by Nathanael Johnson (Grist) When I first looked at the environmental impact of corn ethanol I thought it was simple: Grow an acre of corn for fuel and it means you have to grow another acre elsewhere for food, which
food vs fuel
Back TO HOMEEdgington Letter: The RFS Does Work
by Chris Edgington (Globe Gazette) ... Today, energy represents 5.2 cents of every dollar spent on food versus 6.8 cents in 2008. According to the USDA the average grocery bill is up 1 percent in 2015 vs. 2014 and yet the
February 23, 2016 Read Full Article
Book Review: Biofuels, Food Security and Developing Economies
(merinews) ... Giving the intensity of debate of food versus fuel debate, Naziz (Mintz-Habib)'s fascinating study explores how and in what circumstances Biofuel crops contribute to either perpetuating or alleviating poverty and food in security by considering the complex interactions
February 22, 2016 Read Full Article
Homegrown Energy Security for Europe
by Anders Fogh Rasmussen (Project Syndicate) The European Union is highly dependent on foreign oil. For every 100 liters consumed within the EU, 90 are imported. Meanwhile, domestic oil production is plummeting, down more than 50% over the last decade. Unless the
January 29, 2016 Read Full Article
Let's Give Credit Where It's Due
by Kenneth Riffle (Salina Journal) Opinion: ... Ethanol utilized as an oxygenate in blended gasoline helps control carbon monoxide emissions. As an economic driver, ethanol has strengthened rural communities by adding value to agricultural production. If adhered to, the ethanol incentive model
January 25, 2016 Read Full Article
Horowitz: Ethanol is the Anchor Baby of our Economic System
by Daniel Horowitz (Conservative Review) ... In the same respect, we can say the ethanol mandate is the anchor baby of our economic system. Energy is the lifeblood of a free economy. Much like immigration stands at the nexus of our
January 22, 2016 Read Full Article
17 Answers for Your Burning Questions about Biofuels, Renewable Chemicals, Biomass and More.
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Q. We’ve heard a lot about carbon capture, but what about carbon capture and conversion (to a more soluble, transportable and storable form), for example conversion to bicarbonate? A. To date, all ventures in the carbon
December 28, 2015 Read Full Article
The 7 Flying Reindeer: Renewable Fuel Myths that Continue to Defy Gravity
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Food vs Fuel, biofuels causing corn planting to skyrocket, low oil prices killing off renewable fuels, the subsidy myth, the emissions myth, the “people won’t buy the fuels” myth, and the Insanity myth. ... In the world
December 23, 2015 Read Full Article
Climate Benefits of One of the Oldest Technologies Still in Use
(Diesel Technology Forum) Thanks to decades of innovation, clean diesel technology is helping to deliver significant reductions in GHG emissions and is a major feature of the U.S. climate commitment outlined in the INDC that explains how the U.S. will
December 18, 2015 Read Full Article
How Renewable Ethanol Can Be Produced Sustainably
(ePURE) ... At ePURE, the association representing European ethanol producers, we believe that renewable ethanol can play an important role in decarbonising transport. Because ethanol can be blended with petrol to run in existing engines, it is one of the ways we
December 17, 2015 Read Full Article
Answers for Your Questions about Biofuels, Renewable Chemicals, Biomass and More
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Tough questions asked at industry conferences, and elsewhere on the industry circuit. Q. We’ve heard a lot about carbon capture, but what about carbon capture and conversion (to a more soluble, transportable and storable form), for
November 27, 2015 Read Full Article
Debunking Biofuels: Do They Really Raise Food Prices?
by Melissa Pariettin(MSN.com) ... Many factors determine the price of food in the U.S. If the introduction of the RFS (Renewable Fuel Standard) had as significant an impact on food prices as certain outlets have suggested, then the increase would be
November 18, 2015 Read Full Article
RFA Sees Positives And Negatives From CBO Report
(WNAX) A Congressional Budget Office report released this summer and shared at a Congressional Committee hearing last week looked at what might happen if the RFS were repealed. Renewable Fuel Association Senior Vice President Geoff Cooper says the report debunks
November 09, 2015 Read Full Article
House Science Committee Hearing Exposes Fundamental Flaws in RFS Opponents Attacks
(Renewable Fuels Association) Today (November 3, 2015), the House Science, Space and Technology committee held a joint hearing of the subcommittees on Environment and Oversight titled “Renewable Fuel Standard: A Ten Year Review of Costs and Benefits.” Renewable Fuels Association
November 04, 2015 Read Full Article
Ethanol from Corn Stalks: A Cure for Climate Change?
by Donnelle Eller (Des Moines Register) ... "This is one of the core technologies that we need to cut oil use and reduce emissions from transportation," said Jeremy Martin, a senior scientist at the Union of Concerned Scientists. "It would be great if we
October 30, 2015 Read Full Article
Sen. Charles Grassley: It’s No Trick: Cellulosic Ethanol a Treat for Iowa Economy
by Senator Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) (Ames Tribune) ... Iowa’s new cellulosic facility also will help dry up the crocodile tears spilled by Big Food that tries to assign blame to corn-based ethanol for rising food prices. Don’t forget, the facility in
October 30, 2015 Read Full Article
Big Oil's Not So Smart Campaign
(Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association) ... If Big Oil truly believed its product (oil) was better than ethanol, why not launch a campaign on the greatness that is oil. Perhaps Big Oil could tell us how oil doesn't raise food prices. Nevermind that recent
October 28, 2015 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2015 8-Slide Guide to Nova’s Scenarios for Biomass Supply through 2050
by Stephan Piotrowski, Michael Carus and Roland Essel (nova-Institut /Biofuels Digest) How much biomass can be sustainably produced globally by 2050? How much of the demand for food, feed, materials, bioenergy and biofuels can be met by this supply? Dr. Stephan Piotrowski,
October 26, 2015 Read Full Article
Marginal Soil Can Make for Good Biofuel Crops
(Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory) Switchgrass, a perennial native to the tallgrass prairie, is one of the most promising bioenergy crops in the United States, with potential to provide high-yield biomass on marginal soils unsuitable for traditional agricultural crops. New research by
October 23, 2015 Read Full Article
RFA Statement on Big Oil Anti-RFS Campaign
(Renewable Fuels Association) The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) released the following statement regarding an ad campaign that is being launched by Smarter Fuel Future to call on Congress and the administration to repeal the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). “The oil industry
October 19, 2015 Read Full Article
China to Revive Corn-Based Ethanol Amid Record High Stocks
by Niu Shuping and Chen Aizhu (Reuters) China, the world's second-largest corn consumer, is set to resume building new corn-based ethanol plants after a nearly decade-long ban, in a move that could help absorb the country's record stocks, industry sources
October 19, 2015 Read Full Article
Ethanol Fraud Goes on with Impunity
by David O. Berger (St. Louis Today) ... And, of course, whenever big business and big government collude, as is the case in the ethanol industry, the financial players get into the game, buying and selling ethanol credits, thus influencing the price
October 05, 2015 Read Full Article
First Flight Imminent as South African Tobacco Crop to Jet Biofuel Project Earns RSB Sustainability Approval
(Green Air Online) The South African ‘Project Solaris’ initiative that is developing an energy-rich tobacco crop for use as a feedstock for producing aviation biofuel has been awarded certification by the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB). The project, formally launched
September 30, 2015 Read Full Article
Biofuels, Oil Palm and Agribusiness in Southeast Asia – Planning for Sustainability?
