Lessons from Ethanol: Why Corn Isn’t the Sustainable Fossil Fuel Substitute We Think It Is
Posted By on Oct 28th 2024
Ethanol, the fuel that’s made from corn, has been touted as a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels.
On the surface, it might seem more eco-friendly than oil; fossil fuels are nonrenewable, corn can be replaced, and ethanol burns more cleanly than gasoline. However, when you dig more deeply, it’s not so simple.
Although it is better to seek renewable resources over nonrenewables, we need to consider more than the renewability of a resource when determining its sustainability. Everything has an impact, and although corn is renewable, its production and processing into ethanol carries a significant carbon footprint, destroys forests and grasslands, and diverts from food production.
All of these factors lead to questions as to whether ethanol is the sustainable solution it promises to be.
The Quest for Renewables
Congress passed a law in 2005 requiring oil companies to blend renewable fuels—produced by converting biological material (biomass) into ethanol, biodiesel, or other liquid fuels—into vehicle fuels. Two years later, the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) further increased the biofuels required to be blended into gasoline. Known as the Renewable Fuel Standard, the legislation required that annual biofuel use increase from 9 billion gallons in 2008 to 36 billion gallons in 2022. The final rule continues to expand RFS requirements into 2025.
Transportation accounts for 28 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. It makes sense that the government would look for ways to curb these emissions and reduce our dependence on foreign energy sources. Unfortunately, experts have found through many studies that corn's proliferation for biofuels has resulted in more greenhouse gas emissions than would have been generated otherwise.
The Problem with Ethanol
Let’s look at the problematic factors in ethanol production and why we should be concerned.
Land Use
A study examining the impact of RFS on cropland expansion into grasslands found that, between 2008 and 2012, the land was significantly transformed. According to the WWF, 1.6 million acres of grassland was converted into corn cropland. While RFS explicitly prohibits land conversion to produce corn for ethanol, no regulatory body has actively monitored these issues.
Of course, this is a nuanced problem, and those who support ethanol production say there is a solution. If farmers displaced meat production with corn production rather than removing forests and grasslands, it could help alleviate the carbon emissions of the meat industry while protecting important carbon sinks. However, this solution is not currently being implemented in a way that makes a difference.
GHG Emissions
This study found that GHG emissions from US agriculture increased due to the Renewable Fuel Standard. Greater demand for corn led to farmers applying more fertilizers, diminishing crop diversity, and expanding cropland, all of which can create higher emissions.
The study also concluded that this is only the beginning, and there are further emissions considerations.
Firstly, an increased need for corn production leads to an expansion of fertilizer production, which carries high emissions.
Secondly, converting grasslands and forests, which are natural carbon sinks, into cropland results in less carbon getting removed from the atmosphere.
The study notes a potential rise in fossil fuel consumption due to the improved fuel supply as a final emissions concern.
Efficiency
It takes a lot of land to produce a small amount of ethanol.
According to the World Resource Institute, just 10 percent of the world’s liquid transportation fuel in 2050 would require nearly 30 percent of all of the energy generated by our world’s current levels of crops. This precludes biofuels from entirely replacing fossil fuels.
At best, ethanol can serve as a supplement as we explore better options for our planet.
Pollution
The chemical fertilizers used on corn carry their own problems.
The EPA has stated that “nutrient pollution is one of America’s most widespread, costly and challenging environmental problems, and is caused by excess nitrogen and phosphorus in the air and water.”
When nitrogen and phosphorous flow in excess into our waterways, nutrient pollution occurs, facilitating the growth of algae and bacteria. Most of our excess runoff is from chemical fertilizers used on industrial crops, manures, and discharges from wastewater treatment facilities.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, over 100,000 miles of streams and rivers, 2.5 million acres of lakes and reservoirs, and over 800 square miles of bays in the US alone are negatively affected by fertilizer pollution. These “algae blooms” are disgusting and foul-smelling and have a terrible impact on human health, animal health, and biodiversity.
The US is currently supporting projects to explore greener solutions to the fertilizer problem to make ethanol production cleaner, but this is still in its early stages. Meanwhile, increased corn production for ethanol continues to pollute our waterways at concerning levels.
Ethics
In 2000, ethanol represented 6 percent of our corn production. In 2023, it represented about 38 percent. This is an astonishing amount of crop production diverted away from food for animal or human consumption.
According to the EPA, each billion-gallon expansion in ethanol production yields a 2 - 3 percent increase in corn prices. Because corn is used in food for animals, dyes, adhesives, and medicines, this can have far-reaching effects beyond increased food prices.
Is ethanol bad?
It’s clear that ethanol isn’t the clean alternative to fossil fuels that it promises to be. But is it bad compared to fossil fuels?
Even experts disagree about whether we should continue pursuing biofuels as we currently do. For every article you read about the problems with ethanol, you’ll find another that sings its praises. As with most things, the truth is somewhere in between.
Realistically, if we are to reach the goals set forth by the Paris Agreement, we’ll need various solutions. Every sustainable alternative has pros and cons, and we must diversify our approach. Just like we cannot rely entirely on fossil fuels, we can’t rely completely on biofuels. Sustainability doesn’t have a single solution; it’s a complex issue that requires a multi-pronged solution.
How EcoEnclose approaches ethanol
As EcoEnclose works towards better and more sustainable packaging, we are constantly faced with whether or not to pursue bioplastics. We believe it is essential to learn from the mistakes of Renewable Fuel Standards and the resulting negative consequences of increased corn-based ethanol production.
That’s why we seek alternative solutions for fossil fuel plastics, and prioritize recycled content. We believe that touting bioplastics as a completely sustainable solution can be a form of greenwashing, as they can often trade off one problem for another. Instead, our poly mailers are made of 100% recycled materials, and 50% of those materials are post-consumer plastics diverted from landfills.
Although it’s important to develop alternatives to fossil fuels, we must also develop strategies to address our current plastic waste. By using recycled plastic, we ensure that plastic waste that’s already in circulation remains useful rather than going to a landfill and breaking down into microplastics. The world has enough plastic production, even from a renewable source like corn. We’d rather avoid production entirely and make use of the materials we have.
More on Bioplastics
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About EcoEnclose
EcoEnclose is the leading sustainable packaging company that provides eco-packaging solutions to the world’s most forward-thinking brands.
We develop diverse, sustainable packaging solutions that meet our rigorous research-based standards and customers’ goals. We drive innovative packaging materials to market and consistently improve the circularity of existing solutions.