(Growth Energy) Growth Energy, the nation’s largest association of biofuel producers, released a new report demonstrating how claims on the Renewable Fuel Standard’s (RFS) alleged impact on endangered species “relies on unsupported assumptions
Tag "land use change"
by Matt Thompson (Ethanol Producer Magazine) A recently released report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service says that while Thailand has relied on domestic ethanol production, the country
by Claire Asher (South Africa Today/Mongabay) -Sugarcane crop production in Brazil may need to expand by up to 5 million hectares by 2030 to meet a rising demand for ethanol biofuels,
(International Renewable Energy Agency) Advanced liquid biofuels are a key part of low-carbon transport development to meet emission-reduction targets and international climate commitments. Liquid biofuels, requiring minimal changes to fuel distribution
by Naira Hofmeister (Mongabay) -Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has signed a decree revoking a zoning regulation for the sugarcane industry, effectively allowing for cultivation of the crop in the Amazon
by Vanessa Vivian Wabitsch (REVOLVE/BE Sustainable Magazine) Discovering the world, working with people across the globe, commuting to work everyday or consuming exotic fruits imported to Europe – nearly every
(World Business Council for Sustainable Development) -WBCSD launches today the CEO Guide the Circular Bioeconomy. -The Guide gives business leaders a clear understanding of the circular bioeconomy and associated business
by Matt Thompson (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The Argonne National Laboratory’s 2019 GREET (Greenhouse gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy use in Transportation) models include changes and updates to carbon calculations for land
(Environmental News Network/International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis) … IIASA researchers contributed to the development of a new roadmap outlining actions on deforestation, restoration, and carbon cuts that could lead
(Solutions from the Land) Tomorrow marks the seventh annual Bioenergy Day, during which more than 40 organizations all over the United States and Canada – businesses, non-profits, universities, and state and
(International Energy Agency) Replacing a portion of gasoline and diesel demand with biofuels is a means of increasing a country’s domestic fuel supply — Improving security of supply is a fundamental
by Hans Nicholas Jong (Mongabay.com/Eco-Business) A European member of parliament says the bloc isn’t concerned about threats by Indonesia and Malaysia to file a trade complaint over an EU policy to
(Growth Energy) Growth Energy, the nation’s largest association of biofuel producers, released a new report examining the potential impact of a growing role for U.S. biofuels in America’s clean energy future. The report
by Tim Ryan (Court House News) The D.C. Circuit on Friday upheld the Environmental Protection Agency’s renewable fuel standards in the face of challenges from energy companies, biofuel producers and
by Sarita Reed and Vinicius Fontana (China Dialogue) Adding ethanol to Chinese petrol will decrease emissions but could worsen Brazil’s deforestation — There are 332 million cars on the road
(Agence-France Presse/FirstPost) The overlapping crises of climate change, mass species extinction, and an unsustainable global food system are on a collision course towards what might best be called an ecological
by Jacques Moss (KNECT365) Recent changes in the EU’s trading relationships with the US and the Mercosur trade bloc may render the European ethanol industry uncompetitive. Taking measures to safeguard the
(Renewable Fuels Association) Two new academic studies released this week provide further evidence that grain-based ethanol is significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions and call into question the reliability of recent “land
(IEA Bioenergy) This document contains the report of the IEA Bioenergy Executive Committee for 2018. This year, we have presented a special feature ‘ Measuring, governing and gaining support for sustainable bioenergy supply chains –
by Jon Cartwright (Physics World) Between 2008 and 2012 expansion of cropland in the US released carbon each year equivalent to the running of 36 coal-fired power plants, according to scientists in
(Aries Clean Energy) A healthy Energy Sprawl like a gasification plant can reduce carbon footprints, lower emissions signatures, and divert unwanted waste streams (such as wood and biosolids) from local landfills.
