Unintended Environmental Consequences of a Global Biofuels Program
Abstract and PDF report are also available on the MIT Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change website (http://globalchange.mit.edu/).
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Language: | en_US |
| Published: |
MIT Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change
2009
|
| Online Access: | http://globalchange.mit.edu/pubs/abstract.php?publication_id=989 http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/44626 |
| _version_ | 1826217028165304320 |
|---|---|
| author | Melillo, Jerry M. Gurgel, Angelo C. Kicklighter, David W. Reilly, John M. Cronin, Timothy W. Felzer, Benjamin Seth. Paltsev, Sergey Schlosser, C. Adam. Sokolov, Andrei P. Wang, Xiaodong |
| author_facet | Melillo, Jerry M. Gurgel, Angelo C. Kicklighter, David W. Reilly, John M. Cronin, Timothy W. Felzer, Benjamin Seth. Paltsev, Sergey Schlosser, C. Adam. Sokolov, Andrei P. Wang, Xiaodong |
| author_sort | Melillo, Jerry M. |
| collection | MIT |
| description | Abstract and PDF report are also available on the MIT Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change website (http://globalchange.mit.edu/). |
| first_indexed | 2024-09-23T16:56:54Z |
| id | mit-1721.1/44626 |
| institution | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| language | en_US |
| last_indexed | 2024-09-23T16:56:54Z |
| publishDate | 2009 |
| publisher | MIT Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | mit-1721.1/446262019-04-11T02:09:52Z Unintended Environmental Consequences of a Global Biofuels Program Melillo, Jerry M. Gurgel, Angelo C. Kicklighter, David W. Reilly, John M. Cronin, Timothy W. Felzer, Benjamin Seth. Paltsev, Sergey Schlosser, C. Adam. Sokolov, Andrei P. Wang, Xiaodong Abstract and PDF report are also available on the MIT Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change website (http://globalchange.mit.edu/). Biofuels are being promoted as an important part of the global energy mix to meet the climate change challenge. The environmental costs of biofuels produced with current technologies at small scales have been studied, but little research has been done on the consequences of an aggressive global biofuels program with advanced technologies using cellulosic feedstocks. Here, with simulation modeling, we explore two scenarios for cellulosic biofuels production and find that both could contribute substantially to future global-scale energy needs, but with significant unintended environmental consequences. As the land supply is squeezed to make way for vast areas of biofuels crops, the global landscape is defined by either the clearing of large swathes of natural forest, or the intensification of agricultural operations worldwide. The greenhouse gas implications of land-use conversion differ substantially between the two scenarios, but in both, numerous biodiversity hotspots suffer from serious habitat loss. Cellulosic biofuels may yet serve as a crucial wedge in the solution to the climate change problem, but must be deployed with caution so as not to jeopardize biodiversity, compromise ecosystems services, or undermine climate policy. This study received funding from the MIT Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change, which is supported by a onsortium of government, industry and foundation sponsors. 2009-02-23T17:52:30Z 2009-02-23T17:52:30Z 2009-01 http://globalchange.mit.edu/pubs/abstract.php?publication_id=989 http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/44626 Report no. 168 en_US ;Report no. 168 application/pdf MIT Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change |
| spellingShingle | Melillo, Jerry M. Gurgel, Angelo C. Kicklighter, David W. Reilly, John M. Cronin, Timothy W. Felzer, Benjamin Seth. Paltsev, Sergey Schlosser, C. Adam. Sokolov, Andrei P. Wang, Xiaodong Unintended Environmental Consequences of a Global Biofuels Program |
| title | Unintended Environmental Consequences of a Global Biofuels Program |
| title_full | Unintended Environmental Consequences of a Global Biofuels Program |
| title_fullStr | Unintended Environmental Consequences of a Global Biofuels Program |
| title_full_unstemmed | Unintended Environmental Consequences of a Global Biofuels Program |
| title_short | Unintended Environmental Consequences of a Global Biofuels Program |
| title_sort | unintended environmental consequences of a global biofuels program |
| url | http://globalchange.mit.edu/pubs/abstract.php?publication_id=989 http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/44626 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT melillojerrym unintendedenvironmentalconsequencesofaglobalbiofuelsprogram AT gurgelangeloc unintendedenvironmentalconsequencesofaglobalbiofuelsprogram AT kicklighterdavidw unintendedenvironmentalconsequencesofaglobalbiofuelsprogram AT reillyjohnm unintendedenvironmentalconsequencesofaglobalbiofuelsprogram AT cronintimothyw unintendedenvironmentalconsequencesofaglobalbiofuelsprogram AT felzerbenjaminseth unintendedenvironmentalconsequencesofaglobalbiofuelsprogram AT paltsevsergey unintendedenvironmentalconsequencesofaglobalbiofuelsprogram AT schlossercadam unintendedenvironmentalconsequencesofaglobalbiofuelsprogram AT sokolovandreip unintendedenvironmentalconsequencesofaglobalbiofuelsprogram AT wangxiaodong unintendedenvironmentalconsequencesofaglobalbiofuelsprogram |