(PR NewsWire/Hart Energy) The development of biofuels has increased exponentially over the past decade, and will continue to do so as many countries seek to move away from dependence on fossil fuels. However, increasing use of biofuels raises serious questions about
by Joelle Brink (Biofuels Digest Asia) The Cancun climate summit in Mexico kicked off last week at the same time as a “Cablegate” revelation that motorists buying fossil fuels at the pump are unwittingly funding terrorism in their own countries. The
by Marion Davis (Stockholm Environment Insitute) ...SEI researchers are part of a large, collaborative project led by the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) and funded by the European Commission to gauge the impact of bioenergy development on forests in
by Terry McDonald (EnergyBoom) ...The EPA agrees with the (U.S. Energy Information Agency) that biomass is a renewable fuel with no impact on the environment: “Although the burning of biomass also produces carbon dioxide, the primary greenhouse gas, it is considered
by Denis Gathanju (Renewable Energy World) Could this poverty-stricken country become the world's largest biodiesel producer? Policy-makers in Ethiopia, challenged by fluctuating oil prices and poverty, are seeking solutions that will improve the living conditions of its people and boost its
by Niki Koswanage (Reuters) Palm oil has production audit in place unlike other vegoils; Green palm oil production capacity growing. European Union rules requiring vegetable-oil based biofuels to come from eco-friendly sources may boost palm oil use in the sector as
(PR NewsWire) Deforested area reaches lowest levels for second consecutive year Deforestation rates in the Brazilian Amazon declined 14 percent from August 2009 to July 2010, reaching the lowest rates ever recorded for the second consecutive year, President Luiz Inacio Lula
by David R. Shonnard, Larry Williams, Tom N. Kalnes (Environmental Progress and Sustainable Energy) Recently, an isoparaffin-rich jet fuel derived from camelina, a low-input nonfood oilseed crop, was flight-tested by a commercial airline. To date, all test results indicate that
by John Upton (The Bay Citizen) A proposal to convert a rendering facility in southeastern San Francisco into a biodiesel manufacturing plant was approved Tuesday by the Port of San Francisco. ...Under the plan, animal and food waste that is currently turned
(International Business Times) Farmers in this iron-roof village in Sierra Leone say they didn't know what they were getting into when they leased their land for a biofuel crop they now fear threatens their food harvests. Addax Bioenergy, part of privately-owned Swiss
(Farmers Guardian) More than 100 delegates attended the HGCA Biofuel Conference at Aldwark Manor, York, supported by Farmers Guardian. A further 100 joined the proceedings online as Farmers Guardian streamed video live from the event. Angela Calvert reports. Increased demand for wheat
by Alex Morales (Bloomberg Businessweek) Malaysia’s limited room for expanding palm oil cultivation means that industry growth will have to come from improving productivity, its plantation minister said. About 4.6 million hectares (11.4 million acres) of the southeast Asian nation’s 32 million
by Joelle Brink (Biofuels Digest Asia) ...Preserving and increasing the planet’s forest cover is likely to be high on the agenda. Both Indian and China have ambitious reforestation programs under way. For India as well as other Asian first generation biofuels producing nations,
by Rob Parsons and Lance Holter (Sierra Club-Maui/The Maui News) In early 2007, Hawaiian Electric Co. and subsidiary Maui Electric Co. announced plans by BlueEarth Biofuels to construct a mega-sized palm oil refinery on Maui, which would have been the largest in
(Platts) A decision this week by California regulators to lower corn-based ethanol's so-called indirect land use penalty is good for that product's demand, but timing of the change is not, the Renewable Fuels Association said Friday. California is in the midst
by Matt Hartwig (Renewable Fuels Association) Earlier this week, Iowa State University Professor Bruce Babcock released a policy brief entitled “Impact of Ethanol, Corn, and Livestock from Imminent U.S. Policy Decisions.” Much of this analysis is predicated on anticipated fears
(MarketWatch/Linde) ...Linde is currently researching various production options aimed at gradually increasing the share of "green" sources in the hydrogen landscape. One of these uses liquid biomass (glycerine), a by-product of biodiesel production, as the feedstock. READ MORE From the report: The
by Mike Bryan (Ethanol Producer Magazine) In a thinly veiled attempt to further line their pockets, the meat and poultry industry, and the grocery and convenience store associations, are once again trying to stop the advance of ethanol use in
