ABSTRACT
In the 21st century, renewable sources of energy will be required to fulfi ll the rapidly growing energy requirements of both developing and developed (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, OECD) nations worldwide. Fossil fuels must be phased out to avoid further increase in global greenhouse gas concentrations that severely threaten biodiversity and a sustainable economic future for the planet (Randers 2012). Biofuels, particularly ethanol and biodiesel for transportation, and biomass-based energy for power provide an attractive alternative to current fuels derived from non-renewable resources. Presently, most of the ethanol produced from biomass in the U.S. is derived from corn via the conversion of corn grain starch into glucose through enzymatic hydrolysis followed by fermentation to ethanol. Unfortunately, the increased demand for corn for use in biofuel production has led to higher prices for all products that utilize
1Department of Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634. aEmail: arpanj@clemson.edu; arpanjain0211@gmail.com bEmail: walker4@clemson.edu 2Clemson Department of Economic Development, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634. Email: karl@clemson.edu *Corresponding authors
corn, including foods that span from meat and dairy products to processed foods such as high fructose corn syrup (Hill 2009).
