GWRCCC Annual Conference Highlights Importance of Midterm Elections to a Greener Future

by Mya Trujillo (The Informer) ... Biofuels as Another Sustainable Alternative -- A complete shift to electrified transportation isn’t feasible, so another way to make the sector more sustainable and strengthen the nation’s environmental resilience is by advancing renewable fuel sources, like biofuels, alongside EV infrastructure.

Biofuels are liquid fuels made from renewable biological sources, like bioethanol, which is an alcohol fuel produced through the fermentation of crops like corn, wheat, sugarcane, sugar beets and potatoes. Biodiesels– alternatives or additives to petroleum diesel– are made from the chemical combination of plant oils with alcohol. In 2024, the United States imported 651,000 barrels of motor gasoline per day and consumed approximately 1,252 barrels of biofuels per day.

International conflicts, especially those derived from a lack of and disregard for diplomatic negotiations from the current administration— like the current war in Iran— can quickly put a strain on foreign crude oil supply and shock gas prices nationwide.

“We’ve got to get people to understand that this thirst for oil from other places not only is bad for us from a national security perspective, but it’s also bad from a human perspective in terms of life expectancy,” Thompson told The Informer. “Everything does not have to be electric, but… we need to use more low- to zero-emission fuels and energy sources so that we can reduce these massive gaps in health [and] educational outcomes, and life expectancies in communities in the United States of America.”

The former New York senator told The Informer that these are the kinds of matters he hopes people keep in mind as they cast their ballots in this year’s midterm elections and as they follow campaigns ahead of the 2028 presidential election.

Joanne Ivanciv, the executive director of nonprofit educational organization Advanced Biofuels U.S.A., agrees that renewable fuel usage is just as necessary as electrification when it comes to safeguarding the environment and lowering emissions. She acknowledges that industrial machinery, airplanes and other vehicles will rely on liquid fuels for a long time, but that those should be as green as possible.

“Making renewable natural gas prevents things like food waste from rotting and putting methane into the atmosphere,” Ivancic told The Informer. “When you’re using that renewable natural gas, you’re just recycling carbon. You’re not bringing any new carbon out of deep storage like with coal or petroleum.”

Myths have circulated that biofuels produce the same, if not more, emissions as gasoline, but according to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), these renewable sources burn cleaner due to their biodegradability. The DOE states that cellulosic ethanol has the potential to reduce GHG emissions by 86%. While the mass farming of these crops could trigger higher emissions due to fossil energy utilization, these could be cut through the use of renewable power sources and sustainable farming practices.

The ongoing conflict in Iran and skyrocketing gas prices in the U.S. pushed lawmakers to discuss permitting the sale of E15, a blend of 15% ethanol and 85% gasoline, year-round since it typically costs 10 to 40 cents less per gallon than E10, regular unleaded gas. The blend is usually not allowed to be sold in summer because it evaporates faster in hotter weather, but Ivancic believes legislation permitting the year-round sale of E15 would greatly benefit U.S. consumers.

“It would bring down fuel costs for ordinary people,” Ivancic told The Informer. “For the people who are concerned about the climate, it would add a little more renewable fuel [and] lower your carbon footprint.”

Whether people turn toward electrification or renewable fuel, the need for a cleaner transportation sector across the U.S. is evident as the nation continues to feel the harsh consequences of GHG emission-induced climate change. READ MORE