A team of researchers at the Carnegie Institution have just showed that, in addition to the significant reduction in carbon dioxide emissions that would otherwise be produced by the use of fossil fuels, sugarcane farming might well have another unexpected benefit on global warming compared to other types of farming. In Brazil, the large-scale expansion of sugarcane plantations, intended for the production of biofuels in zones previously-occupied by other types of farming, helps cool the local climate.
The group of scientists led by Scott Loarie has noted that by converting natural vegetation into crop/pasture mode in the cerrado, the result was a 1.55°C increase in the average temperature, when the subsequent conversion of sugarcane had cooled the atmosphere by an average of 0.93°C. This phenomenon is said to be ascribable to the fact that sugarcane is more reflective and yields more water than other types of crop/pasture which it replaces.
According to Scott Loarie, “This means win-win potential for the climate, using sugarcane to run vehicles and lower carbon emissions, when the said growth lowers the temperature of the air in the atmosphere". This study, published on 17 April in "Nature Climate Change", sheds new light on the impact of crop-growing for biofuels and how it can impact climate change in a time of constant and controversial expansion in such crops.
To illustrate, in early May, the International Energy Agency (IEA) put forth an estimate stating that biofuels will, by 2050, account for 27% of global requirements in the field of transport (as compared to only 2%, currently).
http://www.enerzine.com/6/11881+la-canne-a-sucre-fait-baisser-la-temperature-ambiante+.html
http://www.bioenergie-promotion.fr/13695/un-quart-de-carburants-verts-en-2050/
Fabrice CALBOUR
Project Manager
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