As I've written about over the last few weeks (here and here), our ability to require biofuels to actually be better than oil is under intense attack in the context of the climate bill and also under the budget appropriations process.
The Union of Concerned Scientists is organizing a statement from scientists and economists in support of keeping our lifecycle analysis complete and based in the best science and analysis. In particular, we all need scientists and economists to weigh in in support of keeping emissions from indirect land-use in EPA's analysis and in our implementation of the Renewable Fuel Standard.
Here's the link and here's their message.
UCS is organizing a statement from scientists and economists on behalf indirect land use. If you are a scientist or economist with relevant expertise, please consider signing. If you know others who would be interested, please send this along to them.
I thought you might be interested in signing a national scientists' statement that calls for national biofuels policies to account for biofuel pollution from land use change and other major sources of carbon emissions. Please join in signing today at:https://secure3.convio.net/ucs/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=1759
If state, regional, and national policies track emissions from "seed to tailpipe" they could play a significant role in reducing global warming pollution from transportation fuels and spur a whole new generation of cleaner fuels. But these standards must use the latest peer-reviewed research to account for all major sources of global warming pollution in order to be effective.
Land use change that occurs indirectly as agricultural land expands to accommodate biofuel feedstocks is a major category of biofuel pollution. Increased demand for biofuels pushes up commodity prices, which can induce farmers around the world to convert lands into agriculture. Some industries, however, have suggested that these indirect land use change emissions should be excluded from all biofuels policies. Several leading scientists have joined in an appeal to their colleagues to speak in a unified voice on the urgent need to account for all major sources of emissions from biofuels.
If you go to the URL below you can review the details and sign on:
https://secure3.convio.net/ucs/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=1759
The National Scientists' Statement on Land Use Change and Biofuels is open nationally to Ph.D. professionals at universities and research institutions, who have expertise relevant to the scientific and economic dimensions of climate change or of land use change, including research related to biofuels, agriculture, forestry, and land use patterns.