Friends of Science Cli-Sci Newsletter Extract from February 18, 2022          

Corn-based ethanol, which for years has been mixed into gasoline, is likely a much bigger contributor to global warming than straight gasoline, according to this new study. The research found that ethanol is likely at least 24% more carbon-intensive than gasoline due to emissions resulting from land use changes to grow corn, along with processing and combustion. As a result of a U.S. Government mandate, corn cultivation grew 8.7% and expanded into 6.9 million additional acres of land between 2008 and 2016, the study found. The study also found that the U.S. Renewable Fuel Standard increased corn prices by 30% and the prices of other crops by 20%. See this story by Reuters.  Paul Homewood says “It never did make sense converting productive farmland to fuel for cars. Now it appears that it does not even cut emissions of carbon dioxide. With the EU continuing to mandate higher proportions of ethanol in the fuel mix, it is surely time to call a halt on this huge policy error, and start to cut back on ethanol use.”

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