There’s a lot of enthusiasm right now around ethanol as a potential solution to our oil addiction. Not everyone shares that enthusiasm, though. Margot Gerritsen speaks with UC Berkeley Professor Tad Patzek for a different perspective. Patzek is certain that corn ethanol and/or cellulosic ethanol (produced by specialized biomass crops) is not the silver bullet that so many people – from NGOs to government agencies – believe it to be. He says that, contrary to popular belief, it won’t secure energy security, it won’t lead to significantly lower carbon emissions, and it will negatively affect our water and food security, all the while harming our environment.

Photo Credit: Seth Anderson via Creative Commons

Tags: carbon emissions, energy security, ethanol, Margot Gerritsen
 
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