(Stockholm Environment Institute) This brief draws together SEI research done between 2011 and 2014 on agribusiness developments – especially of oil palm – in Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia, and the Philippines. The brief presents overarching insights from that work, along with recommendations
September 29, 2015 Read Full Article
Calling All Technicians: 20 Facts About Ethanol
by Bobby Likis (Car Clinic Network/Renewable Fuels Association) Today’s hot topic? Ethanol. Bobby's "Calling All Technicians...20 Facts about Ethanol" is designed to demystify - make that "de-myth-ify" - ethanol. The more you know, the more you ask, the more you know...well,
September 28, 2015 Read Full Article
Why Do Biofuels Seem to Be Stalled?
(Deutsche Welle) On the heels of the VW scandal, many are asking why eco-friendly transport seems to be stalled. Biofuels that don't compete with food production may indeed play an important future role, says Nicholas Wagner of IRENA. Deutsche Welle: The Paris
September 28, 2015 Read Full Article
Statement from Advanced Biofuels USA in Response to International Climate Science Coalition Press Release
(Advanced Biofuels USA) In the spirit of Pope Francis, and in response to press release from the International Climate Science Coalition's (ICSC) we invite the ICSC to join Advanced Biofuels USA and the biofuels community to find and institute ever
September 24, 2015 Read Full Article
Pope on Wrong Side of History on Climate Change - Global Warming Policies Are the Real Threat to the World's Most Vulnerable People
(International Climate Science Coalition/PR Newswire) "Rather than simply follow the United Nations on climate change, Pope Francis must consider whether U.N. climate policies are doing more harm than good," said Tom Harris, Executive Director of the Ottawa, Canada-based International Climate Science
September 24, 2015 Read Full Article
It's Time to Stop Thinking in Terms of Food versus Fuel
by Carl R. Woese (Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign/Science Daily) How farmers can sustainably, and affordably, meet humanity's growing demand for food, fuel -- Experts predict farmers can sustainably, and affordably, meet humanity's growing demand for food
September 15, 2015 Read Full Article
UN Data Suggests Ethanol Production Does Not Increase Food Prices
(Biofuels International) The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (UN FAO) has released data showing that global food prices have experienced the steepest monthly drop since 2008. According to the Global Renewable Fuels Alliance (GRFA), the decline in food prices has
September 14, 2015 Read Full Article
Dear EPA: The RFS Supports Food AND Fuel
by Coral Didion (Renewable Fuels Association) Food versus fuel is the misconception that we are diverting farmland and crops toward biofuel production to the detriment of the food supply. Didion Milling, which has been in business since 1972, producing corn meal,
September 11, 2015 Read Full Article
U.S. Biofuels Boom Threatens Brazilian Organic Farmers
(Foodtank.com) ... Miraci Pereira Silva is an organic farmer from the Roseli Nunes settlement in western Brazil. For years, together with other members of her community, she has grown crops like lettuce, beans, and papaya, which are sold locally and provide
September 08, 2015 Read Full Article
Project Solaris in South Africa Earns RSB Certification
(Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials) – Project Solaris in South Africa, has earned the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB) certification for the production of the energy rich tobacco crop “Solaris” in the Limpopo region of South Africa. Solaris is a nicotine-free
September 02, 2015 Read Full Article
Shedding Light on U.S. Biofuels: The 'Food versus Fuel' Debate
by Stephanie Mercier (Ag Web) The U.S. biofuels sector marks its birth back in 1979, when Congress established a blender’s credit for ethanol as the earliest piece of federal biofuel policy as part of the Energy Tax Act of 1978 as
August 17, 2015 Read Full Article
Celebrating a Decade of Success: The RFS Turns 10!
