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Can Biofuels be a Solution to Climate Change? The Implications of Land Use Change Related Emissions for Policy

2015
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Release : 2015
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Book Synopsis Can Biofuels be a Solution to Climate Change? The Implications of Land Use Change Related Emissions for Policy by : Madhu Khanna

Download or read book Can Biofuels be a Solution to Climate Change? The Implications of Land Use Change Related Emissions for Policy written by Madhu Khanna. This book was released on 2015. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Biofuels have gained increasing attention as an alternative to fossil fuels for several reasons, one of which is their potential to reduce the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the transportation sector. Recent studies have questioned the validity of claims about the potential for biofuels to reduce GHG emissions relative to the liquid fossil fuels they are replacing when emissions due to direct and indirect land use changes (ILUCs) that accompany biofuels are included in the life-cycle GHG intensity of biofuels. Studies estimate that the GHG emissions released from ILUC could more than offset the direct GHG savings by producing biofuels and replacing liquid fossil fuels and create a “carbon debt” with a long payback period. The estimates of this payback period, however, vary widely across biofuels from different feedstocks and even for a single biofuel across different modeling assumptions. In the case of corn ethanol, this payback period is found to range from 15 to 200 years. We discuss the challenges in estimating the ILUC effect of a biofuel and differences across biofuels, and its sensitivity to the assumptions and policy scenarios considered by different economic models. We also discuss the implications of ILUC for designing policies that promote biofuels and seek to reduce GHG emissions. In a first best setting, a global carbon tax is needed to set both direct and indirect land use change emissions to their optimal levels. However, it is unclear whether unilateral GHG mitigation policies, even if they penalize the ILUC related emissions, would increase social welfare and lead to optimal emission levels. In the absence of a global carbon tax, incentivizing sustainable land use practices through certification standards, government regulations and market-based pressures may be a viable option for reducing ILUC.

Bioenergy and Land Use Change

2017-11-06 Science
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Release : 2017-11-06
Genre : Science
Kind : eBook
Book Rating : 354/5 ( reviews)

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Book Synopsis Bioenergy and Land Use Change by : Zhangcai Qin

Download or read book Bioenergy and Land Use Change written by Zhangcai Qin. This book was released on 2017-11-06. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Although bioenergy is a renewable energy source, it is not without impact on the environment. Both the cultivation of crops specifically for use as biofuels and the use of agricultural byproducts to generate energy changes the landscape, affects ecosystems, and impacts the climate. Bioenergy and Land Use Change focuses on regional and global assessments of land use change related to bioenergy and the environmental impacts. This interdisciplinary volume provides both high level reviews and in-depth analyses on specific topics. Volume highlights include: Land use change concepts, economics, and modeling Relationships between bioenergy and land use change Impacts on soil carbon, soil health, water quality, and the hydrologic cycle Impacts on natural capital and ecosystem services Effects of bioenergy on direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions Biogeochemical and biogeophysical climate regulation Uncertainties and challenges associated with land use change quantification and environmental impact assessments Bioenergy and Land Use Change is a valuable resource for professionals, researchers, and graduate students from a wide variety of fields including energy, economics, ecology, geography, agricultural science, geoscience, and environmental science. Read an interview with the editors to find out more: https://eos.org/editors-vox/bioenergys-impacts-on-the-landscape

Biofuels and Sustainability

2018-07-13 Science
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Release : 2018-07-13
Genre : Science
Kind : eBook
Book Rating : 955/5 ( reviews)

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Book Synopsis Biofuels and Sustainability by : Kazuhiko Takeuchi

Download or read book Biofuels and Sustainability written by Kazuhiko Takeuchi. This book was released on 2018-07-13. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This open access book presents a comprehensive analysis of biofuel use strategies from an interdisciplinary perspective using sustainability science. This interdisciplinary perspective (social science-natural science) means that the strategies and policy options proposed will have significant impacts on the economy and society alike. Biofuels are expected to contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, revitalizing economies in agricultural communities and alleviating poverty. However, despite these anticipated benefits, international organizations such as the FAO, OECD and UN have published reports expressing concerns that biofuel promotion may lead to deforestation, water pollution and water shortages. The impacts of biofuel use are extensive, cross-sectoral and complex, and as such, comprehensive analyses are required in order to assess the extent to which biofuels can contribute to sustainable societies. Applying interdisciplinary sustainability science concepts and methodologies, the book helps to enhance the establishment of a sustainable society as well as the development of appropriate responses to a global need for urgent action on current issues related to biofuels.

Economic Analysis of Land Use in Global Climate Change Policy

2009-05-07 Business & Economics
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Release : 2009-05-07
Genre : Business & Economics
Kind : eBook
Book Rating : 832/5 ( reviews)

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Book Synopsis Economic Analysis of Land Use in Global Climate Change Policy by : Thomas W. Hertel

Download or read book Economic Analysis of Land Use in Global Climate Change Policy written by Thomas W. Hertel. This book was released on 2009-05-07. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Land has long been overlooked in economics. That is now changing. A substantial part of the solution to the climate crisis may lie in growing crops for fuel and using trees for storing carbon. This book investigates the potential of these options to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, estimates the costs to the economy, and analyses the trade-offs with growing food. The first part presents new databases that are necessary to underpin policy-relevant research in the field of climate change while describing and critically assessing the underlying data, the methodologies used, and the first applications. Together, the new data and the extended models allow for a thorough and comprehensive analysis of a land use and climate policy. This book outlines key empirical and analytical issues associated with modelling land use and land use change in the context of global climate change policy. It places special emphasis on the economy-wide competition for land and other resources, especially; The implications of changes in land use for the cost of climate change mitigation, Land use change as a result of mitigation, and Feedback from changes in the global climate to land use. By offering synthesis and evaluation of a variety of different approaches to this challenging field of research, this book will serve as a key reference for future work in the economic analysis of land use and climate change policy.

Land Use and Greenhouse Gas Implications of Biofuels

2015
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Release : 2015
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Book Synopsis Land Use and Greenhouse Gas Implications of Biofuels by : Xiaoguang Chen

Download or read book Land Use and Greenhouse Gas Implications of Biofuels written by Xiaoguang Chen. This book was released on 2015. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This paper examines the changes in land use in the U.S. likely to be induced by biofuel and climate policies and the implications of these policies for GHG emissions over the 2007-2022 period. The policies considered here include a modified Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) by itself as well as combined with a cellulosic biofuel tax credit or a carbon price policy. We use a dynamic, spatial, multi-market equilibrium model, Biofuel and Environmental Policy Analysis Model (BEPAM), to endogenously determine the effects of these policies on cropland allocation, food and fuel prices, and the mix of first- and second-generation biofuels. We find that the RFS could be met by diverting 6% of cropland for biofuel production and would result in corn prices increasing by 16% in 2002 relative to the business-as-usual baseline. The reduction in GHG emissions in the U.S. due to the RFS is about 2%; these domestic GHG savings can be severely eroded by emissions due to indirect land use changes and the increase in gasoline consumption in the rest of the world. Supplementing the RFS with a carbon price policy or a cellulosic biofuel tax credit induces a switch away from corn ethanol to cellulosic biofuels and achieves the mandated level of biofuel production with a smaller adverse impact on crop prices. These supplementary policies enhance the GHG savings achieved by the RFS alone, although through different mechanisms; greater production of cellulosic biofuels with the tax credit but larger reduction in fossil fuel consumption with a carbon tax.

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