BioFuels Journal

Washington, DC—Growth Energy, the coalition of U.S. ethanol supporters, issued the following statement in response to a recent BioScience report on corn ethanol, which rests its conclusion on still-disputed scientific theory on international indirect land use change.

The report suggests that the releases of green house gases from indirect land-use change (ILUC) cancel out the benefits of corn ethanol’s low-carbon qualities, thereby limiting its potential contribution in the context of California's Low Carbon Fuel Standard.

However, Growth Energy leaders were quick to point out that the science behind ILUC is far from certain.

“The truth is, indirect land use is a heavily disputed theory in the scientific community that has yet to be proven,” said Growth Energy CEO Tom Buis.

“The theory of ILUC employs no empirical evidence and it is unfair to single out one industry – corn ethanol – as the culprit behind poor environmental practices in other countries.

“Even when ILUC is included in lifecycle analysis for corn ethanol, the Environmental Protection Agency qualifies it as a low carbon fuel that is 20 percent cleaner than gasoline.

"Excluding ILUC, ethanol from corn is 59% percent cleaner and can play a significant role in cleaning the air, creating U.S. jobs and securing our national and economic defense.

“Reducing carbon emissions is an admirable goal for any state, but policy decisions should be based on science and facts, not rigid ideology or speculative models.

"As the authors of the report rightly acknowledge, the concept of ILUC is largely “uncertain and clearly requires additional analysis.”

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• Growth Energy

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