by Bob Dinneen (Renewable Fuels Association/Houston Chronicle) Letter to Editor ...The Chronicle says natural gas from shale deserves federal subsidies for production, but says ethanol doesn't because it requires too much water to produce. The water needs of fracking and
by Harry Seamans, Ben Thorp and Masood Akhtar (Bioenergy Deployment Consortium, Inc./Biofuels Digest) The Pulp and Paper Industry (PPI) can play a major role in addressing three national issues our nation is currently confronting: • jobs, • energy independence, and • the health of our
by Matt Hartwig (Renewable Fuels Association) That the Houston Chronicle would be anti-ethanol is not surprising to anyone. It is Houston, Texas, after all. But that the editorial board would play fast and loose with the “facts” they use to support
by Oliver Wright (The Independent) Britain is signed up to a European guarantee to source 10 per cent of its transport fuel from renewable sources, such as biofuels, within the next 10 years. But ministers have said that the policy is
by Alex Morales (Bloomberg) Biofuels targets in the European Union could raise emissions of greenhouse gases because forests and wetlands will be destroyed to grow the crops necessary, nine environmental groups said in a study. ...The EU aims to get 10 percent
by Carl Holm (ABC Science) A team of Australian and Chinese scientists claims to have pioneered a method to decontaminate polluted land and provide an ecologically renewable energy resource in the process. They say the secret lies in a relative of the
(Stockhouse) Dynamic Fuels Producing World's Leading Fuels From Non-Food Fats, Greases Operations are underway at the new Dynamic Fuels plant, which is successfully converting animal fats and greases into high quality renewable fuels, officials from Syntroleum Corporation and Tyson Foods, Inc.
by Joelle Dent (Biofuels Digest-Asia) “Why wait for top-down solutions? Providing energy in a bottom-up way instead has a lot to recommend it. There is no need to wait for politicians or utilities to act. The technology is is rapidly falling
by Charles Lane (The Washington Post) ...The pitch is lyrical, almost religious. It asks consumers to make an economic and technological leap of faith - just as both GM and the firm's biggest backer, the Obama administration, have invested, financially,
by Bob Dinneen (The Hill/Renewable Fuels Association) Given the latest news from two government reports, we need to start changing the “drill baby drill” chant to “distill baby distill.” One study, from the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory recently
by Joelle Dent (Biofuels Digest Asia) ...On the one hand, the EU position to allow import of uncertified Malaysian palm biodiesel, but withhold EU subsidies, is not clear or comprehensive enough. On the Asian side, it involves only Malaysia, one
(The Star) The European Union Renewable Energy Directive (EU RED) and its sustainability criteria will not affect Malaysia’s palm oil exports to the EU market for consumer products like food, cosmetics and detergents, according to ambassador and head of the EU
by Stephanie Dreyer (Renewable Energy World/Growth Energy) ...You have one nutritionist with Tyson Foods speaking about the great value of DDGs (Dried Distillers Grains) as a feed for livestock. And then another expert takes it a step further, saying that
Dean Taylor (Des Moines Register/Iowa Corn Growers Association) ...Iowa farmers have made measurable progress in conservation and water quality. According to U.S. Department of Agriculture data, farmers' use of nitrogen and phosphorus per bushel has been drastically reduced over the
by Dexin Luo, Zushou Hu, Dong Gu Choi, Valerie M. Thomas, Matthew J. Realff, and Ronald R. Chance (Environmental Science and Technology) Ethanol can be produced via an intracellular photosynthetic process in cyanobacteria (blue-green algae), excreted through the cell walls, collected
(United Nations Environment Programme) Water, land use change and invasive species are key factors that must be addressed alongside greenhouse gas cuts Water could determine the degree to which bioenergy can contribute to combating climate change by reducing the world's reliance on
by Dan Piller (Des Moines Register) If the cobs, stalks and leaves left behind after corn harvest become the next big source for ethanol, the technology to pick up the stover is decidedly old-school. "A farmer who bales hay can do this,"
(BIO) Mainstream Agriculture Was Given a “Decidedly Minor Voice” Representatives from national and regional agriculture, food and feed organizations withdrew en masse this week from the Leonardo Academy’s sustainable agriculture standard setting initiative citing “fatal, systemic limitations and chronic biases”
(Renewable Fuels Association) The unproven notion that expanded U.S. ethanol production means new acres around the world must be brought into cultivation is taking another blow. In a soon-to-be published paper, researchers at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National
