The Truth about Biofuels
Are fuels derived from crops and waste good climate solutions at scale? Short answer: No. Here’s why.
![Biofuels, like those created from soybeans, are not a climate solution at scale.](https://www.clf.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Detail-Pump-Over-Soybeans-Shutterstock-600x400.jpg)
Are fuels derived from crops and waste good climate solutions at scale? Short answer: No. Here’s why.
“These iconic rivers are suffering because of the EPA’s consistent foot-dragging,” said Heather Govern, CLF’s Vice President of Clean Air and Water. “Despite all the evidence linking stormwater pollution to dirty and unsafe water, the agency has failed to take legally required steps to address this growing problem. We have waited over three years for them to regulate the pollution, and these rivers cannot wait any longer.”
Restoring nature is one of the best tools we have for tackling the climate crisis. That means we all have a stake in protecting our wetlands and coastal ecosystems.
“This bill is a thinly veiled attempt to shut out community input and roll back bedrock environmental protections like the Clean Water Act and the National Environmental Policy Act — effectively green-lighting scores of bad fossil fuel projects and stymying the just and clean energy transition President Biden says he supports,” said CLF President Bradley Campbell.
“We will see Shell in court for putting the New Haven community in danger of life-threatening toxic spills,” said Brad Campbell, President of Conservation Law Foundation. “These fossil fuel companies have been deceiving regulators and the public about the risk of the climate crisis for years. It’s past time for them to be held accountable for putting communities and the environment in harm’s way.”
President Biden recently signed this first-of-its-kind climate bill into law – but what does it mean for climate action here at home?
“The U.S. is long overdue for real action on climate,” said CLF President Bradley Campbell. “This bill will help slash emissions at a time when the impacts of the climate crisis are being felt around the country. We still have work to do at the state and local level to respond to this crisis and bring emissions down to zero by 2050.”
“This new law takes some great steps on biomass and offshore wind, but it’s sorely lacking when it comes to environmental justice,” said Staci Rubin, Vice President of Environmental Justice at CLF. “For too long, these communities have been overburdened and overlooked when it comes to air quality, access to transit, and toxic pollution. We need to put a much larger focus on protecting EJ neighborhoods and phasing out fossil fuels once and for all when the legislature reconvenes.”
“It’s no coincidence that this bill is moving forward at a time when large swaths of the country are baking in yet another heatwave,” said CLF President Bradley Campbell. “The IRA will help us slash emissions and bolster the country’s clean energy efforts to respond to the climate crisis at our doorsteps. However, this bill still doesn’t get us to where we need to be, so state action to reduce emissions is going to be critical in the years ahead.”
“This bill includes some important steps forward in limiting biomass subsidies and supporting the offshore wind industry,” said Caitlin Peale Sloan, Vice President of CLF Massachusetts. “However, there’s a lot of room for improvement when it comes to environmental justice. The state needs to take a stronger stand in protecting these communities from air pollution, creating access to an electrified commuter rail, and our leaders must do more to equitably phase out fossil fuels once and for all. We’ll continue our push to make these critical changes a reality in the next session.”