Water Implications of Biofuels Production

Project Summary

Full Title:	Water Implications of Biofuels Production in the United States
Project ID:	227
Principal Investigator:	William S. Logan
Brief Description:	The National Research Council conducted a workshop and wrote a report examining the potential effects of biofuels production in the U.S. on water and related land resources.

Purpose

Examine the possible effects of biofuel development on water and related land resources. The central questions are how water use and water quality are expected to change as the U.S. agricultural portfolio shifts to include more energy crops and as overall agricultural production potentially increases. Such questions are considered within the context of U.S. policy and also the expected advances in technology and agricultural practices that could help reduce water impacts.

Performer

Principal Investigator:	William S. Logan
Organization:	National Research Council
Address:	500 Fifth Street, NW Washington, DC 20001
Telephone:	800-624-6242
Additional Performers:	Otto C. Doering III, Purdue University; Dara Entekhabi, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Edward A. Hiler, Texas A&M University; Nancy Huddleston, National Research Council; Theodore L. Hullar, Cornell University; Jerald L. Schnoor, University of Iowa, Iowa City; Michael Stoever, National Research Council; G. David Tilman, University of Minnesota, St. Paul

Sponsor(s)

Name:	William S. Logan
Organization:	National Research Council

Period of Performance

End:	2008

Project Description

Type of Project:	Analysis
Category:	Cross-Cutting

Methodology/Approach:	The Water Science and Technology Board (WSTB) of the National Research Council held a colloquium on “Water Implications of Biofuels Production in the United States” in Washington, D.C., on July 12, 2007, which was attended by more than 130 people from federal and state government, non-governmental organizations, academia, and industry. WSTB established a committee to organize and host the colloquium and to develop a report. The report draws some conclusions about the water implications of biofuels productions based on discussions at the colloquium, written submissions of participants, the peer-reviewed literature, and the best professional judgments of the committee.

Methodology/Approach:

The Water Science and Technology Board (WSTB) of the National Research Council held a colloquium on “Water Implications of Biofuels Production in the United States” in Washington, D.C., on July 12, 2007, which was attended by more than 130 people from federal and state government, non-governmental organizations, academia, and industry. WSTB established a committee to organize and host the colloquium and to develop a report. The report draws some conclusions about the water implications of biofuels productions based on discussions at the colloquium, written submissions of participants, the peer-reviewed literature, and the best professional judgments of the committee.

Products/Deliverables

	Description: Report Publication Title: Water Implications of Biofuels Production in the United States Publisher: National Academy of Sciences Type of Publication: Book Author Name(s): Schnoor, J.L.; Doering, O.C.; Entekhabi, D.; Hiler, E.A.; Hullar, T.L.; Tilman, G.D.; Logan, W.S. http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12039 Publication Date: 2008 Description: Report in Brief Publication Title: Water Implications of Biofuels Production in the United States Publisher: National Academy of Sciences Author Name(s): Schnoor, J.L.; Doering, O.C.; Entekhabi, D.; Hiler, E.A.; Hullar, T.L.; Tilman, G.D.; Logan, W.S. (PDF 424 KB) Download Adobe Reader. Publication Date: October 2007

Description: Report
Publication Title: Water Implications of Biofuels Production in the United States
Publisher: National Academy of Sciences
Type of Publication: Book
Author Name(s): Schnoor, J.L.; Doering, O.C.; Entekhabi, D.; Hiler, E.A.; Hullar, T.L.; Tilman, G.D.; Logan, W.S.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12039
Publication Date: 2008
Description: Report in Brief
Publication Title: Water Implications of Biofuels Production in the United States
Publisher: National Academy of Sciences
Author Name(s): Schnoor, J.L.; Doering, O.C.; Entekhabi, D.; Hiler, E.A.; Hullar, T.L.; Tilman, G.D.; Logan, W.S.
(PDF 424 KB) Download Adobe Reader.
Publication Date: October 2007

Date Last Updated: 04/09/2008