As far as I know, mandatory use of biofuels is primarily a subsidy for farmers rather than a means of reducing emissions. I’m surprised to see an urban area focus on it.
In his decision, Engstrom said the feedstock restrictions are “core to the original policy intent” and must be preserved because they ensure the policy delivers on promised carbon reductions. Feedstocks made from virgin agricultural products and food crops – such as soybean, canola and palm oils – have been linked to much higher carbon emissions, displacing food production and causing deforestation and are not allowed under Portland’s policy.
It sounds like Portland is making an effort to avoid the farm-subsidy sort of biofuels, but then what is it actually demanding that biofuels be made from?
I think it’s a mistake to assume that this is an honest effort. That there’s any expectation of compliant biodiesel being made and sold. Realistically, what’s going to happen is that the Jubitz and Pacific Pride locations in Portland are going to be run out of business. That’s very likely the actual goal of the policy, which is equivalent to an enormous fuel tax increase, with some greenwashing as cover.
Should be the entire country, not just Portland. We grow plenty of corn
Not nearly enough for 100% biofuels. Solar electric uses something like 1/100 of the land for a given amount of transportation.
A biofuels requirement like this is effectively a soft inducement to electrify transport, albeit with huge deforestation risk.
Maybe they can use all those soybeans that China won’t buy from us anymore. /s
You can, but that will only substitute for a fairly small fraction of US transport needs
To put this in context, california has a similar biofuels content requirement, which uses about 40% of soybean oil in the US, while displacing a few percent of the state’s diesel use
Added a /s.
Honestly it’s wasteful to grow crops for fuel because of all the water needed to grow it.
eat it
can’t fuel be made from the bioresidues of agriculture through pyrolisis or sth?
Biofuel is not an answer to fixing the climate. And corn is an inefficient crop to use for it anyway
