Energy Gains And Environmental Impacts Of Corn Ethanol And Soybean Biodiesel

Study to be published in the July 11 Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - Abstract

SOURCE: University of Minnesota

"Quantifying the
benefits and costs of biofuels throughout their life cycles allows us
not only to make sound choices today but also to identify better
biofuels for the future," said Jason Hill, a postdoctoral researcher in
the department of ecology, evolution, and behavior and the department
of applied economics and lead author of the study.

Soybean biodiesel
returns 93 percent more energy than is used to produce it, while corn
grain ethanol currently provides only 25 percent more energy.

Soybean biodiesel
produces 41 percent less greenhouse gas emissions than diesel fuel
whereas corn grain ethanol produces 12 percent less greenhouse gas
emissions than gasoline. Soybeans have another environmental advantage
over corn because they require much less nitrogen fertilizer and
pesticides, which get into groundwater, streams, rivers and oceans.