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Achieving sustainable biofuels from plant feedstocks
Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, Part A 150 (2008) S174–S175
Contents lists available at ScienceDirect
Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, Part A j o u r n a l h o m e p a g e : w w w. e l s e v i e r. c o m / l o c a t e / c b p a
Society for Experimental Biology Annual Main Meeting 6th – 10th July 2008, Marseille, France
E2 — SCIENCE AND SOCIETY — BIOENERGY DEBATE Bioenergy technology — WHAT and WHO decides the way forward? E2.1 Achieving sustainable biofuels from plant feedstocks S. Long (Crop Sciences, University of Illinois, USA) Continued combustion of fossil fuels is causing a progressive change in climate which threatens our ecosystems and ability to feed ourselves. Liquid transportation fuels are the fastest growing use of fossil fuels. While use of electric/petroleum hybrids and more efficient engines will offset some demand, growth in vehicles in developing economies will likely more than offset this. Biofuels from plants provide a partial, but important solution. While there is a slight greenhouse benefit in making fuels from grain crops, such as corn ethanol, this leads to significant conflicts between animal feed, some foods and fuels. This has led to an anti-biofuel movement in danger of causing society to throw the baby out with the bathwater. While there has been much speculation on the environmental benefits and threats of biofuels, this is based on remarkably little scientific evidence and research. This weak scientific base must be addressed if sound policies are to be developed. Cellulosic biofuels may be made from a wide range of crop wastes and non-crop plants that may be grown where food crops cannot. A key property for any lignocellulosic bioenergy feedstock is maximum productivity for a minimum of inputs. This minimizes the land needed and environmental impacts. C4 perennials, are in many circumstances likely candidates, and may provide the added benefit of increased deposition of soil in the carbon. Systems based on these plants can have large greenhouse gas benefits. There is an urgent need to identify and explore candidate species that may be grown on noncrop land, including salt tolerant species. doi:10.1016/j.cbpa.2008.04.462
E2.2 Bioenergy technology — What are the implications for society? S. de Cheveigné (L'Ecole des Hautes Etudes Sciences Sociales, CNRS, Marseille)
Bioenergy technologies may appear both familiar and strange to the population: are they simply new ways of using old resources, like wood and straw, or, on the contrary, a new case of humans illegitimately “tampering with Nature”? Bioenergy production may affect social organisation, for instance via land use. Quite fundamental questions are raised, opening space for debate with the citizens of all countries. doi:10.1016/j.cbpa.2008.04.463
E2.3 Bioenergy technology — balancing energy output with environmental benefits J. Clifton-Brown, A. Hastings, P. Smith, P. Stampfl, J. Valentine, M. Jones, I. Donnison (IGER, Aberystwyth, UK) The drivers for the development of the use of bio-energy are energy security and mitigating climate change. The question is which of these is the dominant driver as they both have different technology requirements and consequences that are generally mutually exclusive. If energy security is the main driver then technologies that maximize the energy output per unit input and maximize the energy yield per ha of land are important. On the other hand if mitigating climate change is the driver then maximizing the mitigation of GHG emissions both by sustainable crop management and replacement of the maximum amount of fossil fuel are key issues. They overlap in terms of energy use efficiency and maximizing yields but diverge in land use change, the varying management practices of different crops and competition with food and fibre production for available real estate. In our contribution to this debate on bio-energy we will address the issue of energy yield, GHG emissions, energy use efficiency and carbon intensity of bio-energy crops in general and for Miscanthus in particular. We will show the importance of species selection and breeding to maximise the energy balance and environmental benefits.
Contents lists available at ScienceDirect
Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, Part A j o u r n a l h o m e p a g e : w w w. e l s e v i e r. c o m / l o c a t e / c b p a
Society for Experimental Biology Annual Main Meeting 6th – 10th July 2008, Marseille, France
E2 — SCIENCE AND SOCIETY — BIOENERGY DEBATE Bioenergy technology — WHAT and WHO decides the way forward? E2.1 Achieving sustainable biofuels from plant feedstocks S. Long (Crop Sciences, University of Illinois, USA) Continued combustion of fossil fuels is causing a progressive change in climate which threatens our ecosystems and ability to feed ourselves. Liquid transportation fuels are the fastest growing use of fossil fuels. While use of electric/petroleum hybrids and more efficient engines will offset some demand, growth in vehicles in developing economies will likely more than offset this. Biofuels from plants provide a partial, but important solution. While there is a slight greenhouse benefit in making fuels from grain crops, such as corn ethanol, this leads to significant conflicts between animal feed, some foods and fuels. This has led to an anti-biofuel movement in danger of causing society to throw the baby out with the bathwater. While there has been much speculation on the environmental benefits and threats of biofuels, this is based on remarkably little scientific evidence and research. This weak scientific base must be addressed if sound policies are to be developed. Cellulosic biofuels may be made from a wide range of crop wastes and non-crop plants that may be grown where food crops cannot. A key property for any lignocellulosic bioenergy feedstock is maximum productivity for a minimum of inputs. This minimizes the land needed and environmental impacts. C4 perennials, are in many circumstances likely candidates, and may provide the added benefit of increased deposition of soil in the carbon. Systems based on these plants can have large greenhouse gas benefits. There is an urgent need to identify and explore candidate species that may be grown on noncrop land, including salt tolerant species. doi:10.1016/j.cbpa.2008.04.462
E2.2 Bioenergy technology — What are the implications for society? S. de Cheveigné (L'Ecole des Hautes Etudes Sciences Sociales, CNRS, Marseille)
Bioenergy technologies may appear both familiar and strange to the population: are they simply new ways of using old resources, like wood and straw, or, on the contrary, a new case of humans illegitimately “tampering with Nature”? Bioenergy production may affect social organisation, for instance via land use. Quite fundamental questions are raised, opening space for debate with the citizens of all countries. doi:10.1016/j.cbpa.2008.04.463
E2.3 Bioenergy technology — balancing energy output with environmental benefits J. Clifton-Brown, A. Hastings, P. Smith, P. Stampfl, J. Valentine, M. Jones, I. Donnison (IGER, Aberystwyth, UK) The drivers for the development of the use of bio-energy are energy security and mitigating climate change. The question is which of these is the dominant driver as they both have different technology requirements and consequences that are generally mutually exclusive. If energy security is the main driver then technologies that maximize the energy output per unit input and maximize the energy yield per ha of land are important. On the other hand if mitigating climate change is the driver then maximizing the mitigation of GHG emissions both by sustainable crop management and replacement of the maximum amount of fossil fuel are key issues. They overlap in terms of energy use efficiency and maximizing yields but diverge in land use change, the varying management practices of different crops and competition with food and fibre production for available real estate. In our contribution to this debate on bio-energy we will address the issue of energy yield, GHG emissions, energy use efficiency and carbon intensity of bio-energy crops in general and for Miscanthus in particular. We will show the importance of species selection and breeding to maximise the energy balance and environmental benefits.