Biofuels will undeniably play a part in the re-making of our energy system. However, ensuring that they are part of a solution, rather than extending and deepening the current problem, is a challenge that cannot be overlooked. 

Biofuel policies should stem from a SUSTAINABLE FUEL STANDARD that guides the production methods for both ethanol and feedstocks.

Sustainable feedstock cultivation should include criteria for land management, water and soil use, and wildlife and ecosystem conservation, including:

• Banning the conversion of protected land for biofuel crops.
• Requiring sustainable agricultural practices, such as crop rotation, minimal chemical inputs, and reduced tilling.
• Limiting harvesting levels for agricultural residues.
• Protecting lands in the Conservation Reserve Program.
• Promoting best cellulosic feedstock production scenarios that include the cultivation of mixed perennial grasses and trees harvested on a rotating basis.

Sustainable production of ethanol must account for the environmental impacts of production processes and facilities, including water consumption, refining methods, and the type of fuel used. Life-cycle emission reductions and environmental and public health protections can be advanced by:

• Minimizing total water usage in the refining process.
• Barring coal-powered refineries from incentives associated with sustainable biofuel production.
• Promoting local ownership and farmer-owned cooperatives. 
• Refining ethanol to the highest possible quality to reduce smog and other tailpipe air pollutants.

Sustainable Fuel Standard Applied to Imports

The Sustainable Fuel Standard should also cover imports of biofuels and feedstocks, particularly regarding criteria on wages, labor conditions, and assurances that rain forests and other habitats are not being razed to make space for biofuel feedstock production or for other crops displaced by biofuel crops.

ENERGY CONSERVATION AND EFFICIENCY are central to an energy policy that reflects the most cost-effective and expedient means to reduce emissions and petroleum demand.

• Increase fuel efficiency – Increasing minimum mile per gallon standards is a robust tool to significantly reduce gasoline demand. Increasing fuel efficiency standards should be based on effective requirements that leave no room for loopholes.
• Account for the true cost of gasoline – Unaccounted externalities, such as pollution, health problems, climate change, and environmental costs, should be reflected in fuel prices.
• Phase-out oil subsidies – Oil subsidies are an unjustified drain on taxpayer monies and are in direct conflict with the immediate need to address climate change and reduce fossil fuel consumption.
• Create vehicle emissions standards for global warming pollution – Limiting greenhouse gas tailpipe emissions from new vehicles is crucial to reducing the impact of transportation on global climate change. The Supreme Court has recently affirmed the authority of the Environmental Protection Agency to regulate greenhouse emissions and the EPA should act to limit permissible emissions for new vehicles. These regulations should include limits on motor vehicle exhaust and evaporative emissions as well as improvements in emission systems’ durability and performance.
• Promote efficient car design – Lighter and more efficient vehicles are technologically feasible and would not compromise passenger security.  

SMART TRANSPORTATION AND PLANNING POLICIES can create a transportation system that protects the environment and public health.

• Invest in public transportation – Public transportation should be adequately funded and considered the policy of choice over investments that promote further individual vehicle use. Investment in public transportation should be based on a comprehensive national strategy that particularly targets metropolitan areas where traffic congestion and associated pollution have become epidemic.
• Impose traffic restrictions – Restrictions on traffic should be enforced in congested urban areas based on vehicle occupancy, size, emissions, and fuel consumption as part of overall policies to reduce transportation pollution.
• Promote smart growth in urban planning – Urban planning and land use regulations should prioritize the need to reduce fuel use and curb transportation-based pollution. Urban sprawl can be addressed through land use regulations, tax policies, and transportation planning frameworks that promote mixed-use urban areas and revitalization of city centers.
• Implement consumer education campaigns to promote efficient driving – Aggressive driving (speeding, rapid acceleration and braking) wastes fuel. Driving more efficiently can significantly increase gas mileage, while offering many safety advantages to all drivers and passengers on the road.

Ethanol is not the solution to our pressing energy crisis. Whether from corn or from cellulosic feedstocks, ethanol alone cannot address greenhouse gas emissions, high oil prices, or dependency on foreign oil. The potential for ethanol to displace gasoline is limited – there is simply not enough land or water to produce ethanol in quantities that could significantly displace gasoline without unacceptable environmental impacts. Even cellulosic ethanol, a considerably better alternative than corn ethanol, is limited by the impacts that large-scale production of feedstocks and fuel would have on the environment. 

Ethanol indeed offers many advantages over oil and, if produced sustainably, can make a contribution to remedying the U.S. energy crisis. However, what looks like an attractive solution – farmers gaining from higher corn prices, agribusiness and investors increasing profits, and politicians pleasing their constituents by going green – could be a political move to avoid the real measures that will result in genuine public benefits. Biofuels should only be one part of a larger transition to a sustainable transportation system that focuses on reducing total energy use.