The liquid carbon challenge: evolving views on transportation fuels and climate

John M. DeCicco

Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Energy and Environment, 2015, vol. 4, issue 1, 98-114

Abstract: Carbon‐based liquid fuels are highly valued for transportation; they are the world's largest form of commercial energy and second largest source of anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Strategies to address their CO2 emissions have been shaped by fuel cycle analysis (FCA), a version of lifecycle assessment that examines fuel products and their supply chains. FCA studies have diverse findings and large uncertainties. Disagreements are particularly sharp for biofuels, which are seen as key replacements for petroleum fuels. A critical reading of the evolving literature reveals problems of model structure, including system boundary misspecification, flawed carbon cycle representation, and use of a static framework to analyze dynamic systems. New analytic paradigms are needed for liquid fuels, given their tradability, the realities of the carbon cycle, and the implausibility of capturing carbon from mobile sources. Logical decomposition of options shows that, beyond measures to limit fuel demand, CO2 emissions from liquid fuels must be balanced by increasing the rate of net carbon fixation. Further analysis and discussion are needed of carbon accounting methods, energy research priorities, ways to link CO2 removal options to fuel‐related mitigation efforts, and the transportation elements of climate policy. WIREs Energy Environ 2015, 4:98–114. doi: 10.1002/wene.133 This article is categorized under: Bioenergy > Climate and Environment Energy and Climate > Economics and Policy Energy Research & Innovation > Science and Materials

Date: 2015
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

Downloads: (external link)
https://doi.org/10.1002/wene.133

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:bla:wireae:v:4:y:2015:i:1:p:98-114

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.blackwell ... bs.asp?ref=2041-8396

Access Statistics for this article

Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Energy and Environment is currently edited by Peter Lund and John Byrne

More articles in Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Energy and Environment from Wiley Blackwell
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Wiley Content Delivery ().