How a biofuel crop can mitigate climate change
Newly published Michigan State University research details how switchgrass, a biofuel crop, can mitigate effects of climate change when grown on marginal land—agricultural land of little value. For farmers, it may also provide economic returns in these otherwise unproductive spaces.
The research was published in Environmental Research Letters.
The team was led by Bruno Basso, an MSU Foundation Professor in the departments of Earth and Environmental Sciences, and Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences, as well as the W.K. Kellogg Biological Station. Seungdo Kim, an associate research professor in the MSU College of Engineering, and Rafael Martinez-Feria, a postdoctoral researcher in Basso's laboratory, were also involved.
Renewable energy is a topic of significant discussion worldwide. Climate scientists warn of catastrophic outcomes if fossil fuels remain the primary energy source into the future. Additionally, countries such as the U.S. are reckoning with the ethical and financial dilemmas of relying on foreign oil.
