The U.S. Department of Agriculture says greenhouse gas emissions from corn ethanol are 43-percent lower than emissions from gasoline. American Coalition for Ethanol Senior Vice President Ron Lamberty says farmers and ethanol plants have both become much more efficient, which has helped lead to these improved emissions.

He says the overall result of these lower emissions for ethanol is better air quality.

Lamberty says environmentalists need to change their anti-ethanol stance, especially with the science backing its environmental benefits.

The USDA data also shows that when farmers use a variety of conservation practices including no-till, cover crops, nitrogen inhibitors and precision fertilizer applications, corn ethanol production can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 76-percent compared to gasoline.