Oklahoma researchers support biodiversity in biofuels productionOctober 06, 2008U.S. and European mandates for subsidies of cellulosic ethanol production and use have uncertain environmental consequences according to an international group of scientists which includes researchers from the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University. The 23-member group co-authored an article on the need for a science-based policy to address this global issue for the Oct. 3 issue of Science magazine. Linda Wallace, OU botany professor, and Michael Palmer, OSU botany professor, believe biodiversity in biofuels production may contribute to its long-term success. Wallace was the first to introduce the idea of a symposium on this topic to the Ecological Society. She urged the society to address the ecological sustainability of biofuels production before more problems were created than solved. The society gave Wallace the green light in 2007 to organize a symposium on the subject.
At the second symposium held earlier this year, Wallace and Palmer co-chaired a working group on biodiversity and biofuels. Both researchers agree that multiple species contribute to the stability of a system needed to sustain an environmentally and economically viable biofuels industry. "We know ethanol produced from corn has both environmental and economical challenges. And, we are studying the downside of the more popular switchgrass species even though funding for its use is already in place," says Wallace. Switchgrass may not be the best species for ethanol production, but it is much better than corn which is used in many food products. However, native grasses are much more viable than the alternatives. Where feedstock production is planned, there are also species-rich native prairies. Native grassland, especially the tallgrass prairie, is highly endangered. Palmer proposes hay meadows as an option for the production of cellulosic ethanol. "In Oklahoma, we have a century-old tradition of hay meadows where we've cut the grasslands for hay and have had continuous yields all that time," Palmer said. "These grasslands can be extremely diverse and really good for wildlife." Wallace believes we should let native grasses grow and then harvest them after the first frost. Using a gasification process developed at OSU, the grasses can be used for ethanol production. Wallace says we should not limit our options to just one species though. Palmer agrees citing several "unintended consequences" as the potential result of pursuing a narrow range of feedstocks for ethanol production. These include the introduction of invasive species, increased soil erosion and the release of additional nitrous oxide-a powerful greenhouse gas. Rather than react to the energy crisis with another potential crisis, both researchers suggest collecting the right kind of data now to find out if cellulosic ethanol production is sustainable. Ecological research supports stability in cultures with multiple species, but both Wallace and Palmer say we need to more thoroughly examine the options. "We have to think long term," says Wallace. "Our future depends on it." University of Oklahoma | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Related Ethanol Production Current Events and Ethanol Production News Articles Researchers find nature's shut-off switch for cellulose production Purdue University researchers found a mechanism that naturally shuts down cellulose production in plants, and learning how to keep that switch turned on may be key to enhancing biomass production for plant-based biofuels. Purdue study suggests warmer temperatures could lead to a boom in corn pests Climate change could provide the warmer weather pests prefer, leading to an increase in populations that feed on corn and other crops, according to a new study. Replacing corn with perennial grasses improves carbon footprint of biofuels Converting forests or fields to biofuel crops can increase or decrease greenhouse gas emissions, depending on where - and which - biofuel crops are used, University of Illinois researchers report this month. More flexible method floated to produce biofuels, electricity Researchers are proposing a new "flexible" approach to producing alternative fuels, hydrogen and electricity from municipal solid wastes, agricultural wastes, forest residues and sewage sludge that could supply up to 20 percent of transportation fuels in the United States annually. Compost heap bacteria could provide 10 percent of UK transport fuel needs Bacteria found in compost heaps able to convert waste plant fibre into ethanol could eventually provide up 10% of the UK's transport fuel needs, scientists heard today (Tuesday 9 September 2008) at the Society for General Microbiology's Autumn meeting being held this week at Trinity College, Dublin. Turning Waste Material into Ethanol Say the word "biofuels" and most people think of grain ethanol and biodiesel. But there's another, older technology called gasification that's getting a new look from researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's Ames Laboratory and Iowa State University. By combining gasification with high-tech nanoscale porous catalysts, they hope to create ethanol from a wide range of biomass, including distiller's grain left over from ethanol production, corn stover from the field, grass, wood pulp, animal waste, and garbage. Improved reaction data heat up the biofuels harvest High food prices, concern over dwindling supplies of fossil fuels and the desire for clean, renewable energy have led many to seek ways to make ethanol out of cellulosic sources such as wood, hay and switchgrass. Iowa State researchers use fungus to improve corn-to-ethanol process Growing a fungus in some of the leftovers from ethanol production can save energy, recycle more water and improve the livestock feed that's a co-product of fuel production. New source for biofuels discovered A newly created microbe produces cellulose that can be turned into ethanol and other biofuels, report scientists from The University of Texas at Austin who say the microbe could provide a significant portion of the nation's transportation fuel if production can be scaled up. Cow stomach holds key to turning corn into biofuel An enzyme from a microbe that lives inside a cow's stomach is the key to turning corn plants into fuel, according to Michigan State University scientists. More Ethanol Production Current Events and Ethanol Production News Articles |
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