Though it is encouraging to see CARB is giving a nod to the
warnings about crop-based biofuels, it's quite distrubing to see
that you're still planning to subsidize biofuels.
Biofuels may be cleaner but are not, by any means,
clean. They may even be doing more harm than
good. Researchers at the International Council on Clean
Transportation (ICCT) calculate that the emissions from planting,
fertilizing, harvesting, transporting and refining the crops used
to make biofuel are nearly as high as petroleum emissions.
Prominent Princeton climate researcher Tim Searchinger has stated
that biofuels are often worse for the environment than
gasoline.
Citing Searchinger’s research, the Union of
Concerned Scientists reported, “When crop-based biofuels
contribute to deforestation or other damaging land conversions, the
pollution benefits can be compromised or even eliminated,
potentially producing a net increase in
pollution.”
CARB's enormous assets are put to far better use by
incentifying the electrification of transportation not delaying
that process by making the public believe biofuels are
clean.
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