During a job interview, the recruiting manager from CornBlend Fuels told Jonah that ethanol was a more efficient transportation fuel and was, therefore, environmentally superior to petroleum-derived fuel. Afterwards, in doing his own research, Jonah learned that this viewpoint was disputed. Critics of ethanol-from-corn production cited a recent ________ study, contending that ethanol was in fact more environmentally harmful than gasoline, when considering the amount of land required, the amount of chemicals (fertilizer, herbicides, and pesticides) required, the higher transportation costs incurred, and amount of agricultural wastes generated.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The critics of ethanol-from-corn production cited a recent study that encompassed the various stages of production and transportation. This indicates that a life cycle analysis was conducted to assess the environmental impact of ethanol production. Hence, option E (life cycle analysis) is the correct answer. Option A (renewability management) and B (ecocentric management) might be relevant to sustainability concerns but are not directly related to the environmental impact of ethanol production. Option C (sustainability analysis) is too broad and vague to pin down the specific type of assessment performed. Option D (environmental analysis) could be a possible answer, but it is too general to differentiate between the various approaches (e.g., life cycle assessment, ecological footprint analysis, etc.) used to evaluate environmental impacts.

During a Job Interview, the Recruiting Manager from CornBlend Fuels