(Renewable Fuels Association) This Saturday marks 10 years since the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct) containing the original Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) was signed into law by President George W. Bush. The first RFS set America on a path
August 10, 2015 Read Full Article
Big Oil’s Mouthpiece Distorts the Facts
by Geoff Cooper (Renewable Fuels Association/The Hill) Sofie E. Miller may have left the Charles Koch Institute in 2012, but she clearly continues to do the bidding of her former employer and the rest of the oil industry (“RFS hurts
July 30, 2015 Read Full Article
How One Farm Is Growing Food and Biofuels While Helping to Save the Environment
by Padma Nagappan (TakePart) ... Now researchers at the United States Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory think they have a solution that allows farmers to profit from growing both food and advanced biofuels while benefitting the environment. They planted willow on
July 29, 2015 Read Full Article
THE CASE FOR BIOFUEL: The Magic Bullet for Energy Security and Rural Development in Africa
by Olatomiwa Bifarin* (Advanced Biofuels USA) Around 770,000 BC, it was fire, at some point – wood, dung and coal, to the now-ominous fossil fuels. This is the evolution of energy, and today the evolution must be accelerated to save
July 16, 2015 Read Full Article
Ethiopia: The Biofuel Myth
by Jose Graziano DA Silva (UN Food and Agriculture Organization/AllAfrica.com) Over the past several years, biofuels have become a bone of contention. For some, a renewable energy source produced from organic matter amounts to a magic wand in the fight
July 16, 2015 Read Full Article
Ethanol Chronicles Launches Blog to Answer Fuel Critics
By Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The Auto Channel recently launched the Ethanol Chronicles to aggregate questions and information on ethanol. The Auto Channel is a focused content channel covering all things automotive. A long-time champion for ethanol, copublisher Marc Rauch
July 14, 2015 Read Full Article
How the Future of Biofuels Is Taking Shape
by Iván Martén (Wall Street Journal) Global production of biofuels has surged over the past decade or so, with annual production climbing from approximately 10 billion liters in 2000 to nearly 80 billion liters in 2012. Much of this growth
July 14, 2015 Read Full Article
Ethanol and Biodiesel: Guilty as Charged
by Paul Driessen (Town Hall) ... The tale of Philip Joseph Rivkin (aka Felipe Poitan Arriaga) reveals an equally disgusting aspect of the mandate, resulting from the absurdly complex Renewable Identification Number (RIN) system devised by EPA bureaucrats. As Ron Arnold explains
July 14, 2015 Read Full Article
Scientists Study Ways to Integrate Biofuels and Food Crops on Farms
by Payal Marathe (Argonne National Laboratory) We ask a lot of the land: feed the world with crops, power the world with bioenergy, retain nutrients so they don’t pollute our water and air. To help landscapes answer these high demands,
July 08, 2015 Read Full Article
At a Crossroads, Biofuels Seek a New Path Forward
by Richard Martin (MIT Technology Review) New microbes and new techniques show promise for advanced biofuels, but the industry is still years away from real progress. Attempting to chart a path forward for the beleaguered biofuels industry, a group of researchers
July 06, 2015 Read Full Article
Food in the Age of Biofuels
by Jose Graziano da Silva (United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization/Project Syndicate) ... But this is a false dichotomy. The choice cannot be between food and fuel. We can make good use of both. Given the right conditions, biofuels can be an effective means
July 03, 2015 Read Full Article
Grazing Land Has Scope for Biofuel Surge
(SciDev.net) At least 500 million hectares are available for growing biofuel crops; This is after considering rising food demand and growing urbanisation; Only up to 200 million hectares would be needed to slash fossil fuel use Converting grazing land into fields to grow
July 02, 2015 Read Full Article
Ignorance or Ignoring is Bliss
by Mike Bryan (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Many so-called "experts" fail to account for the contributions of ethanol or, in many cases, simply ignore those contributions in order to make their point, writes Mike Bryan. I guess ignoring can be as
June 30, 2015 Read Full Article
Blog: Project to Restart Idled Ethanol Plant Has Deep Impact on Student
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) This week, we'll hear from someone that was part of a project to restart an idled ethanol plant in 2013. It was an ambitious and interesting effort and I'm sorry to hear it wasn't
June 30, 2015 Read Full Article
Big Oil’s Mouthpiece Distorts the Facts
by Geoff Cooper (Renewable Fuels Association/The Hill) Sofie E. Miller may have left the Charles Koch Institute in 2012, but she clearly continues to do the bidding of her former employer and the rest of the oil industry (“RFS hurts
June 29, 2015 Read Full Article
European Biomass Conference and Exhibition 2015: Biomass: Challenges and Promises
by Maija Sihvonen* (Advanced Biofuels USA) The 23rd European Biomass Conference and Exhibition (EUBCE) held in Vienna 1-4 June was a massive event with nearly 1300 participants from 76 countries and some 800 presentations. The event consisted of multiple parallel
June 29, 2015 Read Full Article
EU Set to Meet Green Energy Goal but UK, Netherlands Trail
by Susanna Twidale and Barbara Lewis (Reuters) * Renewable energy to account for 15.3 percent in 2014 * France, Malta, Belgium and Spain also need to boost efforts * Transport challenge proving difficult (Adds reaction, detail on transport sector) The European
June 19, 2015 Read Full Article
European Renewable Ethanol Industry Releases Annual State of the Industry Report
(ePURE) On the occasion of its annual general assembly, the European renewable ethanol association (ePURE) has today released its annual 2015 State of the Industry Report. The annual report offers a comprehensive look at the European ethanol industry, its market and policy
June 19, 2015 Read Full Article
4 Minutes with… Will Steiner, General Manager, Hawaii Oil Seed Producers
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) HOSPRO is dedicated to battle the 95+% import of petroleum for energy and electricity generation by promoting the development of tree based oil seed crops. We are focusing on oil palm a proven producer in
June 16, 2015 Read Full Article
COUNTERPOINT: Ethanol a Valuable Part of Energy Mix
by Barry Blitsteihn (Chronicle Herald) A corn field is harvested near Coy, Ark. in 2012. Three years later, “corn prices are in the basement, yet ethanol production is off the charts, so how can you blame ethanol for food shortages?,”
June 08, 2015 Read Full Article
Researchers Study Benefits of Double-Cropping Camelina, Soybeans
(The American Society of Agronomy/Biodiesel Magazine) In the U.S., federal mandates to produce more renewable fuels, especially biofuels, have led to a growing debate: Should fuel or food grow on arable land? Recent research shows farmers can successfully, and sustainably,
June 03, 2015 Read Full Article
Biofuel Research and Commercial Development in Denmark
(Task 39 Newsletter) General introduction - A fossil free energy supply by 2050 -- In 2012, the Danish parliament decided on a new climate act, which calls for an energy supply totally free of fossil fuels by 2050. This goal
June 02, 2015 Read Full Article
RSB General Assembly Opens with Approval of New Low iLUC Risk Standard
(Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials) The Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB) kicked off its annual General Assembly meeting with a delegation vote on the new "Low iLUC Risk Biomass Criteria and Compliance Indicators". The standard was approved by consensus and will be
June 02, 2015 Read Full Article
Ethanol Evil No More?
