A new study predicted significant climate benefits stemming from the use of advanced biofuel technologies.

A new study led by Colorado State University — including an interdisciplinary team of plant scientists, ecologists and engineers — predicted significant climate benefits stemming from the use of advanced biofuel technologies. Accounting for all of the carbon flows in biofuel systems and comparing them to those in grasslands and forests, the team found that there are clear strategies for biofuels to have a net carbon benefit.

This is one of the first studies to look at both current and future carbon-negative biofuels.

«Robust paths to net greenhouse gas mitigation and negative emissions via advanced biofuels,» was published August 24 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Biofuels deserve another look

John Field, research scientist at the Natural Resource Ecology Lab at CSU, said that it has been a challenge for the biofuel industry to demonstrate commercial viability for cellulosic biofuels, created using nonedible parts of plants. Switchgrass, a native grass that grows in many parts of North America, is a leading candidate for the sustainable production of plant material.

Story Source:
Materials provided by Colorado State University. Original written by Mary Guiden. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.