Agricultural News
RFS Is Single Most Effective U.S. Policy on GHG Reduction/Climate Change, Dinneen Claims
Wed, 19 Mar 2014 11:52:21 CDT
Today, the White House, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) are hosting an event on the topic of climate change. Various technology companies, scientists, and other climate experts will meet to discuss the possible impacts of climate change and announce data-driven technologies to build products and services to better prepare our Nation for those impacts.
Commenting on this event, which will include John Podesta, Counselor to the President, among others, Bob Dinneen, President and CEO of the Renewable Fuels Association, highlights the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) as a vital piece of any plan to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and curb future climate change:
"Today's meeting is about finding successful ways to address climate change, including the use of data to help limit future impacts. That makes sense and the effort should be applauded. But it should be noted that the single most effective program this nation has for reducing GHG emissions is the RFS. Last year alone, the use of biofuels like ethanol and the RFS reduced CO2-equivalent GHG emissions from transportation by 37.9 million metric tons. That's akin to removing 7.9 million cars from the road for an entire year."
Dinneen continued, "A recent Life Cycle Associates study found that corn ethanol reduces GHG emissions by 32% compared to petroleum in 2012, including hypothetical land use change emissions. The same study found that corn ethanol reduces GHG emissions by 37-40% compared to tight oil from fracking and tar sands.
"Why then, is the Administration contemplating a reduction in the RFS? Why would the Administration scale back its most successful carbon program? Rolling back the RFS as proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency would INCREASE carbon emissions by some 3.7 million metric tons of CO2-equivalent GHG. That's like adding 725,000 cars to the road overnight! Talking about climate change is one thing. But the Administration has the opportunity to do something about it by restoring the RFS to its statutorily mandated levels for carbon-reducing biofuels."
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