by Kelly Taylor (Chronicle Herald) ... Still, ethanol does have some advantages, including lower net greenhouse gas emissions due to its recycling of carbon-dioxide emitted by today’s plants (or factories), as opposed to oil, which is releasing the CO2 of plants
May 29, 2015 Read Full Article
Don’t Blame Ethanol and the RFA for High Food Prices
by Bob Dinneen (Renewable Fuels Association/Wall Street Journal) There is no support for the statement that ethanol production has driven up food prices. Mike Brown and Rob Green’s “Paying for Ethanol at the Pump and on the Plate” (op-ed, May 15)
May 26, 2015 Read Full Article
Voices from Europe, on Europe and Renewable Fuels
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... How does the European renewable fuels industry look at itself? Too focused on survival instead of growth? Too focused on sector competition instead of the transparency on carbon that leads to policy stability? Not focused
May 26, 2015 Read Full Article
Agriculture Industry Alliance Warns Ethanol Mandate Would Increase Fuel and Food Prices in Queensland but Grain Growers and Grain Ethanol Producers Disagree
(ABC Rural) The head of Queensland's only sorghum biorefinery says a mandate on ethanol in fuel is essential for the future of his business. It comes as the agriculture sector is shaping up for another round of fighting between two key
May 20, 2015 Read Full Article
Bioenergy & Sustainability: Bridging the Gaps
(SCOPE) Bioenergy & Sustainability is a collective effort with contributions from 137 researchers of 82 institutions in 24 countries. The volume is the outcome of an assessment that included a meeting held at UNESCO, Paris, in December 2013. Fifty experts
May 15, 2015 Read Full Article
Bioenergy Misconceptions and Misinformation
(Safer Alliance) What wild accusation have your heard regarding ethanol, biodiesel, biogas or other bioenergy resource? If you are engaged in research, promotion and advocacy and/or invested in the world of biofuels, you have likely heard some story of how
May 15, 2015 Read Full Article
End the Food vs Fuel Debate
by Bliss Baker (Global Renewable Fuels Association) The recent drop in oil prices and global food price index should finally put an end to the food vs. food debate, writes Bliss Baker of GRFA. The price of oil and energy inputs
May 14, 2015 Read Full Article
VietNam Considers Raising Export Tariff on Cassava, Ethanol to Support E5 Production
(VietNamNet Bridge) The Ministry of Finance (MOF) is planning to raise the tariff on cassava and ethanol exports in an effort to retain materials for domestic biofuel production. Cassava and ethanol bear an export tariff of zero percent. ... Cassava, the major
May 05, 2015 Read Full Article
Do Biofuels Still Have A Place In The Global Energy Mix?
By Alexis Arthur (OilPrice.com) Less than a decade ago, biofuels were set to take the energy world by storm. They promised a low-carbon alternative to gasoline, while advances in algae technology were taking biofuels beyond the traditional soybeans and corn.
April 30, 2015 Read Full Article
Earth Day: 3 Big Reads for a Sustainable BioFuture
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Three reports have arrived this week that help – especially in the corner of sustainability relating to biobased energy, fuels and products. One led out of Brazil, tapping the efforts of 137 researchers at 82
April 21, 2015 Read Full Article
EU Reshapes Its Biofuels Policy
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Jettisons indirect land use change for now, citing poor data visibility; caps food-crop biofuels to 7%; limits proposed Directives to 2020. In Brussels, the European Parliament’s Environmental Committee has voted this week to endorse the
April 17, 2015 Read Full Article
R5 Bln Plant to Convert Canola into Diesel Halted by Laws
by Lutho Mtongana (BizNews.com) PhytoEnergy International Holding AG said it will only proceed with a plan to build a 5 billion rand ($418 million) plant to convert canola into diesel in South Africa if the government passes laws needed by the
April 16, 2015 Read Full Article
Answers for Your Questions about Biofuels, Renewable Chemicals, Bioproducts and Sustainable Agriculture.
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Amazing questions get asked at ABLC — and except for attendees, you generally don’t hear them, or the answers. Let’s change that. With great sessions at conferences, delegates are usually keen to get a hold of
April 09, 2015 Read Full Article
Residue or Residon’t: Untapped Fuel Yields from the US Corn Production System
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Why not use the materials we don’t need, to produce the fuels we do need? ... (R)educe, re-use, recycle. Use what’s already there. And there’s nothing more powerful in the Imperial Department of Re-Use than sustainable agricultural
April 08, 2015 Read Full Article
RFA: Economic Models Are One Thing, Reality Is Another
(Renewable Fuels Association/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Science Magazine has published yet another study from environmental activist and attorney Timothy Searchinger that re-packages his already disproven theory of food vs. fuel. His assertions about the impact of biofuels on food markets run
April 06, 2015 Read Full Article
Cellulosic Ethanol Is Getting a Big Boost from Corn, for Now
by Ryan Fitzpatrick (Third Way) Cellulosic fuels offer economic, environmental, and national security benefits, but scaling-up the technology has proven difficult and costly. Companies with an extensive background in the corn ethanol industry are cracking the cellulosic code, with projects that
April 06, 2015 Read Full Article
Sustainable Biofuels Highlighted as Key for Future Transport Needs
(Click Green) The Transport Energy Task Force has today highlighted the important role sustainable biofuels will play in meeting the UK’s future transport needs, in its concluding report. The report identified that there is a clear role for sustainable biofuels over
March 30, 2015 Read Full Article
Do Biofuel Policies Seek to Cut Emissions by Cutting Food?