(Chicago Breaking Business/Dow Jones Newswire) Boeing Co., in cooperation with Air China Ltd. and others, plans to test a commercial-jet biofuel in China produced from a locally grown plant by the middle of 2011-part of an effort to commercialize cleaner fuels
by Bill Moore (Reuters/EV World) In September, the Center for New American Security (CNAS) issued a 36-page study entitled Fueling the Future Force: Preparing the Department of Defense for a Post-Petroleum Era (PDF). ...Why the urgency and why get off of
by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) ...“For every three bushels of corn that comes in, you get a bushel of DDG out, and what we sell that DDG for helps us to create a revenue stream so we can buy more corn,”
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Argentina, researchers from INTA, analyzing the assumptions of the US EPA’s indirect land use change models, concluded that “• Significant errors have been verified in the determination of the original use of lands in
(Ghana News Agency) Mr Kwesi Ahwoi, Minister of Food and Agriculture, on Monday noted that the commercial cultivation of cassava as an alternative source of bio-energy, would not compromise Ghana’s agricultural lands or threaten its food security. ...Mr Ahwoi, who was
By Juan Forero (The Washington Post) ...Once seen as a wasteland, the Cerrado is now the motor of an agro-industry so potent that Brazil threatens to surpass the United States as breadbasket to the world. The answer to how that
by Damian Carrington and James Randerson (The Guardian) Renewables Advisory Board and Office for Renewable Energy Deployment among bodies axed Two renewable energy quangos have been axed, with a leaked letter describing the function delivered by one of them as no longer
by Al Fin (OilPrice.com) ...Up until now, most people analysing US biofuels potential have failed to look at a realistic and integrated system of fuels and food. In real life -- unlike a typical computer model with excessively simplified and
by Beatrice Philamon (IPP Media) Tanzanian and Brazilian experts are expected to carry out a countrywide survey to identify and propose strategic areas that would be allocated for biofuel farming. “Our intention is to have special areas or land that will be
by Catriona Davies (CNN) Air travel could be powered from vast seas of algae growing close to airports within four years, according to researchers and airlines hoping to find a green future for aviation.Industry giants including British Airways and Airbus are
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) U.S. farmers will continue to produce an abundance of food and feed for both the domestic and international markets. This was an often repeated message at the Export Exchange, a conference focused on connecting
by Jon Rutter (LancasterOnline) Beets-to-ethanol site won’t have to pay impact fee. Developer expects to break ground in the spring. Proponents of a Rapho Township plant that would convert sugar beets to ethanol won a sweet victory last week. Lancaster County
by Kwok W. Wan (Reuters) Biofuel could cut plane carbon emissions by 20 pct by 2030. Aviation biofuel costs similar to jet fuel. Biofuels have a growing role to play in cutting carbon emission in the aviation sector and could save airlines
by Bob Meyer (Brownfield Ag News) ...The American Coalition for Ethanol, Growth Energy, Renewable Fuels Association and National Corn Growers issued a joint statement noting “Global coarse grain supplies are nearly unchanged, the USDA reports with lower U.S. supplies offset
(World Wildlife Fund) A new methodology that could deter the “indirect” conversion of virgin or tropical forests for biofuel production was published today by prominent consultancy Ecofys, WWF and Conservation International. The Responsible Cultivation Area [RCA] methodology could complement emerging bans
(Times of India) Beginning later this month, the jatropha crop will be planted across 30,000 acres in the arid districts of Bankura, Birbhum, West Midnapore and Purulia over the next 15 years. Around 10 lakh saplings will be transplanted this
(Lux Research, Inc.) ...Tallying more than 1,000 producing and planned biorefineries,we forecast that global biofuel capacity will grow 7.8% annually to 53 billion gallons in 2015, while materials grow at 17.7% per year to reach 8.1 million tons. Modeling probable
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Biofuels Digest is projecting that global advanced biofuels capacity will reach 3.917 billion gallons by 2015, based on company announcements to date. Today, the Digest released version 1.6 of its free Advanced Biofuels Tracking Database, projecting
by Stockholm Bureau (Fox Business News) Scania said it has been granted SEK30 million by Sweden's Strategic Vehicle Research and Innovation Initiative to develop a biofuel engine intended for heavy commercial vehicles. ...Focus will be on developing an engine using sustainable
