Land-Use Changes and CO2 Emissions Due to US Corn Ethanol Production

Tyner, Wallace E.; Taheripour, Farzad

doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-384719-5.00362-2

Cited by 78 publications

(146 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…The early papers published in this area suggested that the USA corn ethanol program could cause major land use implications [4][5][6]. However, the more recent studies find that the early estimates have overstated the land use implications of this program [7][8][9][10][11][12][13].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biofuels and Land Use Change: Applying Recent Evidence to Model Estimates

Taheripour

Tyner

2013

Applied Sciences

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Biofuels impact on global land use has been a controversial yet important topic. Up until recently, there has not been enough biofuels to have caused major land use change, so the evidence from actual global land use data has been scant. However, in the past decade, there have been 72 million hectares added to global crop cover. In this research we take advantage of this new data to calibrate the Global Trade Analysis Project (GTAP) model and parameters. We make two major changes. First, we calibrate the land transformation parameters (called constant elasticity of transformation, CET) to global regions so that the parameters better reflect the actual land cover change that has occurred. Second, we alter the land cover nesting structure. In the old GTAP model, cropland, pasture, and forest were all in the same nest suggesting, everything else being equal, that pasture or forest convert to cropland with equal ease and cost. However, we now take advantage of the fact that pasture converts to cropland at lower cost than forest. The paper provides the theoretical and empirical justification for these two model improvements. Then it re-evaluates the global land use impacts due to the USA ethanol program using the improved model tuned with actual observations. Finally, it shows that compared to the old model, the new model projects: (1) less expansion in global cropland due to ethanol expansion; (2) lower U.S. share in global cropland expansion; (3) and lower forest share in global cropland expansion. OPEN ACCESSAppl. Sci. 2013, 3 15

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biofuels and Land Use Change: Applying Recent Evidence to Model Estimates

Taheripour

Tyner

2013

Applied Sciences

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“…Based on recent studies [9,21,22], such a replacement will cause a relative increase in agricultural prices, leading finally to increase the production elsewhere. As in recent iLUC studies [8,23,24], this LCA included the (global warming) impacts of the conversion of 'new land' only. In the present, the results of [21] for Denmark have been used as a proxy to estimate the quantity of land which was converted and the corresponding biomes types.…”

Section: Methodology: Goal Scope Functional Unit and Impact Assessmmentioning

confidence: 99%

Global warming potential impact of bioenergy systems

Tonini

Hamelin

2012

EPJ Web of Conferences

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Reducing dependence on fossil fuels and mitigation of GHG emissions is a main focus in the energy strategy of many Countries. In the case of Demark, for instance, the long-term target of the energy policy is to reach 100% renewable energy system. This can be achieved by drastic reduction of the energy demand, optimization of production/distribution and substitution of fossil fuels with biomasses. However, a large increase in biomass consumption will finally induce conversion of arable and currently cultivated land into fields dedicated to energy crops production determining significant environmental consequences related to land use changes. In this study the global warming potential impact associated with six alternative bioenergy systems based on willow and Miscanthus was assessed by means of life-cycle assessment. The results showed that bioenergy production may generate higher global warming impacts than the reference fossil fuel system, when the impacts from indirect land use changes are accounted for. In a life-cycle perspective, only highly-efficient co-firing with fossil fuel achieved a (modest) GHG emission reduction.

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“…Several publications report on these data, particularly for released carbon [51]. However, it is well documented that above-and below-ground carbon stocks are variable and, although model and data improvements are employed in more recent ILUC analyses [36], there is still a requirement to incorporate refined soil carbon data inclusive of variance in carbon density based on type, practice and measurements.…”

Section: Review Indirect Land-use Change S T Sanchez Et Al 1113mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Further analyses [36] and the EPA (RFS2 2009) account for forgone emissions and differences in stored carbon. IPCC defaults are compiled estimates for soil and land-cover carbon profiles at a global scale with no specification of geographical distribution.…”

Section: The Time Horizonmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Using reasonable parameter values, these estimates have ranged from 118 gCO 2 e MJ 21 [35] to 13.9 gCO 2 e MJ 21 [36], and have even ranged from 18.3 to 80.4 gCO 2 e MJ 21 within a single study based on uncertainty in economic projections [37]. In the EPA analysis, 30000 EFs are used to estimate emissions from land conversion alone.…”

Section: Hybrid Indirect Land-use Change Model Approachesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Accounting for indirect land-use change in the life cycle assessment of biofuel supply chains

Sanchez

Woods

Akhurst³

et al. 2012

J. R. Soc. Interface.

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The expansion of land used for crop production causes variable direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions, and other economic, social and environmental effects. We analyse the use of life cycle analysis (LCA) for estimating the carbon intensity of biofuel production from indirect land-use change (ILUC). Two approaches are critiqued: direct, attributional life cycle analysis and consequential life cycle analysis (CLCA). A proposed hybrid 'combined model' of the two approaches for ILUC analysis relies on first defining the system boundary of the resulting full LCA. Choices are then made as to the modelling methodology (economic equilibrium or cause -effect), data inputs, land area analysis, carbon stock accounting and uncertainty analysis to be included. We conclude that CLCA is applicable for estimating the historic emissions from ILUC, although improvements to the hybrid approach proposed, coupled with regular updating, are required, and uncertainly values must be adequately represented; however, the scope and the depth of the expansion of the system boundaries required for CLCA remain controversial. In addition, robust prediction, monitoring and accounting frameworks for the dynamic and highly uncertain nature of future crop yields and the effectiveness of policies to reduce deforestation and encourage afforestation remain elusive. Finally, establishing compatible and comparable accounting frameworks for ILUC between the USA, the European Union, South East Asia, Africa, Brazil and other major biofuel trading blocs is urgently needed if substantial distortions between these markets, which would reduce its application in policy outcomes, are to be avoided.

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Land-Use Changes and CO2 Emissions Due to US Corn Ethanol Production

Cited by 78 publications

References 16 publications

Biofuels and Land Use Change: Applying Recent Evidence to Model Estimates

Biofuels and Land Use Change: Applying Recent Evidence to Model Estimates

Global warming potential impact of bioenergy systems

Accounting for indirect land-use change in the life cycle assessment of biofuel supply chains

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