Set-asides can be better climate investment than corn ethanol
2009
Studies have shown that corn ethanol reduces greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by displacing fossil fuel use. However, land-use history affects the net carbon balance through changes in soil carbon content: depending on prior land use, analysis shows that carbon (C) releases from the soil after planting corn for ethanol may completely offset carbon gains attributed to biofuel generation for at least 50 years. More surprisingly, based on a comprehensive analysis of 142 soil studies, soil carbon sequestered by setting aside former agricultural land was greater than the C credits generated by planting corn for ethanol and had equal or greater economic net present value.
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