns/

Fossil fuels & health. (2022, June 28). C-CHANGE | Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/c-change/subtopics/fossil-fuels-health/

Gewin, V. (2022, December 15). How corn ethanol fueled climate change. Civil Eats. https://civileats.com/2022/02/14/how-corn-ethanol-for-biofuel-fueled-climate-change/

Lark, T. J., Hendricks, N. P., Smith, A., Pates, N., Spawn-Lee, S. A., Bougie, M., Booth, E. G., Kucharik, C. J., & Gibbs, H. K. (2022). Environmental outcomes of the US renewable fuel standard. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 119(9). https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2101084119

Organic waste into energy – how does biofuel work? (2021, June 24). Vista Projects. https://www.vistaprojects.com/how-does-biofuel-work/