Governor Gary R. Herbert announced today an important next step in the creation of his 10-Year Strategic Energy Plan, with four public hearings scheduled across the State. "We are moving forward with our plan to responsibly develop Utah's abundant energy resources,
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, Friends of the Earth released a report “Synthetic Solutions to the Climate Crisis: The Dangers of Synthetic Biology for Biofuels Production,” concluding that synthetic biology projects including the creation of algae with synthetic
(AgriMarketing/Purdue) Purdue University is receiving $1.59 million in federal funding for a project to conduct a sustainability assessment of energy crops for biofuels. The funding is part of a $16.5 million renewable fuel initiative by the U.S. Department of Energy to
(CBS4Denver.com/AP) A Colorado State University study says turning algae into a biofuel is more environmentally friendly than the process for petroleum diesel or soy biodiesel. The study based its conclusion on the complete process for each fuel and included factors such
John Davis (DomesticFuel.com) ...In an interview with USDA radio, Harry Baumes, Director of USDA’s Office of Energy Policy and New Uses says a new study shows that we’re getting more energy out of corn than what it takes to raise the
(Drayson Racing) One year ago, Drayson Racing debuted theNo.8 Drayson Racing Lola Coupé with Judd Power in the Le Mans Prototype One (LMP1) class of the Petit Le Mans. The clear mission of the move into the American Le Mans
by Dafydd ab Iago (EuroPolitics) The European organisation of farmers’ associations Copa-Cogeca warned, on 24 September, that schemes to verify the sustainability criteria for biofuels and bioliquids may not be implemented by member states on time. READ MORE (subscription needed)
by Roland Hiederer, Fabien Ramos, et al. (European Commission Joint Research Centre) This study implements a new methodology developed by the JRC IES and IE for estimating changes in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from soil and above- and below-ground biomass resulting
(Journal of Peasant Studies) In this collection we ask a number of questions emerging out of the new agrarian political economy created by the ‘biofuel complex’. Together the papers offer perspectives from political economy, political sociology and political ecology, and
(Alpha Galileo) For the first time, researchers have taken an overall look at Swedish biofuels and analysed what impact they have on the environment, both in relation to one another and to the fossil fuel alternatives petrol and diesel. The results
(IBTimes/Green Energy UK) More and more of the millions of flowers grown in Dutch greenhouses each year are receiving carbon dioxide from carbon capture and storage systems. As the leading European bioethanol producer, Abengoa Bioenergía is contributing to this shift
(Oxford Resource Partners) Opportunity to Convert Reclaimed Mine Lands for Renewable Energy Oxford Resource Partners, LP and Mendel Biotechnology, Inc. announced their collaborative agreement to develop a pilot project to produce Mendel's proprietary Miscanthus varieties on land previously reclaimed from mining operations by
(US Department of Agriculture) Harry Baumes, Acting Director of USDA’s Office of Energy Policy and New Uses, says a report that surveyed corn growers in 2005 and ethanol plants in 2008 indicates the net energy gain from converting corn to ethanol
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...We have spoken to farmers, local business owners, environmentalists, community development officials, engine developers, scientists, policy makers, producers, investors, lenders, blenders, wholesalers, retailers, and end users. We have visited development projects on four continents. We have
by Graham Warwick (AviationWeek) In just five years, the aviation industry’s decades-long reliance on petroleum-based fuels has been turned on its head. The future lies in fuels from sources that range from animal fat to microalgae. But with the technology in
(Algae Industry Magazine) The Sustainable Use of Renewable Fuels (SURF) consortium, which brings together Airbus, British Airways, Rolls-Royce, Finnair, Gatwick Airport, IATA and Cranfield University was announced at this week’s Aviation and Environment Summit in Geneva. The consortium will take a
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Canada, Dr. Clive James, executive director of the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications (ISAAA), said that “In the next 50 years, the global population will consume two times as much food
by Jerry Fruin (Chair), Mark D. Stowers, Kelly Tiller (Council for Agricultural Science and Technology) The sustainable collection of biomass feedstocks is an important consideration for cellulosic ethanol production. The sustainable amount of biomass that can be removed from the
