Biomass - Energy Policy Analysis: A Conceptual Framework - page 162

Harmful Biomass
Harmful biomass resources and practices include clearing forests, savannas, or grasslands to
grow energy crops, and displacing food production for energy production that ultimately leads to
the clearing of carbon-rich ecosystems elsewhere to grow food (Tilman et al. 2009). Moreover,
harmful biomass adds net carbon to the atmosphere by either directly or indirectly decreasing
the overall amount of carbon stored in plants and soils. Biofuels made from most food crops do
not significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions—and, in many cases, cause additional forests
to be destroyed to grow more food, creating more net carbon-dioxide emissions than fossil fuels
(Lomborg 2011). There can be an indirect land-use effect when corn and soy are taken out of the
market for food and animal feed. This increases corn and soy prices, stimulating land conversion
in other parts of the world (UCS 2008).
The United States spends about $6 billion a year on federal support for ethanol production
through tax credits, tariffs, and other programs. Thanks to this financial assistance, one-sixth
of the world's corn supply is burned in American cars. That is enough corn to feed 350 million
people for an entire year (Lomborg 2011). Increasing production of food-based fuels may cause
more people to suffer from hunger and add to global political instability (Goldemberg 2008). As
Lester Brown (2006) notes,
As the price of oil climbs, it becomes increasingly profitable to convert farm commodities into
automotive fuel—either ethanol or biodiesel. U.S. investment in biofuel production in response
to runaway oil prices is spiraling out of control, threatening to draw grain away from the produc-
tion of beef, pork, poultry, milk and eggs. And, most seriously, the vast number of distilleries in
operation, under construction and in the planning stages threaten to reduce the amount of grain
available for direct human consumption. Simply put, the stage is being set for a head-on collision
between the world's 800 million affluent automobile owners and food consumers.
For the 2 billion poorest people in the world, many of whom spend half or more of their in-
come on food, rising grain prices can quickly become life-threatening. Rising food prices could
spread hunger and generate political instability in low-income countries that import grain, such
as Indonesia, Egypt, Nigeria, and Mexico (Brown 2006). In these countries, which are all friends
of the United States, instability may directly impact our national security interests.
Marginal Biomass
The carbon benefits and risks of using biomass resources vary widely, depending on how and
where they are harvested, how efficiently they are converted to energy, and what fossil fuels they
replace. These resources might be beneficial or harmful depending on specific situations. For
example, harvesting trees especially for energy use that quickly regrow to displace more carbon-
intensive fossil fuels may be beneficial. But using trees that grow slowly or may not be fully
replaced or may displace less carbon-intensive fuels may not be beneficial. Therefore, marginal
biomass resources should be used only when their use can be demonstrated to reduce net carbon
emissions (UCS 2010).
Land Use Changes
Increased forest harvesting and large scale conversion of forests, wetlands, and other relatively
natural areas to energy crops could result in loss of habitat for native wildlife, including endangered