A California business group is warning that the state’s effort to set a low carbon fuel standard could backfire, increasing both greenhouse gas emissions and the cost of fuel. In a letter to the California Air Resources Board April 16, the AB 32 Implementation Group--a coalition of business organizations--said that “the agency seems to be moving forward with implementation of the low carbon fuel standard without having a product either in the near or short term.” The letter was signed by Dorothy Rothrock, California Manufacturers & Technology Association vice president, and Amisha Patel, California Chamber of Commerce policy advocate. They pointed out that University of California scientists say corn-based ethanol likely produces more greenhouse gas emissions than gasoline. They added that while cellulosic ethanol promises to produce less, “the product has yet to be proven in the laboratory” much less become commercially viable. Moreover, its ultimate cost remains unknown. Consequently, they advised the Air Board to continue to study the problems associated with moving to low carbon fuels and to include “milestones for program review” and “mid-course corrections” in any standard it sets. “Put simply,” amplified Gino DiCaro in a Manufacturers & Technology Association blog, “if these regulations are done poorly and without a full understanding, there will be significant risks to affordable supply, potential loss of actual emission reductions, increases in food costs and other unknown implications.” The business warning comes amid record high gasoline prices at the pump, along with record high food prices which have triggered riots around the world in recent weeks. The United Nations has attributed rising food prices in part to increased use of corn and other food crops to produce ethanol and biodiesel for motor fuel.