The National Academic Press just released the report “Water Implications of Biofuels Production in the United States“. Citing from the summary:

If projected future increases in use of corn for ethanol production do occur, the increase in harm to water quality could be considerable. In addition, expansion of corn production on fragile soils can increase loads of both nutrients and sediments. It is vitally important to pursue policies that prevent an increase in total loadings of nutrients, pesticides, and sediments to waterways. From a water quantity perspective, measures to conserve water and prevent the unsustainable withdrawal of water from depleted aquifers could be critical.

Plants are not as efficient as you might think in capturing solar energy. Current photovoltaic panels can capture more energy per square meter — quite a bit more in fact — than biomass crops that are being suggested as feedstock for ethanol. This is not a reason to dismiss biomass crops, but with the ever growing competition for land, it should certainly be taken into account when evaluating renewable energy options. Alfred Spormann, a professor in micro-biology at Stanford, explains the conversion process and discusses potential for improvement using genetic engineering.

World corn prices have risen considerably in recent years because of corn ethanol production. If you are poor and rely on cheap corn as your staple food, such price increases are bad news. This is just one example of how energy decisions made in the U.S. or Europe can have unintended consequences for the rest of the world. Dr. Roz Naylor, a well-known agricultural economist, researches the environmental and equity dimensions of intensive food and energy feedstock production. She speaks with Margot Gerritsen about making more globally-aware decisions.