Emissions Modeling Researcher to Speak at Ethanol Board Meeting
Dr. Ken Cassman of Univesity of Nebraska-Lincoln, is now scheduled to make a special presentation at the Nebraska Ethanol Board meeting on March 6. Dr. Cassman is the co-author of a study that found that corn ethanol reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 51 percent compared to gasoline.
The study, published in the Journal of Industrial Ecology, found that the emissions created during the production and use of ethanol—lifecycle emissions—are lower than the lifecycle emissions of gasoline. Cassman said that this was partly because ethanol production has recently become more efficient than ever before, while previous studies had relied on outdated data.
“Increased efficiency in ethanol production combined with better agricultural practices mean that ethanol production yields a higher net energy gain and lower emissions than we previously thought,” Cassman said.
Cassman will summarize his research and the process of developing an emissions modeling system during his presentation at the Nebraska Ethanol Board meeting on Friday, March 6 at 8:30 am. The meeting will be held at Hampton Inn South, 5922 Vandervoort Drive, in Lincoln.
2 Comments »
scott
Mr Cassman:
Did you do any lifecycle emission testing for biodiesel? Alot of farmers can (or might be already) using it for fuel, rather than Alcohol flexfor tractors. Do the heat emissions from either fuel have signifigant differences that effect global warming?
Ken Cassman
We have not performed similar LCA studies on biodiesel because there has not been research funding support to do so. We would expect large differences in GHG emissions between biodiesel from soybean versus ethanol from corn due to the differences in input and energy requirements to produce the two crops, and in the conversion to biofuel.
Ken Cassman
Kenneth G. Cassman
Director, Nebraska Center for Energy Science Research, and
Heuermann Professor of Agronomy
University of Nebraska, Lincoln
phone: 402-472-3852 (Energy Center)
http://www.ncesr.unl.edu
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