When compared with gasoline, ethanol from cellulosic biomass could dramatically reduce emissions of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO2). Although burning gasoline and other fossil fuels increases atmospheric CO2 concentrations, the photosynthetic production of new biomass takes up most of the carbon dioxide released when bioethanol is burned.
Credit or Source: Adapted from ORNL Review https://www.ornl.gov/content/ornl-review-v33n2
Citation(s):
U.S. DOE. 2006. Breaking the Biological Barriers to Cellulosic Ethanol: A Joint Research Agenda, DOE/SC/EE-0095, U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science and Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. (p. 7) (website)
US DOE. June 2007. Biofuels: Bringing Biological Solutions to Energy Challenges, US Department of Energy Office of Science. (PDF)
Prepared by the Biological and Enviornmental Research Information System, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, genomicscience.energy.gov/
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