EPA Will Review Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Biofuels

As part of the Renewable Fuels Standard, EPA will attempt to determine the global warming pollution associated with fuel from plants














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Changing land: The EPA will take a broad look at the effects of biofuels -- from the ground up. Image: FLICKR/MATTDENTE

U.S. EPA officials writing rules for implementing the expanded national biofuels mandate said yesterday that they are open to changing methods for measuring biofuels' greenhouse gas emissions and plan to seek outside review of the matter.

But the agency has not bowed to industry pressure to withhold language on a key issue: measuring the emissions from "indirect" land-use changes stemming from increased cultivation of crops used in fuel production.

The 2007 energy law expanded the national renewable fuels standard to 36 billion gallons by 2022 and requires that growing volumes—ultimately reaching 21 billion gallons—come from next-generation biofuels such as cellulosic ethanol.

The rule is being reviewed by the White House Office of Management and Budget.

"We believe we are on track for completion of an expedited review," said Paul Argyropoulos, a senior policy adviser with EPA's Office of Transportation and Air Quality. "Unless there are some really sticky issues that I am not aware of to get the proposal out, I would say that we could see a proposal out in the next month."

Argyropoulos spoke at a meeting of a group that advises EPA on agricultural issues and repeatedly committed the agency to a broad review of input that will follow the rule's issuance.

"We need to emphasize that this is a proposal," he said, noting that in some areas the agency will be "co-proposing" options. "It is an opportunity for everyone to chime in on this thing," he said.

The 2007 energy law created the first federal standards for greenhouse gas emissions from biofuels. "Advanced" biofuels must have at least 50 percent lower emissions than conventional fuels, and cellulosic fuels—which reach 16 billion gallons—must be 60 percent lower.

But measuring the sum of the greenhouse gases relating to the lifecycle of fuels feedstock production and harvesting, refining biofuels and using them is a complex and evolving field.

Vincent Camobreco, another EPA staff member, told the advisory group yesterday that the agency will consult EPA's Science Advisory Board and also seek external peer review on the lifecycle analysis.

In particular, a major controversy erupted last year with the publication of a raft of competing studies on how "indirect" land-use changes affect the emissions levels.

The issue revolves around the extent to which use of land for growing biofuels crops prompts clearing of forests of other land worldwide for food production, thereby releasing substantial amounts of carbon into the atmosphere.


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  1. 1. luciferpriestgmk 04:30 PM 2/24/09

    I am Ghazanfar Khan, Born 4th time in this world. I am Only 900 years old this time I am planning not to die ever again. I have found a computer graphic card about which is 786 trillion years old. Is it a god graphic card? Well science has to find it out first only then we will declare it god ok.


    Whaatt

    I am untruthful?
    I am not reasonable?

    87 years ago I found X58 Mobo, 200 million years old, actually it is a complete computer system found absolutely intact. Everything works perfectly and faster then any other computer because this X58 Mobo is equipped with Core i7 965 clocked at 3.2 Giga Hertz, 2000 Mhz DDR 3 Ram with very tight timings. A 2 Giga Byte DDR 5 Memory handled Graphic Card, 8 Channel Sound Card and each and everything necessary for massive computing.

    Yes believe me it is a miracle that it came to existence because all the material was available on earth even before that period. I am a scientist. Science says that if a frog is turned into a prince with a kiss then its not true but if a frog turns into human in million years then it is science. Evolutionary Science to be exact. It evolved and each and everything took the best possible shape to support each other and work in perfect harmony. It evolved because of time.

    I had some Nitrogen Oxide in hand so I decided to overclock the computer and this rig fro 3.2 Gigz to 6.5 Giga Hertz. Everything was working fine then I thought that I would require a good Graphical User Interface in order to take full advantage of power hungry beast. I looked at Darwin’s evolution and man they never let you down they just handed me over full functional copy of Windows 7 though Microsoft is in the development process of it but evolution said nothing is required, no work is required, leave those thousands of idiots working in Microsoft and develop one software in many years. We evolutionists are here; have your copy of Windows 7 With Service Pack 4 pre installed and enjoyyy.

    I am absolutely lucky that I have got such a great mechanism without the need of anything and knowledge because evolutions theories were helping me. I deny that the processor was made to work at 3.2 Giga Hertz. It was I who took it from 3.2 to 6.5 Gigz. Nothing in between it. There is absolutely no, no and no requirement of sense, knowledge, fabrication process, computer languages and other things associated with it.

    Conclusion: It is declared by me and evolutionsts no AMD and no Intel required. computer is far simpler in design and functions when compared to 50 million different species.

    Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this
  2. 2. luciferpriestgmk 04:31 PM 2/24/09

    Fastest super computer made by human costs around 130 million dollars and is about 500,000 times faster than what we use at home… this super computer houses in area more than 5000 square feet But there is another fact… A honey bee computes 100,000,000,000 times faster than this fastest super computer of human being..

    Evolutionists see the creation of man on this link then cell design , Atom, Immune system, Respiratory System, Brain, Blue Planet Earth, Creation of Universe and other videos…
    http://www.harunyahya.com/en.m_video_index.php

    Allah has told us that not even a single creature or thing is created useless meaning everything has its own purpose of existence. It is the thinking of disbelievers that all of the things and their own life meant no purpose/reason.
    After That research on Quran

    www.QuranEnglish.com hear Translation of Quran (Complete 114 Chapters)

    Quran is accepted as the most difficult book ever to be translated and because it’s the final revelation to human beings so its un-editable as promised by our Creator/Lord. Not a single word has changed in 1400+ years and number of facts stated in the Quran are increasing with the advancement of science. Today 80% of the Quran is proven to be absolutely scientific. The religion spreads peace though human leaves the guidance and becomes enemy to humanity. Spread the only religion in existence and earn the reward in a shape which neither you nor can I imagine…
    Those who ask/pray anyone else other then Allah/Creator of all what we see and what we don’t (The only deity) are wrong doers.

    Quran Chapter No 112
    Say Allah is only one and there is no one beside him.
    Allah requires absolutely nothing. (meaning that Allah is beyond any/all need)
    Allah has no parents and no son or daughter.
    There is no one greater than or equal to Allah by any means.

    Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this
  3. 3. eco-steve 11:07 AM 2/25/09

    Producing ethanol has one major drawback : It still needs fertilisers made from fossil fuels, so it produces CO2 and affects Climate Change. If you must create CO2, then sequester it via Biomass pyrolysis. The technology is there, all that is needed is to scale it up.
    See : www.eprida.com for more details...

    Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this
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