by Joelle Dent (Biofuels Digest Asia) There’s blast furnace heat but little light so far in the debate on the UK biofuels target for 2020. Some advisors have urged that the current target of 10 percent be halved or entirely
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel) The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is considering equating biogenic carbon emissions with fossil fuel emissions under the Tailoring Rule, which requires the accounting and reporting of greenhouse gas emissions under the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS2). Biogenic
(Glycos Biotechnologies) Breakthrough Further Expands Industrial Biochemical Company’s Diversified Feedstock Platform Strategy Glycos Biotechnologies, Inc. (GlycosBio), an emerging biochemical company pioneering metabolic engineering and microbiology innovations for the production of sustainable biochemicals, today announced it has created the first ever microbial
by Alex Morales (Bloomberg) Biofuels made from plant waste and municipal trash rather than food crops could replace more than half of gasoline used in the European Union by 2020, industry analyst Bloomberg New Energy Finance said today. The 27-nation bloc could
by By Dominic Woolf, James E. Amonette, et al. (Nature Communications) Production of biochar (the carbon (C)-rich solid formed by pyrolysis of biomass) and its storage in soils have been suggested as a means of abating climate change by sequestering carbon,
by Sam A. Rushing (Biofuels Digest) ...Since CO2 has been shown to be the globe’s worst offender as a greenhouse gas, the very use of this gas in a technology which would foster the production of viable basic chemicals, plastics,
(Roundtable on Sustainable Biofuels) In November 2009, the RSB Steering Board approved Version One of the RSB Principles & Criteria (P&Cs) and the Certification System for pilot testing after public regional outreaches and extensive consultation of the RSB Chambers. While
by Paul Post (The Saratogan) ...For local dairy producers, one of the most pressing concerns is ethanol production that drives up corn prices — hurting small family farms in the process. ..."We’ve got a big problem in the ethanol industry," (House
by Hopewell Radebe (Business Day/Reuters) The government yesterday brought hope to grain farmers who are struggling to find alternative markets to dispose of surplus maize following a bumper crop that drove prices down. ... Last month, Grain SA chairman Neels Ferreira called for the
by Anna Austin and Lisa Gibson (Biomass Magazine) ...Director of the Northeast Regional New Fuels Alliance Andrew Schuyler, who followed Cleaves, explained some policies the organization has been working on, primarily the development of a Low Carbon Fuel Standard similar
(US Department of Energy) U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced September 8, 2010, the investment of up to $16.5 million for two major research and development (R&D) initiatives that will support the expansion of renewable transportation fuels production. The first initiative
by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel) We hear a lot about the blend wall for ethanol in the United States market, but there’s also a wall that the ethanol co-product Dried Distillers Grains (DDGS) in hitting with the livestock industry. “We’ve already run into
(The Alarm Clock) Camarillo, CA-based Cool Planet Biofuels has raised $3M as part of a $8M Series B funding round, according to a filing by the firm today. Source of the new funding was not announced, however, the firm is
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...In late 2010, we see again the predatory entry of speculators into the grain markets, and a growing disconnect between ethanol and gasoline prices. As for China? The country has passed the US in terms of
by Geoff Cooper (Renewable Fuels Association) You may not have noticed, but hedge and index fund investors have quietly returned to the agricultural commodities market in droves over the past few weeks. With the stock market continuing to flounder, these
By Patricia Monahan (Capitol Weekly) This year we’ve had no shortage of examples of why we need to move away from fossil fuels, from the oil disaster in the Gulf and continued dependence on Middle Eastern oil to the record-hot temperatures
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...We see the battle over rural development flashing at other points around the globe, but nowhere so starkly do we have a choice between the War on Poverty and the War on Carbon as we see
(Friends of the Earth International) The African continent is increasingly being seen as a source of agricultural land and natural resources for the rest of the world. National governments and private companies are obtaining access to land across the continent
