September 8, 2008And switchgrass in the fieldsIn Virginia, one unwanted consequence of growing more corn to produce ethanol is the crop's potential to worsen the pollution that is strangling the Chesapeake Bay. As a companion to Tuesday's energy editorial, we're also working on an editorial about the Chesapeake Bay Commission's proposed strategy for bay watershed states to position the region as the nation's leader in next-generation biofuel: cellulosic ethanol made from sources like wood pulp and switchgrass. The technology for large-scale production does not yet exist, but cellulosic bioenergy's advantages -- both for the environment and the farm economy -- over grain-based ethanol argue for investment in this developing field. |
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September 8, 2008
And switchgrass in the fields
In Virginia, one unwanted consequence of growing more corn to produce ethanol is the crop's potential to worsen the pollution that is strangling the Chesapeake Bay. As a companion to Tuesday's energy editorial, we're also working on an editorial about the Chesapeake Bay Commission's proposed strategy for bay watershed states to position the region as the nation's leader in next-generation biofuel: cellulosic ethanol made from sources like wood pulp and switchgrass. The technology for large-scale production does not yet exist, but cellulosic bioenergy's advantages -- both for the environment and the farm economy -- over grain-based ethanol argue for investment in this developing field.
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