Fueling a Clean Transportation Future

The document analyzes the evolution of ethanol use in the U.S., noting that while E10 blends have reduced oil dependence, corn-based ethanol causes significant environmental damage and can spike global food prices. It argues for a shift toward advanced biofuels derived from wastes, agricultural residues, and perennial crops to lower lifecycle emissions and protect biodiversity. The report forecasts that by 2050, emissions from biorefineries, agriculture, and land use can be substantially reduced through technological optimization and smarter crop choices.

• Ethanol is primarily used in the U.S. as a high-octane additive in gasoline, with the 10 percent blend (E10) becoming the standard for most gasoline sold in the country by 2010.
• The rapid expansion of corn ethanol production between 2005 and 2010 contributed to a global spike in food prices, which disproportionately affected people living in extreme poverty who rely heavily on cereal grains.
• Corn-based ethanol production in the U.S. causes direct environmental degradation, including increased soil erosion, water pollution in the Midwest and Gulf of Mexico, and the loss of grassland habitats in states like North and South Dakota.
• Indirect land use change (ILUC) occurs when U.S. corn is diverted to fuel, prompting other countries—such as Indonesia—to expand agricultural production into tropical forests, which releases stored carbon and undermines the climate benefits of biofuels.
• Advanced biofuels from non-food sources, such as agricultural residues (corn stover) and perennial grasses, offer a more sustainable alternative; perennial crops could potentially provide 400 million tons of low-carbon biomass per year by 2030.
• The report projects that by 2050, lifecycle emissions from biofuels can be significantly reduced: biorefinery emissions could average 0.5 ton per 25 mpg car, and emissions from agriculture and land use could each be cut by half.

APA

Union of Concerned Scientists (2016). Fueling a Clean Transportation Future. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2017/02/Fueling-Clean-Transportation-Future-Biofuels.pdf

Chicago

Union of Concerned Scientists. Fueling a Clean Transportation Future. 2016. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2017/02/Fueling-Clean-Transportation-Future-Biofuels.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Union of Concerned Scientists |title=Fueling a Clean Transportation Future |date=February 2016 |url=https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2017/02/Fueling-Clean-Transportation-Future-Biofuels.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{unionofconcernedscientists2016fueling, author = {{Union of Concerned Scientists}}, title = {{Fueling a Clean Transportation Future}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2016}, month = feb, url = {https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2017/02/Fueling-Clean-Transportation-Future-Biofuels.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }