Article: David Tilman et al (2009). Beneficial Biofuels-The Food, Energy, and Environment Trilemma. Science. Vol. 325. no. 5938, pp. 270 – 271. DOI: 10.1126/science.1177970

Synopsis: David Tilman of the Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior at the University of Minnesota, as well as researchers Robert Socolow, Jonathan A. Foley, Jason Hill, Eric Larsen, Robert Williams, Lee Lynd, Stephen Pascale, John Reilly and Tim Searchinger explain that if done correctly, the feedstocks mentioned in this article in tandem with increased efficiency and decreased fuel demand, “could produce enough biofuels to meet a substantial portion of future energy demand for transportation.”

In order for biofuels to be a beneficial alternative to fossil fuels, the production of the feedstock (considering both direct and indirect effects) must reduce GHG emissions as compared to fossil fuel combustion and must not compete with food production.  Tilman et al offer 5 types of feedstock that meet these requirements and demonstrate the potential of biofuels as an alternative for fossil fuels especially in the transportation sector.  Tilman and the coauthors stress the importance of sound public biofuel policy in promoting environmentally beneficial feedstocks.

Tilman et al explain that, “some initial analyses on the global potential of degraded lands suggest that they could meet meaningful amounts of current global demand for liquid transportation fuels.”

Tilman and the coauthors explain that sound biofuel policy will optimize “real energy gains, greenhouse-gas reductions, preservation of biodiversity, and maintenance of food security.”  In addition, they stress that biofuels, as alternatives to fossil fuels, should only receive political support if “they make a positive impact on…energy security, greenhouse-gas emissions, biodiversity, and the sustainability of the food supply.”

The full article can be downloaded here.