New research from UC Davis and the National Wildlife Federation is suggesting a federal law intended to reduce carbon emissions is actually hurting the environment. Aaron Smith, UC Davis professor and co-author of Beyond Corn: The Drive for Better Biofuels, says the Renewable Fuel Standard missed the mark in several ways.
The study says the Renewable Fuel Standard is harmful to wildlife, climate and local water resources. Researchers say the monarch butterfly population is especially being impacted by destroyed habitats. The RFS led to a rise in corn prices by 31-percent and an increase in soybean prices by 19-percent. It also led to one-point-six-million acres of grassland and forest lands being converted into cropland between 2008 and 2016 and an increase of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, equivalent to more than seven coal-fired power plants. The EPA is currently reevaluating the policy.