The US biofuel mandate helps farmers, but does little for energy security and harms the environment

If you've been filling up at a gas station in the US for the past decade, you've already put biofuels in your tank. The Federal Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) requires nearly all gasoline sold nationwide to contain 10 percent ethanol—a fuel made from plant sources, mostly corn.

Given the recent surge in oil prices, the biofuel lobby is pushing to raise that target to 15% or higher. Some politicians are now calling for reforms. For example, a bipartisan group of U.S. senators has proposed legislation to remove the corn ethanol portion of the mandate.



Created in the wake of the September 11, 2001, attacks, the RFS promises to improve energy security, reduce carbon emissions, and increase incomes in rural America. The program did make some agribusiness profitable, but in my opinion, it didn't deliver on other promises. In fact, research by some scientists, myself included, has shown that, to date, the use of biofuels has increased rather than decreased carbon dioxide emissions.

 Current laws plan to produce and use 36 billion gallons of biofuels by 2022, as part of the roughly 200 billion gallons of fuel that U.S. cars burn each year. As of 2019, drivers are using just 20 billion gallons of renewable fuels a year—mostly corn ethanol and soy biodiesel. Consumption fell in 2020 due to the pandemic, as did most energy use. While the 2021 tally isn't complete, the plan is still a long way from its 36 billion gallon goal.I believe it is time to repeal RFS, or at least severely restrict it.


Comments

  1. adri y di19 May 2022 at 00:58

    The news is good, brief, summarized and the photo gives joy to the blog-Diana

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  2. Manolito Perez Quesadilla Fernandez Quesada20 May 2022 at 01:00

    If I were the RFS, I would restrict the number of gallons used a little, since in the last year it has increased by 16 million gallons and it is very bad because it produces pollution apart from the fact that it removes fuel. And all this improving security and reducing carbon emissions happened after the 2001 attacks. Alvaro.R

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  3. Cultura Científica J and A20 May 2022 at 01:06

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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  4. Cultura Científica J and A20 May 2022 at 01:06

    In my opinion this is a good example of the fact that biofuel is not always good for the environment, as it also pollutes the atmosphere, however, it is good that it helps the farmers, as they are very important because they produce our food.
    Jaime González

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  5. carbon_fibers20 May 2022 at 10:43

    What the rfs said, in my opinion, seems to me a very good idea but not fulfilling it... In addition, the plan that the US has on the amount of 36 trillion gallons is a good idea to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide and thus cotrolar the amount of corons of biofuels that are used.- Alejandro Largo

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