Ethical Risks of Environmental Policies: The Case of Ethanol in North America

11 Pages Posted: 6 Sep 2011 Last revised: 31 Oct 2017

See all articles by Michal Moore

Michal Moore

University of Calgary - The School of Public Policy

Sarah M. Jordaan

Johns Hopkins University - Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS)

Date Written: December 6, 2010

Abstract

Policy to address the environmental impacts of transportation fuel derived from conventional oil is frequently focused on the promotion of alternatives such as biofuels. While there are some biofuels that can be developed with relatively few impacts, others can result in broader, complex social concerns that should be included in the policy debate. These concerns include impacts arising from the conversion of natural landscapes and changes in food supply. To help inform policy development, this paper raises a series of questions to encourage a fuller debate and proposes a methodology to capture ethical risks related to the energy and environmental choices. This methodology should be applied to policies that encourage a transition to fuel alternatives for transportation – whether unconventional fossil fuels or corn ethanol.

Keywords: ethanol, environment, biofuel, energy

JEL Classification: Q42, Q48, Q32, L71

Suggested Citation

Moore, Michal and Jordaan, Sarah M., Ethical Risks of Environmental Policies: The Case of Ethanol in North America (December 6, 2010). SPP Research Paper No. 10-9, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1923319

Michal Moore (Contact Author)

University of Calgary - The School of Public Policy ( email )

Calgary, Alberta
Canada

Sarah M. Jordaan

Johns Hopkins University - Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) ( email )

United States

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