Iowa’s Ethanol Plants Create 15 Percent of its Emissions

The Des Moines Register reported the other day that Iowa’s ethanol plants contribute 15 Percent — 7.6 million metric tons out of a total of 52 million metric tons — of greenhouse-gas emissions found in the state’s new inventory of major manufacturers, businesses and power plants.

Iowa’s Department of Natural Resources found that the largest portion of the state’s overall emissions came from fermenting grain at the plants and not from burning natural gas or coal. In addition, burning biomass such as switchgrass at various industrial plants added another 0.13 million metric tons.

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The emissions generated by ethanol production are one reason why some environmentalists downplay the benefit of renewable fuels, while others insist they are far more beneficial than burning fossil fuels.

It may be getting worse. As Global Warming brings more rain to the corn belt, it affords farmers the opportunity to grow even more corn, something the farmers are looking forward to.

Under four different scenarios of climate change, which vary by projected temperature increases, yields in Iowa and the rest of the Corn Belt could increase anywhere from 5 percent to 19 percent by 2030. With adaptations by farmers, yields could rise by even more, 6 percent to 23 percent.

Adapting to climate change also will mean figuring out ways to combat expected increases in diseases and pests that are expected to flourish in the warmer, more moist conditions. In temperate climates such as Iowa’s, scientists say global warming is likely to mean more flooding like the deluge this spring that devastated corn and soybean crops.

With more carbon dioxide in the air, weeds are expected to be hardier and grow faster. USDA research has found that at least one major weed, the Canada thistle, could become immune to Roundup weed killer, which is used throughout agriculture and on the vast majority of soybean fields.

If reliance on foreign oil isn’t bad enough, this could leave us at the mercy of genetically modified seed companies, who patent and sell the next years disease resistant fuel crop.

Source: Desmoines Register

Photo courtesy of Sroemerm via Creative Commons License

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