by Tristram O. West, Craig C. Brandt, Latha M. Baskaran, Chad M. Hellwinckel, Richard Mueller, Carl J. Bernacchi, Varaprasad Bandaru, Bai Yang, Bradly S. Wilson, Gregg Marland, Richard G. Nelson, Daniel G. De La Torre Ugarte, and Wilfred M. Post
GHG (Greenhouse Gas Emissions)
Back TO HOMEPalm Oil’s Promotion as Diesel Alternative Draws Fire
by Beth Gardiner (New York Times) Ubiquitous in products from cookies to cosmetics, and increasingly in European fuel tanks, too, palm oil is driving the destruction of some of Southeast Asia’s last tracts of untouched rainforest and leading to huge
June 04, 2010 Read Full Article
China's Actions and Stand on Greenhouse Gas Emissions from International Civil Aviation
by Dr Ma Xiangshan (CAAC, GreenAirOnline.com) ...The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) defines the sustainable development of the civil aviation sector as “the development of civil aviation towards a resource-economical and environment-friendly industry by actively promoting energy savings and
June 04, 2010 Read Full Article
Biofuels and the Need for Additional Carbon
by Timothy D Searchinger (Environmental Research Letters) Use of biofuels does not reduce emissions from energy combustion but may offset emissions by increasing plant growth or by reducing plant residue or other non-energy emissions. To do so, biofuel production must generate and
June 03, 2010 Read Full Article
GHG Regs Fuel Need for Infrastructure
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The first-ever U.S. regulation of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions has fueled an even greater urgency to expand E85 infrastructure. April 1, the U.S. EPA and the Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced
June 01, 2010 Read Full Article
Sustainable Aviation Fuels Road Map Commences
(CSIRO) CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation) together with Australasia’s major aviation players is leading a study to help plan a sustainable future for aviation fuels and reduce the sector’s greenhouse gas emissions. The Sustainable Aviation Fuels Road Map will
June 01, 2010 Read Full Article
Michelin and Porsche Hybrid Come Close to an Exploit in the 'Green Hell'
(Michelin) The new Porsche GT-R Hybrid/Michelin led for a significant amount of last weekend's Nürburgring 24 Hours before being sidelined with an hour remaining. Victory in the FIA Alternative Energies Cup went to Volkswagen's biogas-fuelled Scirocco GT24. The 38th Nürburgring 24 Hours
May 30, 2010 Read Full Article
90 US Scientists Demand Revision of Biofuels Carbon Accounting
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, 90 US scientists wrote to US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and US Senate Majority leader Harry Reid to fix accounting standards for greenhouse gas emissions associated with bioenergy projects. The scientists said they wanted to
May 25, 2010 Read Full Article
Indirect Land Use: One Consideration Too Many in Biofuel Regulation
by David Zilberman, Gal Hochman, and Deepak Rajagopal (Agricultural and Resource Economics Update -- University of California) ...While including Indirect Land Use Effects in assessing the impact of biofuel seems appealing, we will argue here against an indirect land use in biofuel
May 21, 2010 Read Full Article
EPA's 'Tailoring Rule' and the Biomass Industry
(RenewableEnergyWorld.com) ...Including biomass power plants under the EPA’s tailoring rule is a clear policy shift and may imply a change in position for future policy. The lack of distinction between renewable biomass as an alternative fuel to traditional fossil fuels like
May 21, 2010 Read Full Article
Academics Urge Radical New Approach to Climate Change
by Richard Black (BBC News) A major change of approach is needed if society is to restrain climate change, according to a report from a self-styled "eclectic" group of academics. ...The academics advocate concentrating first on short-term fixes for greenhouse gases
May 17, 2010 Read Full Article
NY Study Shows Biofuel Could Decrease Pollution, Create Jobs, and Increase Energy Security
(News Channel 34) New York sources of biofuel made from wood, grass and other forms of biomass could reduce New York’s gasoline consumption by as much as 16 percent of projected use in 2020 and play a significant role in
May 03, 2010 Read Full Article
Is Europe's Transport Getting Greener? Partly
(European Environment Agency) While technological advances produce cleaner vehicles, more and more passengers and goods are travelling further distances, thereby offsetting efficiency gains. Based on analysis of long-term trends, a new European Environment Agency (EEA) report calls for a clear
April 30, 2010 Read Full Article
Liquid Biofuels:Background Brief for the World Bank Group Energy Sector Strategy
(Masami Kojima of the Oil, Gas, and Mining PolicyDivision of the World Bank/Scribd.com) Liquid biofuels are being increasingly used to substitute fuels derived from oil. A number of governments have provided incentives for the liquid biofuel industry, prompted by a desire
March 30, 2010 Read Full Article
How ‘Green’ Are Industrial Carbon Emissions?