(Roundtable on Sustainable Biofuels) Adopts ambitious target of 50% improvement for biofuel blends over fossil fuels The RSB is pleased to announce the approval of the RSB greenhouse gas (GHG) accounting methodology and establishment of a GHG reduction threshold for our bio-fuel
(Next Generation Scientists for Biodiesel) Campaign unites college students for collaboration, education. The next generation of thought leaders is gearing up to lead America's energy efforts. And biodiesel, our nation's only commercially available advanced biofuel, is front and center. Student scientists from Dartmouth
(PRNewsWire) Energy industry executives joined investors and policymakers near Houston, Texas earlier today to take a firsthand look at energy grasses and research developments that are expected to push bioenergy to the forefront of renewable power and transportation fuels. The bioenergy field
(Green Building Elements) ...For anybody interested in knowing about biodiesel, whether as a hobby or part of a cooperative effort, watching this video set is a great way to get started. But be prepared to spend a fair stretch of
(International Federation of Agricultural Producers) ...The achievements and commitments of EU beet growers in adapting to and mitigating climate change, in particular through the provision of sustainably produced feedstock for renewable energy production, show the important role of farmers in
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...In a note at CO2science.org, a trio of authors contend: “There simply is not enough freshwater on the face of the earth to make the production of biofuels a viable and significant alternative to the
(PRNewsWire) Biodiesel Industries announced today the company's selection by the California Energy Commission for a project grant to support the state's Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Program. This Biofuel Production Plants grant provides funding and financial assistance for the
by Katherine Salant (The Washington Post) ...To build a 2,200-square-foot house, an acre of forest will be clear-cut somewhere on the globe and a huge hole in the earth, roughly equal in size to the volume of the house, will be
(People's Daily Online) Agricultural experts said Saturday it was too early for China to adopt corn-based ethanol fuel to feed automobiles, given the expensive production costs and the country's large population. Li Xinhua, a professor at Shenyang Agricultural University, said at
(Jamaica Observer) Finland wants to build the world's first "green highway", with service stations offering charging points for electric cars and pumps filled with local biofuels, the project manager said Thursday. "The aim is to create the model for an ecological highway
by Thompson Ayodele (Initiative for Public Policy Analysis) Forward by Dr. Matthew O. Eshalomi: Growth and prosperity of an economy are central to the longterm reduction in poverty for both economic and environmental sustainability. Palm oil and palm oil manufacturing represents
by Yans Felippe Geckler (IPS News) Brazil has begun a counterattack on the European Union's measures for certifying crop-based fuels, which could lead to import barriers for this energy source coming from the South American giant. ...The EU's certification requirements for
(Algae Industry Magazine) An article by Rene H. Wijffels and Maria J. Barbosa, of Wageningen University in the Netherlands, published in the current edition of Science Journal, details the challenges and opportunities of algal biofuel development from a European perspective.
(Ag Professional) ...Concerns about net energy and greenhouse gas emissions, in addition to its effect on food and feed pricing are driving researchers at the Energy Biosciences Institute at the University of Illinois and at the University of California Berkeley
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...Aside from the general observation that nearly all energy systems ultimately are based on today’s or yesterday’s solar energy (only geothermal and nuclear power are distinct exceptions), a new generation of technologies is bringing solar
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...But even were the US EPA to approve E15 ethanol blending, there are some other significant walls and thresholds to keep in mind. Here are the Digest’s Top 10. 1. The $60 oil parity wall. At the
by Dominic Woolf, James E. Amonette, F. Alayne Street-Perrott, Johannes Lehmann & Stephen Joseph (Nature Communications) Production of biochar (the carbon (C)-rich solid formed by pyrolysis of biomass) and its storage in soils have been suggested as a means of abating
By Chanda Beckman & Kirsten Rasmussen (USDA Foreign Agriculture Information Service) On May 27, 2010, China’s National Energy Administration (NEA), the U.S. Department of Energy, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture hosted the fist Sino-U.S. Advanced Biofuels Forum in Beijing.
