A new study led by David Tilman, Regents Professor of Ecology in the University of Minnesota's College of Biological Sciences, published a study showing that prairie grasses are more energy efficient that corn ethanol or soybean biodiesel and are better for the environment. The findings are published in the Dec. 8 issue of the journal Science. According to a University of Minnesota press release:
The study shows that mixtures of native perennial grasses and other flowering plants provide more usable energy per acre than corn grain ethanol or soybean biodiesel and are far better for the environment. Grass-based fuel can lead to a net decrease in atmospheric carbon dioxide, whereas ethanol and biodiesel increase it. Grass-based fuel can even lead to a net decrease in atmospheric carbon dioxide, whereas ethanol and biodiesel increase it.
The beauty of mixed prairie grasses, say the researchers, is that, unlike corn, they can grow in old farmland or in marginal, degraded lands with little or no application of water or fertilizers. The challenge is finding enough such land.
"Biofuels made from high-diversity mixtures of prairie plants can reduce global warming by removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere," says Tilman. "Even when grown on infertile soils, they can provide a substantial portion of global energy needs, and leave fertile land for food production."
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