by Timothy Searchinger, R. Edwards, D. Mulligan, R. Heimlich, R. Plevin (Science Magazine) Ethanol emits fossil carbon and trace gases through production (A) and biogenic carbon from the crops during fermentation (B) and ethanol combustion (C). Additional crop production can offset
March 27, 2015 Read Full Article
The New Voices Debuts: The Advanced Bioeconomy Comes to Streamed Video
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, the advanced bioeconomy takes to the airwaves as The New Voices debuts today as a digital streaming experience — the first three episodes of the program are online today as the regular cast and
March 23, 2015 Read Full Article
Food vs. Food and Fuel
By Hilary Landfried (Project Gaia) ... We rarely think of it here in the West, hooked up to electric and gas grids as we are, but nearly half of the world’s population still cooks on biomass fuels such as wood, charcoal, and
March 13, 2015 Read Full Article
Why Is Jay Leno Misrepresenting Ethanol? +VIDEO
by Marc J. Rauch (The Auto Channel) I've watched enough video of Jay and his vehicles to believe that he is equally a master when it comes to knowing about his vehicles and the history of how they were designed. I
March 10, 2015 Read Full Article
Brazilian Study Explores Multiple Causes of 2007 Mexico Tortilla Crisis
by Joanne Ivancic (Advanced Biofuels USA) In light of signs of a moderation in the long upward trend in commodity prices, and recurrent assignment of blame for food insecurity and high food prices to the emergence of biofuels markets, particularly
March 02, 2015 Read Full Article
The Good News on Ethanol: U.S. a ‘Biofuels Superpower'
by Dan Morgan (Des Moines Register) ... President Barack Obama didn’t mention ethanol, biofuels, or agriculture in his State of the Union address, even as he boasted that the country was “number one in oil and gas.” Yet a thriving renewable
March 02, 2015 Read Full Article
USDA Increases Ethanol Support
by Daniel Looker (Agriculture.com) Speaking to the ethanol lobbying group, Growth Energy, Agriculture Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack Thursday announced more USDA support for bioenergy research and farmer production of biomass but also praised efforts by the biofuel industry itself
March 01, 2015 Read Full Article
Toomey, Feinstein Introduce Bill to Repeal Ethanol Mandate
(Senator Pat Toomey (R-PA)) U.S. Senators Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) and Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) are working to repeal a law that drives up the cost of everything from gasoline to groceries. The Toomey-Feinstein Corn Ethanol Mandate Elimination Act of 2015, introduced today,
February 27, 2015 Read Full Article
2015 Sun Grant Conference: Academia Jumps One Step Forward and Shows What Will Be the Future of Lignocellulosic Biomass Production and Utilization in the Southeastern USA
Author, Dan Quadros, in Auburn, Alabama.by Danilo Gusmão de Quadros* (Advanced Biofuels USA) After two days (February 2-3, 2015) in “Sweet Home Alabama” at Auburn University, we got overwhelmed with the most recent discoveries of cutting-edge research that were presented
February 25, 2015 Read Full Article
Biofuels: Good News and False Solutions
by Elmar Baumann (Association of German Biofuels Producers (VDB)/Euractiv) While the discussion hots up, there is good news for all those in favour of biodiesel and bioethanol as more scientific work on iLUC has been published. ILUC means that some of
February 20, 2015 Read Full Article
A Biofuel Debate: Will Cutting Trees Cut Carbon?
by Eduardo Porter (The New York Times) Does combating climate change require burning the world’s forests and crops for fuel? ... Absent a big increase in bioenergy supplies, the climate change panel’s analysis reported, it would cost about two-thirds more, on
February 11, 2015 Read Full Article
Report Based on False Assumption of Either-Or Land Use Approach
(Environmental and Energy Study Institute) In the World Resources Institute (WRI) working paper, “Avoiding Bioenergy Competition for Food Crops and Land,” the authors work off the assumption that land-use decisions are used making an “either-or” approach, i.e., land can either
February 08, 2015 Read Full Article
World Resources Institute Wrong About Biofuels Impact on Land Use and the Environment
(Renewable Fuels Association) Today (January 30, 2015), the Global Renewable Fuels Alliance (GRFA) criticized a new report by World Resources Institute (WRI) for its false data on the environmental and land use impacts of biofuels. The report titled, ‘Avoiding Bioenergy
February 06, 2015 Read Full Article
25x’25 Responds to Questionable Assessment of Bioenergy Production
(25x'25) A report released today by the World Resources Institute would seem to demonstrate the old adage: "The more things change, the more they stay the same." The "change" in this instance is a massive amount of research showing the
February 06, 2015 Read Full Article
UN’s Pro Biofuels Stance an ‘Important Milestone’ for Agriculture
by Olivia Midgley (Farmers Guardian) Sustainable biofuel production can offer additional incomes for farmers as well as helping to achieve energy security, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) chief has said. Speaking at the Global Forum for Food and
February 06, 2015 Read Full Article
Opening Channels For Export
by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. Grains Council is teaming up with Growth Energy, the Renewable Fuels Association and the USDA Foreign Agriculture Service on a new four-way partnership in ethanol export market development. There’s a big difference
January 19, 2015 Read Full Article
RFS Roundup: Senators Feinstein, Toomey Float Amendment to Cut Corn Ethanol from RFS
(Environmental and Energy Study Insitute) On January 16, Sens. Feinstein (D-CA) and Toomey (R-PA) floated an amendment to the Keystone XL pipeline bill, the ‘Corn Ethanol Mandate Elimination Act of 2015,’ that would remove corn ethanol from the Renewable Fuel
January 16, 2015 Read Full Article
Report Offers a Framework to Help Policymakers, Researchers, and Other Stakeholders Analyze the Effects of Potential Changes to the U.S. Food System
(WebWire) To aid U.S. policymakers and other stakeholders who make decisions about the nation’s food system, a new report from the Institute of Medicine and National Research Council offers a framework for assessing the health, environmental, social, and economic effects
January 16, 2015 Read Full Article
Making Indirect Land Use Change Go Away
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) As the specter of falling oil prices spooks the sector, here’s good news from the Land of ILUC — a shocker study pointing a way towards mitigating or eliminating that infamous scourge of carbon-scoring for
January 15, 2015 Read Full Article
The 5 Most Maddening Myths about Corn and Ethanol
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Food vs Fuel, emissions, cost competitiveness, and RINsanity. Some of the most unfair bricks hurled at corn starch-based ethanol — and here’s why. ... In the field of renewable fuels, there’s no technology that’s done more
January 12, 2015 Read Full Article
UN Flags Vulnerability of Ag Prices to Oil Market Weakness
(AgriMoney.com) The United Nations highlighted the vulnerability of agricultural commodity values to the weakness in crude oil markets as it revealed a drop in food prices to a four-year low, led by declines in sugar – one of the main
January 09, 2015 Read Full Article
Will New Congress Take on Ethanol?