edited by Reid Lifset (Journal of Industrial Ecology) Includes Corn Ethanol Articles Related to Debate over Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Corn-Ethanol The Journal of Industrial Ecology is pleased to make the following articles on the greenhouse gas emissions from corn-ethanol freely available
by Joe Irvin (Capitol Weekly) This week, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) convened a group of experts to discuss issues related to the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) that was approved last year. The Expert Working Group has been
by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel) ...Dr. Steffen Mueller, Principal Research Economist for the Energy Resources Center at the University of Illinois at Chicago, did two presentations at the CUTC, both related to the increasing efficiency of ethanol production that continues to
(PRNewsWire) The North American Camelina Trade Association (NACTA) today announced the achievement of yet another milestone in its efforts to build camelina production and marketing opportunities for growers. The industry received a letter of no objection from the Center for
by Katie Allen (The Guardian) It is not too late for equitable partnerships to flourish between foreign investors and local communities ...Sadly for anyone who happens to live on that farmland there are countless examples of governments handing it over at
by Joanne Ivancic (Advanced Biofuels USA) You’d have a pretty dangerous drinking game if you downed a shot every time a car racing announcer said “a slight air pressure adjustment” or if you liberated a piece of clothing for every
by David Fridley (Post Carbon Institute) excerpt: Unlike conventional fossil fuels, where nature provided energy over millions of years to convert biomass into energy-dense solids, liquids, and gases--requiring only extraction and transportation technolgy for us to mobilize them--alternative energy depends
by Martin Junginger, Jinke van Dam, Simonetta Zarrilli, Fatin Ali Mohamed, Didier Marchal, and Andre Faaij (IEA Bioenergy) Task 40 under the IEA Bioenergy Agreement entitled: ‘Sustainable International Bioenergy trade; securing supply and demand’, started in 2004 and currently has fourteen country members
by John M. Sawyer and Michael C. Sawyer (The Daily News) ...Corn ethanol is not responsible for destruction of forest land. Total U.S. crop acres are actually declining, total U.S. land devoted to crops will be 346 million acres in
(EurekAlert) When it comes to selecting the right plant source for future cellulosic biofuel production, the solution won't be one-size-fits-all, and it certainly doesn't have to involve food and feed crops. In a "Perspective" article in the Aug. 13 edition of the
(People's Daily) China's industrial experts are advising the government to halt projects making ethanol bio-fuel with corn, as the projects are pushing up corn prices and sparking food security concerns. Zhao Youshan, director of the Commercial Petroleum Flow Committee (CPFC) under
By Robert E. Kozak (Advanced Biofuels USA) Imagine. Imagine you’re a small but very smart racing team with a history of innovation and success. Following your strengths, you spent a considerable amount of money modifying your turbocharged engines to run on
by Ivan Gale (The National) British Airways (BA), which is preparing to become the first airline to buy jet fuel from a planned waste-to-biofuels plant in east London, is expected to scale up the project if it is successful. ...The biofuel
By Audrey McAvoy (AP) The federal government has turned to a 130-year-old Hawaii sugar grower for help in powering the Navy and weaning the nation off a heavy reliance on fossil fuels. It will spend at least $10 million over the next
by Richard Keller (Cattle Network) As renewable fuels continues to be something that people of the world support in general, there also continues to be those complaints that crop production and land use for fuels is inappropriate when so much
by Faizan Ahmad (Times of India) The Centre is contemplating giving permission to Bihar to for production of ethanol in sugar factories even without producing sugar. ... (Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar) said he was not in favour of production
by James Clark (KCBD) A new study done in Lubbock and other parts of Texas will look at growing crops for use as bio-fuels. The Texas Ag Extension in Lubbock and five other cities will do the study that looks
by Jens Borken-Kleefeld, Terje Berntsen and Jan Fuglestvedt (Environmental Science and Technology) ...An unambiguous ranking of the specific climate impact can be established for freight transportation, with shipping and rail having lowest and light trucks and air transport having highest
(Renewable Fuels Association) Further analysis of EPA’s Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) reveals more errors in the agency’s calculation of corn ethanol and other biofuels’ carbon intensity, according to new analysis by the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA). In a letter to EPA
(Midwest Producer) When China-based Shandong Zhonghui Group Corp. began importing U.S. distiller's dried grains with solubles (DDGS) two years ago, they set in motion a series of actions for what has become an astonishing success story in the U.S. Grains
