Ethanol is Reducing Global Emissions

The world’s ethanol production will reduce global greenhouse gas emissions by 105 million tons in 2011 according to 2 Consultants Inc. at the World Biofuels Market conference in Toronto, Canada.

Worldwide ethanol production totaled 22.6 billion gallons in 2010 which reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 101 million tons equaling 276,000 tons per day or the equivalent of 18.7 million cars being taken off of the road. Projections for 2011 show a 3% increase in production will continue to decrease greenhouse gas emissions by 9%.

Global ethanol production is currently replacing the need for one million barrels of oil per day which would have produced 540,000 tons of greenhouse gases.

“Ethanol has a number of benefits, but lowering emissions and bettering the environment gets overlooked all too often,” said South Dakota Corn Utilization President, David Fremark, a farmer and rancher from Miller, South Dakota. “Besides lowering emissions, ethanol is also allowing countries around the world to become more energy independent.”

Research like this is just another example of how farmers really are the True Environmentalists as they continue to meet demands for food, feed, fiber and clean-burning fuel that is benefitting the environment and making our world a better place to live.