(Alpha Galileo) There are various kinds of CO2. Emissions of fossil CO2 that result from the burning of fossil fuel affect the environment. Biogenic CO2 resulting from the burning of wood or biofuels, however, is 'climate neutral'. Scientists at the
March 19, 2010 Read Full Article
House GOP to Launch Another Salvo at EPA Emission Rules
(New York Times) House Minority Leader John Boehner of Ohio and other key Republicans plan to unveil a formal resolution that would effectively veto EPA's "endangerment" finding. That determination, issued last December, finds that greenhouse gases threaten public health and
March 15, 2010 Read Full Article
Groups Challenge EPA on Greenhouse Finding
by Light and Medium Truck (Transport Topics Online) A group including motor carriers, businesses, several members of Congress and a conservative public interest legal foundation has filed a lawsuit in federal appeals court challenging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s finding
March 15, 2010 Read Full Article
Growth Energy Responds to Cornell Paper
In response to a paper published by two Cornell University professors – a paper that is critical of the Environmental Protection Agency’s calculations that grain ethanol emits far fewer greenhouse gas emissions than conventional gasoline – Growth Energy released the
February 25, 2010 Read Full Article
Ethanol Groups Sue California Over Low-Carbon Rule
by Stephen Power (Wall Street Journal) Two groups representing ethanol producers asked a federal court on Thursday to strike down a California rule that calls for a reduction in the carbon content of fuels sold in that state, saying the
December 29, 2009 Read Full Article
Study: Global Biofuels Reduce GHGs by 123.5 Million Tonnes
Just in time for the critical climate talks now underway in Copenhagen, new data once again confirms the significant greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions from global biofuels production. Prepared by (S&T)2 Consultants Inc., an internationally recognized energy and environmental consulting firm, the
December 11, 2009 Read Full Article
IEA World Energy Report Calls for Switch to Low Carbon Energy: Growing Biofuels Production Will Play a Role in Reducing GHG Emissions
(Marketwire) The International Energy Agency (IEA) released its 2009 World Energy Outlook, which confirms the growing need for low carbon biofuels to increase global energy security and reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) relative to petroleum. The extensive annual report was unequivocal
November 13, 2009 Read Full Article
Brazil Raises Cane over U.S. Ethanol Tariff
by Chris Kraul (LA Times) Who could resent the attention being showered on electric cars? Stylish and clean, they're the darling of the renewable-energy crowd, which is hailing the scheduled rollout of several e-powered models next year as a major blow
November 06, 2009 Read Full Article
Why Sustainability Standards for Biofuel Production Make Little Economic Sense
by Harry deGorter and David R. Just (Policy Analysis, Cato Institute) The federal “sustainability standard” requires ethanol to emit at least 20 percent less carbon dioxide (CO2) than gasoline. Recent rulings by California and the Environmental Protection Agency, however, have cast doubt
October 25, 2009 Read Full Article
Report Examines Hidden Health and Environmental Costs Of Energy Production and Consumption In U.S.