by Rob Nikolewski (Watchdog.org) It’s possibly the most controversial mandate on the books — a requirement under the Renewable Fuel Standard that billions of gallons of ethanol be mixed into the gasoline American consumers put into their tanks. But there’s a new Congress
January 09, 2015 Read Full Article
The Year That Wasn’t
by Bob Dinneen (Renewable Fuels Association/Ethanol Producer Magazine) ... Ethanol production and blending broke records. Exports picked up. E15 and E85 sales increased. And the first cellulosic ethanol gallons were produced. So here, in satiric tribute to the year that wasn’t,
January 07, 2015 Read Full Article
China Biofuels Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast, 2010 - 2017
(Transparency Market Research/Digital Journal) Transparency Market Research Report Added "China Biofuels Market" to its database. The research report provides insights into the global and China biofuels market with detailed overview and statistical data. The growing demand for alternative fuel has motivated
December 18, 2014 Read Full Article
High Turkey Prices: Don't Blame Ethanol
by Alan Neuhauser (U.S. News and World Report/MSN.com) No clucking way. Turkey prices are still higher than average, the American Farm Bureau and the Bureau of Labor Statistics found last week – but don’t blame the Environmental Protection Agency's renewable fuel standard. The
November 26, 2014 Read Full Article
Model Evaluates Where Bioenergy Crops Grow Best
(University of Illinois) Farmers interested in bioenergy crops now have a resource to help them determine which kind of bioenergy crop would grow best in their regions and what kind of harvest to expect. Researchers at the University of Illinois have
November 25, 2014 Read Full Article
France Champions Bioethanol Industry in Europe
(Euractiv) The French bioethanol industry is leading the campaign to raise the proportion of biofuel in Europe’s transport fuel mix to 15%, while the European Commission continues to hold the sector on a short leash. EurActiv France reports. ... Bioethanol is produced
November 24, 2014 Read Full Article
Feed Food Fairness Campaign – Not Big on Transparency
(Renewable Fuels Association) Today (November 18, 2014), the Feed Food Fairness Campaign, backed by members of the livestock and fast food industries, ran a one-sided advertisement in the popular Beltway publication “Politico” inaccurately blaming the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) for
November 20, 2014 Read Full Article
Fuel Standard Good for US Economy
by Tim Walz (D-Minn.) (AgWeek) Imagine a future where America controls its own energy destiny — a future in which we stop spending $1 billion per day on foreign oil and start investing those funds to rebuild our crumbling infrastructure
November 18, 2014 Read Full Article
UN Report Outlines Growing Biofuels Role in Developing Economies
by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Biofuels now account for 1 percent of global energy use, a new report from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development finds. “The State of the Biofuels Market: Regulatory, Trade and Development Perspectives” provides a
November 14, 2014 Read Full Article
Verticality: A Key Factor in the Food x Fuel Issue
by Al Costa (Global Biobusiness) ...To this end, it becomes increasingly clear that "verticality" is a key issue. This means crops which occupy little space horizontally and as much space vertically. After all, a crop is free to be
November 11, 2014 Read Full Article
Ethanol Advocate Wants to Keep His Issue on the Front Burner
by David Fondler (Pioneer Press/TwinCities.com) To Randall Doyal, ethanol seems like a no-brainer: a renewable, domestically produced automotive fuel that reduces the need for imported oil; that burns clean, reducing harmful greenhouse gases and pollution; that boosts farmers and rural economies
November 03, 2014 Read Full Article
Fueling a Nation, Feeding the World
(Renewable Fuels Association) RFA's "Fueling a Nation, Feeding the World" handbook highlights ethanol's contribution to the global food and feed supply and contains information that disproves the fabricated food-vs.-fuel argument. The booklet outlines the co-products of ethanol production, e.g. distillers
October 31, 2014 Read Full Article
Stu Ellis: What Do We Do with All of This Corn?
by Stu Ellis (Herald-Review.com) ... Last fall, the market was telling farmers to raise more soybeans in 2014, but don’t cut back too much on corn acres, and total planted acreage in the U.S. subsequently increased by 6 million. In
October 30, 2014 Read Full Article
Biofuels Help Boost Sustainable Transport and Support Rural Development in Africa: GRFA
(Renewable Fuels Association) Today, as the first African Sustainable Transport Forum gets under way in Nairobi, Kenya, the Global Renewable Fuels Alliance (GRFA) called on forum attendees to adopt biofuels friendly policies and regulations that would kick-start the increased use
October 29, 2014 Read Full Article
Cereal Grains Food Science Professor Receives Grant to Bring Corn Co-product to Market
(South Dakota State University/Lab Manager) South Dakota State University food science professor Padmanaban Krishnan received a four-year grant geared toward getting corn co-products to the food market. With a $576,000 project budget for the Minnesota Corn Growers Association grant, Krishnan will
October 28, 2014 Read Full Article
Balancing Birds and Biofuels: Grasslands Support More Species than Cornfields
by Kelly April Tyrrell (University of Wisconsin-Madison) In Wisconsin, bioenergy is for the birds. Really. In a study published today in the journal PLOS ONE, University of Wisconsin-Madison and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) scientists examined whether corn and
October 17, 2014 Read Full Article
Is the Next “Green Revolution” Right Around the Corner?
