ACE corrects misrepresentations of environmental outcomes of RFS
Summary
A report recently released in the Proceedings of the National Academy of the Sciences by Tyler Lark and other authors brought to life several misrepresentations of the environmental outcomes of the Renewable Fuel Standard. If 100% of the organic carbon decomposed in the 2-foot layer of soil over a hectare, the total CO emissions would be 400 metric tons of CO . Larks claim of 181 metric tons of CO per hectare over 30 years implies that 45% of the SOC in the top 2 feet of soil in converted cropland would decompose. However, if pasturelands or grassland are converted to cropland today in the Western Corn Belt, yields are 5-10 times higher and a majority of growers use no or reduced tillage. It is very likely that Lark has estimated more than three times the actual SOC loss rate from conversion of pasture and grasslands to cropland if it were to happen today in the Western Corn Belt.
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