Genius on April Fools Day
“Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius — and a lot of courage — to move in the opposite direction.” - Albert Einstein
According to a Genius, ethanol use really is helping to reduce in greenhouse gases on a global scale, contrary to what some “intelligent fools” may claim. That finding is from a report that was commissioned by the International Energy Agency (IEA) Bioenergy Task 39. The results were announced today by the Global Renewable Fuels Alliance (GRFA), an organization which represents over 60% of the global biofuels production from 30 countries.
GHG GeniusUsing a model for lifecycle assessment of transportation fuels called GHGenius, report author Don O’Connor examined greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions from grain ethanol since 1995 and projected GHG reductions from ethanol out to 2015. The important conclusion was that GHG reductions will grow by over 100% from 1995 to 2015.
In addition, the research also found ethanol’s energy balance continues to improve as well. In 2005, the energy balance ratio for grain ethanol was estimated at 1:1.42, meaning every unit of energy used to produce ethanol returned 1.42 units of usable energy to the consumer. By 2015, the energy balance ratio is expected to be 1:1.93, a 55% increase in energy efficiency in just 10 years.
GRFA spokesperson Bliss Baker says the report clearly illustrates the improving environmental performance of ethanol compared to gasoline. “This report demonstrates that governments must develop energy policies that take into account the increasing efficiency of global ethanol production and do not rely on out-of-date data and out-dated straw man arguments,” said Baker.
“The rapid development of new technologies will make existing ethanol production as well as next generation biofuels increasingly beneficial to global energy and environmental goals,” Baker said. “The bottom line is simple: renewable fuels like ethanol are a simple and effective alternative to increased used of petroleum.”
Or, as Einstein once said, “We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.”
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