National interests in greater energy independence, concurrent with favorable market forces, have driven increased production of corn-based ethanol in the United States and research into the next generation of biofuels. The trend is changing the national agricultural landscape and has raised concerns about potential impacts on the nation's water resources. To help illuminate these issues, the National Research Council held a colloquium on July 12, 2007 in Washington, DC. Water Implications of Biofuels Production in the United States, based in part on discussions at the colloquium

提高能源独立性的国家利益，加上有利的市场力量，推动了美国玉米乙醇产量的增加和对下一代生物燃料的研究。这一趋势正在改变国家农业景观，并引起人们对国家水资源潜在影响的关注。为了帮助阐明这些问题，国家研究委员会于2007年7月12日在华盛顿特区举行了一次座谈会。部分基于座谈会上的讨论，美国生物燃料生产对水的影响