by David Mercer (Associated Press) Advances in conventional agriculture have dramatically slowed the flow of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, in part by allowing farmers to grow more food to meet world demand without plowing up vast tracts of land, a
by Matthew McDermott (Treehugger) ...According to Anna Stephenson from the University of Cambridge, when algae is grown in clear-tubed bioreactors the energy required to move the algae around so that it gets enough sunlight means that per megajoule equivalent of
(UPI) Soot from burning fossil fuels and solid biofuels has a greater impact on global warming than previously believed, a U.S. researcher says. But unlike carbon dioxide, Stanford University scientist Mark Z. Jacobson says, soot stays in the atmosphere for only a
(Renewable Fuels Association) A newly released report from the Development Prospects Group at the World Bank, conludes that “…the effect of biofuels on food prices has not been as large as originally thought, but that the use of commodities by
(Heinrich Böll Stiftung North America) In cooperation with 25x’25, the Heinrich Böll Stiftung North America hosted a transatlantic roundtable discussion on its new report Beyond Biofuels: Renewable Energy Opportunities for U.S. Farmers. As farmers struggle with increasing energy costs and decreasing
by Katie Allen (The Guardian) Leaked report says wealthy investors are threatening local resources as they buy up farmland to gain on commodity prices A leaked World Bank report into investors from rich nations buying up African farmland has intensified campaigners'
(New Zealand Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment) The purpose of this report is to take a fresh look at biofuels – to think strategically about how they might lessen our dependence on fossil fuels and thus reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.
by Prabha Jagannathan (Economic Times) In a significant implication for the country’s biofuel policy, a specialised arm of the United Nations has warned that the developing countries should not buy blindly into the ‘jatropha for biodiesel’ argument. Warning against the
by Jim Lane (Biomass Digest) Following the all-but-certain defeat of a renewal of the ethanol tax credit, left-wing environmental activists, confederated into the National Anti-Biomass Incineration and Forest Protection Campaign, are making a move to destabilize support for biomass-based power generation. At
by Ashley Bray (Minnesota Daily) The University (of Minnesota)’s Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering is working to develop sustainable, domestic biomass solutions. ...The University’s Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering — a division of the College of Food, Agricultural and
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel) The California Air Resources Board (CARB) is far from over on discrediting biofuels as part of their mandated policy known as the Low Carbon Fuels Standard (LCFS). For the past year, the ethanol industry has been
(EurekAlert) Policies needed to address potential conflicts, but report views bioenergy as crucial to 'unlocking Africa's latent potential'. Crops can be produced for bioenergy on a significant scale in west, eastern and southern Africa without doing damage to food production or
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Green Plains Renewable Energy Inc. is moving to Phase II with its algae project at one plant and planning to install corn oil extraction technology at all six of its ethanol plants. On July 20,
by Brooke Coleman (Biofuels Digest/New Fuels Alliance) Securing Foreign Oil is the title of Adam Liska’s and Richard Perrin’s recent article in Environment Magazine detailing why military emissions should be included in the carbon intensity (CI) values of petroleum fuels. The
By Luke Geiver (Biodiesel Magazine) The U.S. EPA has released a Notice of Data Availability (NODA) for its recent modeling of the canola oil biodiesel pathway. As of March 26, when the EPA officially announced the final rule for the
The Roundtable on Sustainable Biofuels (RSB) is an international initiative coordinated by the Energy Center at EPFL in Lausanne that brings together farmers, companies, non-governmental organizations, experts, governments, and inter-governmental agencies concerned with ensuring the sustainability of biofuels production and
by Sreenivas Ghatty (Commodity Online) ...Pongamia, a plant producing non-edible oilseeds, has the potential to become one of the cheapest feedstocks that can be produced in most of the tropical and sub tropical regions of the world. It can tolerate
by Adam J. Liska and Richard K. Perrin (Environment Magazine) Military operations are major industrial activities that use massive amounts of fuel and materials that significantly contribute to climate change. In this article, we assert that military activity to protect
(Times of India) Experts feel India must capitalize on biofuels. At a workshop on 'Research opportunities in biofuels', chairman of Divecha Centre for Climate Change, Prof J Srinivasan said there should be a fundamental difference in the approach to biofuels. "In
(China Economic Net) A huge potential for producing biofuels is expected in Tanzania without hampering the cultivation of food crops, according to a new study. Conducted by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) recently, the study observed that the country's
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