Low-Carbon Futures for Bioethylene in the United States
The manufacture of the chemical ethylene, a key ingredient in plastics, currently depends on fossil-fuel-derived carbon and generates significant greenhouse gas emissions. Substituting ethylene’s fossil fuel feedstock with alternatives is important for addressing the challenge of global cl...
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2019-05-01
|
| Series: | Energies |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/12/10/1958 |
| _version_ | 1811184356887101440 |
|---|---|
| author | Gillian Foster |
| author_facet | Gillian Foster |
| author_sort | Gillian Foster |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The manufacture of the chemical ethylene, a key ingredient in plastics, currently depends on fossil-fuel-derived carbon and generates significant greenhouse gas emissions. Substituting ethylene’s fossil fuel feedstock with alternatives is important for addressing the challenge of global climate change. This paper compares four scenarios for meeting future ethylene supply under differing societal approaches to climate change based on the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways. The four scenarios use four perspectives: (1) a sustainability-focused pathway that demands a swift transition to a bioeconomy within 30 years; (2) a regional energy-focused pathway that supports broad biomass use; (3) a fossil-fuel development pathway limited to corn grain; and (4) a fossil-fuel development pathway limited to corn grain and corn stover. Each scenario is developed using the latest scientifically informed future feedstock analyses from the 2016 Billion-Ton report interpreted with perspectives on the future of biomass from recent literature. The intent of this research is to examine how social, economic, and ecological changes determining ethylene supply fit within biophysical boundaries. This new approach to the ethylene feedstocks conundrum finds that phasing out fossil fuels as the main source of U.S. ethylene is possible if current cellulosic ethanol production expands. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T13:11:59Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-dc28cb6381b24226aa09f555e3f36c39 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1996-1073 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T13:11:59Z |
| publishDate | 2019-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Energies |
| spelling | doaj.art-dc28cb6381b24226aa09f555e3f36c392022-12-22T04:22:34ZengMDPI AGEnergies1996-10732019-05-011210195810.3390/en12101958en12101958Low-Carbon Futures for Bioethylene in the United StatesGillian Foster0Institute for Ecological Economics, Department of Socioeconomics, Vienna University of Economics and Business, Welthandelsplatz 1, 1020 Vienna, AustriaThe manufacture of the chemical ethylene, a key ingredient in plastics, currently depends on fossil-fuel-derived carbon and generates significant greenhouse gas emissions. Substituting ethylene’s fossil fuel feedstock with alternatives is important for addressing the challenge of global climate change. This paper compares four scenarios for meeting future ethylene supply under differing societal approaches to climate change based on the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways. The four scenarios use four perspectives: (1) a sustainability-focused pathway that demands a swift transition to a bioeconomy within 30 years; (2) a regional energy-focused pathway that supports broad biomass use; (3) a fossil-fuel development pathway limited to corn grain; and (4) a fossil-fuel development pathway limited to corn grain and corn stover. Each scenario is developed using the latest scientifically informed future feedstock analyses from the 2016 Billion-Ton report interpreted with perspectives on the future of biomass from recent literature. The intent of this research is to examine how social, economic, and ecological changes determining ethylene supply fit within biophysical boundaries. This new approach to the ethylene feedstocks conundrum finds that phasing out fossil fuels as the main source of U.S. ethylene is possible if current cellulosic ethanol production expands.https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/12/10/1958ethylenebioeconomysustainable biomasssocio-economic scenariosclimate change |
| spellingShingle | Gillian Foster Low-Carbon Futures for Bioethylene in the United States Energies ethylene bioeconomy sustainable biomass socio-economic scenarios climate change |
| title | Low-Carbon Futures for Bioethylene in the United States |
| title_full | Low-Carbon Futures for Bioethylene in the United States |
| title_fullStr | Low-Carbon Futures for Bioethylene in the United States |
| title_full_unstemmed | Low-Carbon Futures for Bioethylene in the United States |
| title_short | Low-Carbon Futures for Bioethylene in the United States |
| title_sort | low carbon futures for bioethylene in the united states |
| topic | ethylene bioeconomy sustainable biomass socio-economic scenarios climate change |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/12/10/1958 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT gillianfoster lowcarbonfuturesforbioethyleneintheunitedstates |