Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering Commons^™

Indirect Land Use Emissions In The Life Cycle Of Biofuels: Regulations Vs. Science, Adam J. Liska, Richard K. Perrin

Biological Systems Engineering: Papers and Publications

Recent legislative mandates have been enacted at state and federal levels with the purpose of reducing life cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from transportation fuels. This legislation encourages the substitution of fossil fuels with “low-carbon” fuels. The burden is put on regulatory agencies to determine the GHG-intensity of various fuels, and those agencies naturally look to science for guidance. Even though much progress has been made in determining the direct life cycle emissions from the production of biofuels, the science underpinning the estimation of potentially significant emissions from indirect land use change (ILUC) is in its infancy. As legislation requires …