TESTIMONY OF JONATHAN LEWIS STAFF ATTORNEY AND CLIMATE POLICY COORDINATOR CLEAN AIR TASK FORCE BEFORE THE MASSACHUSETTS ADVANCED BIOFUELS TASK FORCE

The testimony argues that broad biofuel mandates, such as those implemented by the European Union, can inadvertently accelerate global warming by driving deforestation and land-use changes to meet feedstock demand. The author warns that using farmland for energy crops displaces food production, leading to the conversion of carbon sinks like forests and wetlands. To avoid these outcomes, the Clean Air Task Force recommends that Massachusetts slow the rush toward broad mandates, develop comprehensive life-cycle analysis tools that account for indirect land-use effects, and prioritize 'niche' feedstocks that do not require substantial farmland, specifically algae, biomass waste, and other waste products.

• The European Union's Biofuel Directive led to increased demand for biodiesel feedstocks, which encouraged the conversion of millions of hectares of forest in Indonesia and Malaysia into palm oil plantations, significantly increasing Indonesia's national greenhouse gas emissions.
• Biofuel mandates that promote energy crops grown on farmland otherwise used for food or feed cause indirect land-use changes; because food must be grown elsewhere in a globalized market, this results in the conversion of forests, wetlands, and grasslands, creating carbon losses that outweigh the annual climate benefits of the biofuels.
• Current 'life-cycle' analyses used by policymakers are insufficient because they often ignore or barely consider critical factors such as the nitrogen cycle, CO2-equivalency factors, land use changes, and market-driven indirect effects.

APA

Lewis, J. (2008). TESTIMONY OF JONATHAN LEWIS STAFF ATTORNEY AND CLIMATE POLICY COORDINATOR CLEAN AIR TASK FORCE BEFORE THE MASSACHUSETTS ADVANCED BIOFUELS TASK FORCE. Clean Air Task Force. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/21093319/20080117_JFL_Testimony_to_MA_ABTF-1.pdf

Chicago

Lewis, Jonathan. TESTIMONY OF JONATHAN LEWIS STAFF ATTORNEY AND CLIMATE POLICY COORDINATOR CLEAN AIR TASK FORCE BEFORE THE MASSACHUSETTS ADVANCED BIOFUELS TASK FORCE. Clean Air Task Force, 2008. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/21093319/20080117_JFL_Testimony_to_MA_ABTF-1.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Lewis |first1=Jonathan |title=TESTIMONY OF JONATHAN LEWIS STAFF ATTORNEY AND CLIMATE POLICY COORDINATOR CLEAN AIR TASK FORCE BEFORE THE MASSACHUSETTS ADVANCED BIOFUELS TASK FORCE |publisher=Clean Air Task Force |date=17 January 2008 |url=https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/21093319/20080117_JFL_Testimony_to_MA_ABTF-1.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{lewis2008testimony, author = {Lewis, Jonathan}, title = {{TESTIMONY OF JONATHAN LEWIS STAFF ATTORNEY AND CLIMATE POLICY COORDINATOR CLEAN AIR TASK FORCE BEFORE THE MASSACHUSETTS ADVANCED BIOFUELS TASK FORCE}}, publisher = {Clean Air Task Force}, year = {2008}, month = jan, url = {https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/21093319/20080117_JFL_Testimony_to_MA_ABTF-1.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }