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Title:   Author  item
                                            ROBERTSON, G - MI ST U, HICKORY CORNERS,item
                                            DALE, VIRGINIA - OAK RIDGE NAT'L LABitem
                                            DOERING, OTTO - PURDUE UNIV., INitem
                                            HAMBURG, STEVEN - BROWN UNIV., RHODE ISLANDitem
                                            MELILLO, JERRY - MRINE BIO LAB,WOODS HOLEitem
                                            WANDER, MICHELE - U OF IL, URBANA, ILitem
                                            PARTON, WILLIAM - CO ST UNIV. FTCOLLINS, COitem
                                            POUYAT, RICHARD - USDA-FS, BALTIMORE, MDitem
                                            Adler, Paulitem
                                            BARNEY, JACOB - UC, DAVIS, CAitem
                                            CRUSE, RICHARD - IA ST U, AMES, IAitem
                                            DUKE, CLIFFORD - ECO SOC AM, WASH, DCitem
                                            FEARNSIDE, PHILIP - INPA, MANAUS, BRAZILitem
                                            Follett, Ronalditem
                                            GIBBS, HOLLY - U OF WI - MADISON, WIitem
                                            GOLDEMBERG, JOSE - U OF SAO PAULO, BRAZILitem
                                            MLADENOFF, DAVID - U OF WI - MADISON, WIitem
                                            OJIMA, DENNIS - H JOHN HEINZ CTR, WASH, Ditem
                                            PALMER, MICHAEL - OK ST U, STILLWATER, OKitem
                                            SHARPLEY, ANDREW - U OF AR, FAYETTEVILLE, ARitem
                                            WALLACE, LINDA - U OF OK, NORMAN, OKitem
                                            WEATHERS, KATHLEEN - CARY INST. OF ECO STUDIESitem
                                            WIENS, JOHN - PRBO CONS. SCI, PETALUMA,item
                                            Wilhelm, Wallace
  Submitted to: Science Magazine
                                    Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
                                    Publication Acceptance Date: 7/1/2008
                                    Publication  Date: 10/1/2008
                                    Citation: Robertson, G.P., Dale, V., Doering, O., Hamburg, S., Melillo, J.M., Wander, M., Parton, W., Pouyat, R., Adler, P.R., Barney, J., Cruse, R., Duke, C., Fearnside, P., Follett, R.F., Gibbs, H., Goldemberg, J., Mladenoff, D., Ojima, D., Palmer, M., Sharpley, A., Wallace, L., Weathers, K., Wiens, J.A., Wilhelm, W.W. 2008. Sustainable Biofuels Redux. Science Magazine. Vol. 322:49-50.Interpretive Summary: Biofuel sustainability has environmental, economic, and social facets that all interconnect. Tradeoffs among them vary widely by types of fuels and where they are grown, and thus need to be explicitly considered using a framework that allows the outcomes of alternative systems to be consistently evaluated and compared. A cellulosic biofuels industry could have many positive social and environmental attributes, but it could also suffer from many of the sustainability issues that hobble grain-based biofuels if not done right.  While many questions about biofuel sustainability remain unanswered – indeed, some remain unasked – what we now know with reasonable certainty can be readily summarized. First, we know that grain-based biofuel systems are environmentally challenged. In addition to questions of carbon debt created by land cleared elsewhere to replace displaced food production (1, 2), farming our existing landscapes more intensively, with even greater quantities of biomass extracted, can easily exacerbate existing environmental harm. Effects of intense agriculture are well-documented: increased soil erosion, greater nitrate and phosphorus loss, and a decline in biodiversity, with concomitant impacts on ground and surface water quality, air quality, and biodiversity-based services such as pest suppression and wildlife amenities. Business as usual writ larger is not an environmentally welcome solution.
                                Technical Abstract: Biofuel sustainability has environmental, economic, and social facets that all interconnect. Tradeoffs among them vary widely by types of fuels and where they are grown, and thus need to be explicitly considered using a framework that allows the outcomes of alternative systems to be consistently evaluated and compared. A cellulosic biofuels industry could have many positive social and environmental attributes, but it could also suffer from many of the sustainability issues that hobble grain-based biofuels if not done right.  While many questions about biofuel sustainability remain unanswered – indeed, some remain unasked – what we now know with reasonable certainty can be readily summarized. First, we know that grain-based biofuel systems are environmentally challenged. In addition to questions of carbon debt created by land cleared elsewhere to replace displaced food production (1, 2), farming our existing landscapes more intensively, with even greater quantities of biomass extracted, can easily exacerbate existing environmental harm. Effects of intense agriculture are well-documented: increased soil erosion, greater nitrate and phosphorus loss, and a decline in biodiversity, with concomitant impacts on ground and surface water quality, air quality, and biodiversity-based services such as pest suppression and wildlife amenities. Business as usual writ larger is not an environmentally welcome solution.


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