NY Times Applauds EPA Inclusion of ILUC in RFS2

Federal Agency/Executive Branch, Field/Orchard/Plantation Crops/Residues, Opinions, Policy, Sustainability

February 16, 2010

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(OPIS) The New York Times is praising U.S. EPA for including the international indirect land use change (ILUC) calculation in its lifecycle greenhouse gas reduction threshold as part of the finalized expanded renewable fuels standard (RFS2), issued last week.

…In response, several ethanol groups vehemently and swiftly defended their industry, while criticizing the New York Times’ editorial, noting their industry has been a frequent punching bag for the newspaper. “As we’ve grown accustom to from the New York Times editorial board, they are letting their opinions about ethanol get in the way of the facts,” said American Coalition of Ethanol Executive Vice President Brian Jennings. “The facts are that computer models predict international land use changes attributed to U.S. corn ethanol, but the predictions are not corroborated by on-the-ground measurements,”
he continued.

“What is perhaps most disappointing from the New York Times editorial board is not that they are piling on corn ethanol again, we’ve come to expect that,” Jennings continued. “What I find disappointing is how the editorial board is so quick to give fossil fuel a free ride, failing to shed light on the very real direct and indirect negative consequences of our dependence on oil,” he added.

…added RFA spokesman Matt Hartwig. “The inclusion of international land use change in the calculation of ethanol’s carbon footprint — and the exclusion of similar indirect impacts for gasoline — is a failure of federal regulation. READ MORE

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