by Caitlin Kennedy (Biotech NOW) National Geographic’s October issue contains an in-depth article, “The Next Green Revolution” on how plant biotechnology will be one part of a multifaceted solution to feeding a rapidly growing population in the face of climate change. Climate change and population
October 17, 2014 Read Full Article
Airlines Fly the Skies on a Sugar High
by Amy Yee (The New York Times) The red-and-white Boeing 737 looked like any other plane on the tarmac at Orlando International Airport. But on a clear day last July, the plane became the first commercial flight powered by a
October 14, 2014 Read Full Article
New Report Sheds Light on the Old "Food Vs. Fuel" Bioenergy Debate
by Jennifer Runyon (RenewableEnergyWorld.com) There was never any conflict between using corn for food or for ethanol since corn growers send most of their product to animal feedlots. That product isn’t even meant for human consumption anyway. It was an abundant year
October 14, 2014 Read Full Article
White Lists: A Proactive Approach to Risk Reduction for the Bioenergy Industry
by Dr. Doria Gordon (The Nature Conservancy/Biofuels Digest) Cultivation of bioenergy crops is predicted to increase to between 27 and 120 million acres by 2022 in order to meet the renewable energy needs of the U.S. and the Environmental Protection
August 26, 2014 Read Full Article
That Dread US Ethanol Policy that Reduced Foreign Oil, Saved Consumers $800 P.A., and Produced More Food
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, USDA released its August World Agriculture Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report. The 2014 corn crop is estimated at 14.032 billion bushels. That is 172 million bushels higher than the previous record established
August 15, 2014 Read Full Article
The Clean Plate Club: The Search for Value from Food Waste Finds a Center of Gravity in Hawaii
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) All that food waste, all that potential value. What’s being done about all that material heading from the garbage pail to the landfill? Turns out, the State of Hawaii and BioTork are doing a lot.
August 08, 2014 Read Full Article
All-in-One Energy System Offers Greener Power for Off-Grid Homes, Farms
(Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council) An innovative 'trigeneration' system fuelled entirely by raw plant oils could have great potential for isolated homes and businesses operating outside grid systems both in the UK and abroad. Developed by a consortium led by
August 01, 2014 Read Full Article
Ethanol & Corn Production Up, Food & Gas Prices Down
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) Growth Energy is attacking the myth that ethanol production increases food prices. Tom Buis, CEO of Growth Energy notes that time and again, Big Oil, big Food and special interests are attacking the ethanol industry and placing blame on them
July 18, 2014 Read Full Article
Pass the Mustard: Why Carinata Is Taking Root as Biofuel
by Don Konantz (Calyx Bio-Ventures/Renewable Energy World) Navigant Research forecasts that the “global biofuels production will reach 61 billion gallons by 2023, replacing nearly 6 percent of global transportation fuel production from fossil sources and generating $70 billion in new
July 02, 2014 Read Full Article
Take a Closer Look: Biofuels Can Support Environmental, Economic and Social Goals
by Bruce E. Dale, James E. Anderson, Robert C. Brown, Steven Csonka⊥ Virginia H. Dale, Gary Herwick, Randall D. Jackson, Nicholas Jordan, Stephen Kaffka, Keith L. Kline, Lee R. Lynd, Carolyn Malmstrom, Rebecca G. Ong, Tom L. Richard, Caroline Taylor, and Michael Q. Wang
July 01, 2014 Read Full Article
Global Biofuels Production to Hit 135 Billion Liters by 2019: IEA
(Platts) Global biofuels output is expected to increase 2.7% per year to 135 billion liters in 2019, but withering political support for renewable transport fuels may undermine the industry's medium-term outlook, Anselm Eisentraut, biofuels analyst with the International Energy Agency
June 18, 2014 Read Full Article
Don't Count It Out: Biofuels Industry Holds Much Promise
by Shankar Rampalli (Mordor Intelligence/Renewable Energy World) The verdict on biofuels is in, and the catchphrase seems to be over-promised and under-delivered. Biofuels have been in public use in some form or the other for a long time (remember the
June 18, 2014 Read Full Article
Doctor DDGS: Leading Swine Nutritionist, University of Minnesota Professor Jerry Shurson, Discusses Low-Oil DDGS and Growth Performance on Pigs.
by Ron Kotrba (Ethanol Producers Magazine) With ethanol plants extracting oil from DDGS, the question of how this affects feeding performance becomes paramount to the livestock and poultry industries. University of Minnesota professor Jerry Shurson talks with Ethanol Producer Magazine about
June 17, 2014 Read Full Article
Using Less Corn Ethanol Reduces Greenhouse Gas Emissions
(Environmental Working Group) The Environmental Protection Agency’s pending proposal to cut the amount of corn ethanol that must be blended into gasoline in 2014 by 1.39 billion gallons would lower U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by the equivalent of 3 million
May 29, 2014 Read Full Article
Grants Further Environmental Policy Research
by Stacy Shackford (Cornell Chronicle) ... A $499,998 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture – one of two awarded to Cornell as part of a $12 million program – will allow researchers to delve
May 15, 2014 Read Full Article
Addax Bioenergy Certified by Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials
(Sierra Express Media) Addax Bioenergy (SL) Limited has been fully and formally certified under the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB). This is said to quite an achievement and everyone involved has to be commended. RSB is recognized as being the
May 14, 2014 Read Full Article
FORUM: A Brief Lesson On Ethanol And Food Prices
by Kelvin Alversion (Rapid City Journal) We are blessed as Americans to have the safest, most affordable and abundant food supply in the world. Consumers have thousands of choices when it comes to food any time of the year. It’s the
May 13, 2014 Read Full Article
Don’t Ignore Contribution of Distillers Grains
by Mike Bryan (Ethanol Producer Magazine) It's something that has been said over and over and, yet, it's worth repeating because so many people don't seem to get it. Distillers grains is an important part of the ethanol production and
May 13, 2014 Read Full Article
ETHANOL: Feeding and Fueling the World| 2014 UPDATE
(Renewable Fuels Association) The Renewable Fuels Association has published an updated infographic to illustrate how corn is used for fuel and feed. READ MORE
May 08, 2014 Read Full Article
Ag Subcommittee Hears Pros and Cons of RFS
by John Davis (DomesticFuel.com) The food versus fuel debate arose once again in front of Congress. At last week’s U.S. House Ag Subcommittee hearing in Washington, D.C., opponents and proponents of the Renewable Fuels Standard presented their arguments on the RFS
May 06, 2014 Read Full Article
How Farmers Are Feeding & Fueling The Country in 60 Seconds
(Fuels America) Farmers feed America -- and they help fuel it, too! That's a huge job, and one that never slows down. Luckily for us, they're getting better at it every year. Want to know how they do it? All
April 24, 2014 Read Full Article
Biofuels and Local Food Security: What Does the Evidence Say?
