Biofuels Support Comeback: Argonne Transportation Technology R&D Center's Response to Science Publications

Read the latest response from Argonne National Laboratory criticizing the Science publications (specifically by Searchinger). Some of the main assumptions in the study are the baseline for supply and demand biofuel and uncertainties relating to direct and indirect land use changes from biofuel policies.

Overall, the response brings to light a good point:
"While scientific assessment of land use change issues is urgently needed in order to design policies that prevent unintended consequences from biofuel production, conclusions regarding the GHG emissions effects of biofuels based on speculative, limited land use change modeling may misguide biofuel policy development."

Read the response here.

Two Recent Studies Published in Science Questioning Validity of Biofuels

Fargione, J. el al (2008). "Land Clearing and the Biofuel Carbon Debt." Science, February 7, 2008, DOI: 10.1126/science.1152747.

(Joe Fargione is a scientist at The Nature Conservancy).

Searchinger, T. el al (2008). "Use of U.S. Croplands For Biofuels Increases Greenhouse Gasses Through Emissions From Land Use Change." Science, February 7, 2008, DOI: 10.1126/science.1151861.

(Timothy Searchinger is from Princeton University, New Jersey, USA).

LSE Dissertation Topic

I have finally chosen my research focus for my dissertation:
"The Political Economy of Biofuels: A Pan-American Energy and Innovation Systems Perspective".

Mainly I'm using this blog to compile resources on biofuels, studies, interviews, and share them with the public.