Scientists remain divided about ethanol’s alleged effects on land use, but POET Senior Vice President of Science & Technology Mark Stowers says he and 29 other members of a new California workgroup share a common goal: “to reduce our dependency on fossil fuels.”
In a video interview available today on POET TV, Stowers talks about the expert workgroup formed by the California Air Resources Board, charged with “refining and improving the land use and indirect effect analysis of transportation fuels.” That includes studying Indirect Land Use Change theory, which presumes that a farmer’s decision in Iowa to sell corn to an ethanol plant prompts (via six degrees of separation) another farmer in South America to tear down rainforest to plant soybeans.The group first met on Feb. 26 in Sacramento to begin work reviewing the models and measurements for land use emissions, land use change, greenhouse gas emissions, and more.
Stowers said their work won’t be dedicated to ethanol alone. The group will seek to find consistent models so the effects of many fuels can be better compared.
“That’s one of the important outcomes of this group, to actually look at the indirect effects of all fuels, look at the models and science behind them, and make sure that we have good science driving policy and not policy driving some economic opportunity that’s outside the scope of the group.”
It will be a challenge, Stowers said, given the wide range of opinions on issues, Indirect Land Use Change theory in particular.
“We have 30 scientists representing very diverse backgrounds, and we can’t agree on this as a science-based policy driver,” he said.
The next meeting is April 8. The workgroup will report to the board in December.
Visit POET TV and check back here for more updates as the group continues its work throughout the year.
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