... Damages per vehicle mile traveled were remarkably similar among various combinations of fuels and technologies -- the range was 1.2 cents to about 1.7 cents per mile traveled -- and it is important to be cautious in interpreting small
October 24, 2009 Read Full Article
The 7% Solution: Sustainable US Biofuels without International Indirect Land Use Effects
by Robert E. Kozak (Advanced Biofuels USA) Looking at some real-world numbers, it becomes clear that the fear raised in Fixing a Critical Climate Accounting Error, Science, October 23, 2009, misses the point. Growing energy crops, including perennial grasses or
October 23, 2009 Read Full Article
Vehicles Running E85 Corn Ethanol Have 30 Percent Lower CO2 Emissions than the All-Electric Tesla Roadster, Study Finds
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Florida, Biofuels Digest has found that cars running on E85 corn-based ethanol, at the proposed new Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards, will generate 30 percent lower CO2 emissions over an average car lifetime
October 14, 2009 Read Full Article
Improvements in Life Cycle Energy Efficiency and Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Corn-Ethanol
(Journal of Industrial Ecology) Corn-ethanol production is expanding rapidly with the adoption of improved technologies to increase energy efficiency and profitability in crop production, ethanol conversion, and coproduct use. Life cycle assessment can evaluate the impact of these changes on
October 13, 2009 Read Full Article
Biofuels Meet EU CO2 target but Gains Vary
by Gus Trompiz and Valerie Parent (Reuters) The current generation of biofuels meets a European target for cutting carbon dioxide emissions but its performance varies widely depending on the crop and production process used, an official French study has shown. Biofuels
October 12, 2009 Read Full Article
EPA Expects 86 Ethanol Facilities to Be Major GHG Emitters
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA said 86 U.S. ethanol production facilities will qualify as “major” sources of greenhouse gases (GHGs) and be required to obtain Title V permits if the agency’s GHG regulation rule passes as
October 12, 2009 Read Full Article
Global Forest Watch Canada Releases Study of GHG Emissions from Oil Sands Development
A new research paper, Bitumen and Biocarbon, was released today by Global Forest Watch Canada. The paper reveals that significant amounts of greenhouse gases are emitted through the disturbance and/or removal of biocarbon (trees, shrubs, peats), which overlay Alberta's oil
October 06, 2009 Read Full Article
Inter-American Development Bank Releases New Version of Biofuels Sustainability Scorecard
The Inter-American Development Bank has released a new version of its Biofuels Sustainability Scorecard, which will enable users to better anticipate the impacts of potential biofuel projects on sensitive issues such as indigenous rights, carbon emissions from land use change,
September 18, 2009 Read Full Article
Improvements in Life Cycle Energy Efficiency and Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Corn-Ethanol
(Journal of Industrial Ecology) Corn-ethanol production is expanding rapidly with the adoption of improved technologies to increase energy efficiency and profitability in crop production, ethanol conversion, and coproduct use. Life cycle assessment can evaluate the impact of these changes on
September 03, 2009 Read Full Article
Agricultural Marketing Resource Center Publishes Study of Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Corn and Ethanol Production
Don Hofstrand "focus(es) on GHG emissions including a detailed analysis of the sources of these emissions from corn and ethanol production. We will also show how GHG emissions from corn production vary based on region of the country. The sale
August 12, 2009 Read Full Article
The New Roadmap for Measuring & Valuing Carbon in the Agribusiness Sector
by Dawson Williams (Clear Carbon Consulting) Agribusiness is a Significant Source of Carbon Emissions and Potential Reduction Opportunities It is widely acknowledged that production agriculture, such as livestock rearing, crop cultivation, timber production, and ornamental horticulture production, contributes a significant
June 29, 2009 Read Full Article
US Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Transportation Plan Joint Greenhouse Gas and Fuel Efficiency Standards
There is a critically important need for our country to address global climate change and to reduce oil consumption. In this context, EPA and DOT currently intend to work in coordination to propose standards for control of emissions of greenhouse
May 19, 2009 Read Full Article
President Obama Announces National Fuel Efficiency Policy
President Obama today – for the first time in history – set in motion a new national policy aimed at both increasing fuel economy and reducing greenhouse gas pollution for all new cars and trucks sold in the United States.
May 19, 2009 Read Full Article
How to Beat the High Cost of Gasoline. Forever!
by Adam Lashinsky and Nelson D. Schwartz (CNN Money/Fortune Magazine) You probably don't know it, but the answer to America's gasoline addiction could be under the hood of your car. More than five million Tauruses, Explorers, Stratuses, Suburbans, and other vehicles