by Anna Locke and Giles Henley (Overseas Development Institute) • People worry that using crop-based biofuels to increase the volume of low-carbon fuels could worsen hunger in poor countries by pushing up global food prices and endangering local food security. • ODI research finds that
April 14, 2014 Read Full Article
The Real Cost of Food
by Tom Buis (Growth Energy/Ethanol Producer Magazine) First-generation ethanol reduces our dependence on foreign oil, revitalizes our rural communities, improves our environment and employs nearly 400,000 workers while driving down fuel costs. The next generation will make an even greater
March 18, 2014 Read Full Article
Super-Sized Hogwash: Examining the Chain Restaurants’ Rhetoric about the RFS and Food Prices
by Geoff Cooper (Renewable Fuels Association) It has been reported that chain restaurant executives and franchise owners are on Capitol Hill this week pushing for the repeal of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). Despite the fact that wholesale food and
February 28, 2014 Read Full Article
RPT-EU Policy Gap Choking off Next Generation Green Fuel-Industry
by Barbara Lewis (Reuters) * New research underlines benefits of new generation biofuel * Commission 2030 policy outline omits transport goals * Research has questioned credentials of first-generation fuels Projects to deliver a next generation of green transport fuel, which
February 28, 2014 Read Full Article
World Leaders Promote Sustainable Production to Meet Global Food Challenges
(25 x '25) The annual Global Forum for Food and Agriculture is currently underway in Berlin and those attending are grappling with a formidable challenge: finding ways to insure food security around the world as population surges by nearly 30
January 17, 2014 Read Full Article
Solon Wants House to Probe Biofuel Compliance
by Butch Fernandez (Business Mirror) ... A lawmaker has filed a resolution asking the House Committee on Energy to probe the performance and impact assessment of the Biofuels Act of 2006 and the development of alternative sources of biofuels, following reports that
December 30, 2013 Read Full Article
False Alarms vs Hard Data: the Renewable Fuel Standard, the Results, and the Critics
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) All those worries about the impact of biofuels on food prices, deforestation, Gulf hypoxia? ... RFS2 fuels have been described as “fantasy fuels”, “government fuels”, derided as “farmer fuels”. Biofuels in general have been, for
December 23, 2013 Read Full Article
Dinneen: RFS Not for Big Oil’s Convenience
by John Davis (DomesticFuel.com) The case for keeping the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) as-is is being made today at an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) hearing in Arlington, Va. Our friends from the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) have shown up in
December 06, 2013 Read Full Article
Obama Messes with the RFS
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, the EPA released its 2014 proposed standards and volumes for renewable fuels. The volumes, as widely expected, include substantial reductions from the statutory standards in the original Energy Independence & Security Act. The announced proposed volumes
November 18, 2013 Read Full Article
Chickens to Benefit from Biofuels Bonanza
(Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council) Chickens could be the unexpected beneficiaries of the growing biofuels industry, feeding on proteins retrieved from the fermenters used to brew bioethanol, thanks to research supported by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). It
November 01, 2013 Read Full Article
HLPE Refuses to Release Sources of Funding for Report: GRFA
(Global Renewable Fuels Alliance) As the Committee on World Food Security’s (CFS) annual Plenary gets underway in Rome, the Global Renewable Fuels Alliance (GRFA) is demanding the High Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition (HLPE) withdraw their
October 30, 2013 Read Full Article
Bipartisan Group of Legislators Introduce RFS Reform Act
(Office of Representative Jim Costa (D-CA 16th)) Reps. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA), Jim Costa (D-CA), Steve Womack (R-AR), and Peter Welch (D-VT) released the following statement today regarding the introduction of the RFS Reform Act in the U.S. House of Representatives: “The
October 22, 2013 Read Full Article
Bio-Fuel Production Threatens Ghana’s Agriculture – Director
(Ghana Business News) Mr Cyril T. Quist, Brong Ahafo Regional Director of Agriculture, has said mining and biofuel production in the country posed a threat to agriculture. He said efforts at promoting sustainable food systems were in danger if current
October 21, 2013 Read Full Article
Ethanol Groups Issue Letter to UN Committee on Food Security
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) ... The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Committee on World Food Security kicked off its annual meeting on Oct. 7 in Rome. Biofuel policy is among the issues that are scheduled to
October 15, 2013 Read Full Article
Global Food Prices Fall to 3-Year Low, FAO Trims Crop Forecasts
(Reuters) Global food prices are not expected to fall much further after dipping to their lowest level in three years in September, the United Nations food agency said on Thursday, trimming its estimate for 2013/14 world cereals production. The decline in prices last
October 03, 2013 Read Full Article
RFA, Growth Energy Speak out against API Poll Results
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The Renewable Fuels Association and Growth Energy are disputing the results of a new poll released by the American Petroleum Institute, calling the data biased and deceptive. The RFA noted that two polls performed
October 03, 2013 Read Full Article
Impacts of the EU Biofuel Policy on Agricultural Markets and Land Use
(European Commission Joint Research Center) This report aims to analyse different scenarios that could occur in the EU in the years to come. First is an assumed situation in which by 2020 biofuels would contribute 8% towards the RE transport target; other RE
October 02, 2013 Read Full Article
Maintain Renewable Fuel Standards
by Tim Burrack (Chicago Tribune) Letter to Editor: ... As family farmers for more than 40 years, we have had our share of ups and downs. The RFS gave farmers like us a new market for our corn, helped bring corn prices
October 02, 2013 Read Full Article
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