by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) As a new wave of large-scale biomass-based diesel projects develops, experts suggest market forces are ready to deliver the necessary fats, oils and greases. — …Many of
(The Messenger) … The United States Department of Agriculture has just released the findings of a USDA study about the environmental impact of the corn-ethanol industry. The conclusions are superb news
(Renewable Fuels Association) A new study published in the academic journal Biomass and Bioenergy exposes the fatal methodological flaws and erroneous conclusions regarding biofuels and land use change (LUC) found in recent studies
(TerViva/MarketWatch/PR NewsWire) Led by Ag Family Offices and Climate-Smart Investors, Funding Round Brings Ag-Tech Firm to $40 Million Raised for High-Yielding, Sustainable Plant Protein Product Development — TerViva, an agriculture technology firm
by Helena Taveres Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) … The acquisition of American Process Inc’s technologies, intellectual property portfolio and physical assets strengthens GranBio’s market position in the deployment of highly competitive industrial
(Public News Service) A new report says the federal Renewable Fuel Standard, created to spur ethanol production and cut air pollution, is responsible for a number of negative environmental impacts, including reduced
by Mo Barnes (RollingOut) The burgeoning business of cannabis and hemp cultivation may be able to save the Black farmer. Industrial hemp is now becoming big money for food packaging. Black
by Genevieve Bookwalter (Washington Post) … Across the flatlands of Illinois, a new crop is rising among the traditional waves of grain as farmers increasingly make the same calculation as (Randy)
by Rachel Chason (Washington Post) Environmentalists are in a position they never imagined: Fighting a solar panel project that would help Georgetown University dramatically reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. They say the project,
(Bio-based News) New study conducts quantitative and qualitative sustainability assessment of bio-based raw materials for the chemical industry An extensive sustainability study carried out by nova-Institute shows that first-generation fermentable sugar
“The GHG emissions of petroleum are higher than the baseline estimates originally projected by EPA” That’s one finding in a new study by Life Cycle Associates. It’s also one reason biofuels entering
(Renewable Fuels Association) A new study released today finds that the expanded Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS2) has been a tremendous success in reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, with nearly 600 million metric tons
(ResearchGate) Perennial biomass crops (PBC) are considered a crucial feedstock for sustainable biomass supply to the bioeconomy that compete less with food production compared to traditional crops. However, large‐scale development of
by Boon-Ling Yeo and Andrew Coleman (Environmental Economics and Policy Studies) This paper examines the interaction of different policies used to control two types of agricultural pollution. Pollution control policy is efficient
(Agriculture & Applied Ecoomics Association/CISION/PR Web) AAEA Members release research that finds corn ethanol production and crop price changes had negligible impact on cropland — Since 2007 corn ethanol production has doubled
by Alison Knezevich (Washington Post) Gary Atkinson sees new potential for the fields that have long yielded corn and soybeans on his northern Baltimore County farm. A Seattle-based energy company, OneEnergy
by Vincent A. Yusuf (Daily Trust) Nigeria will in the first quarter of 2019 begin the production of ethanol and glucose syrup from sweet sorghum for industrial use. In this interview,
by Ludger Kasumuni (The Citizen) Several investors have abandoned their $1 billion (Sh2.3 trillion) biofuels projects in Tanzania, according to a survey by BusinessWeek. Mtamba Biofuel Farm in Kisarawe, Coast Region.
(Illinois Farmer Today) Faster conversion of land into agricultural production in recent years has raised the region’s carbon cost of producing grains, according to recently published research from an Iowa
(Reuters/Investing.com) Norway’s plans to ban biofuels containing palm oil from 2020 are set to provide a major obstacle to long-running trade talks between the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) and Malaysia,
by Madhu Khanna (Farms.com) Ethanol production has increased sharply in the United States in the past 10 years, leading to concerns about the expansion of demand for corn resulting in conversion
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) IEA Bioenergy conducted work on sustainability assessments of bioenergy systems and the carbon balance of forest-based bioenergy. Annette Cowie and Göran Berndes from Chalmers University of
by Ruiqing Miao, Yijia Li and Madhu Khanna (FarmDocDaily) Land-use change is in the forefront of human-nature interaction and is the nexus of food security, farm economy, greenhouse gas emission, and ecosystem services.
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign has been researching the economic incentives and policy implications of energy crops such as miscanthus and switchgrass. Madhu Khanna, from University of Illinois,
(University of Bonn) Study from the University of Bonn assesses potential implications of transitioning to plant-based plastics — Bioplastics are often promoted as an environmentally and climate-friendly alternative to conventional petroleum-based plastics.
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Many prominent bioenergy critiques are feedstock-focused — for example, iLUC (Searchinger et al. 2008), carbon debt. Marginal land strategies identify areas where energy crops likely have
(Committee on Climate Change) The Paris Agreement demands tougher action to remove greenhouse gas emissions from the atmosphere. We must, at the same time, prepare for the inevitable climate change that
by Brad Plumer (New York Times) … A new study published on Wednesday, however, found that better management of forests, grasslands and soils in the United States could offset as much
by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, following on the heels of an Environmental Protection Agency report to Congress documenting wide-spread habitat loss following enactment of U.S. biofuels policy in 2007, environmental
(African Development Bank Group) The African Development Bank is championing a new regional and global effort to transform the African Savannah from a “Sleeping Giant” to the cradle of the continent’s
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Illinois, a research team at Argonne National Lab released its GREET 2018 update. GREET is a life-cycle analysis (LCA) tool, structured to systematically examine energy and
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Sustainable intensification of agricultural systems in combination with biorefinery processing can produce more biomass for bioenergy without imposing iLUC. That’s the topic of this illuminating overview
by Laura Shields (Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory/Pacific Northwest National Laboratory) Improving poplar biomass production under stress conditions — … Stresses, such as high temperatures and a lack of freshwater, can cause reduced crop
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) … The battle continues between the European Union and its anti-palm oil stance due to deforestation and environmental issues, and Indonesia, the leading palm oil producing
by Simon Granovsky-Larsen (The Conversation) … Ixpátz and four other rivers in the Champerico area had been re-routed from their natural courses and into large plantations. Joining forces with other small farmers,
(Latin American Herald Tribune) Activists condemned on Wednesday biofuels at a protest in front of the United Nations headquarters in Bangkok, where an international conference on climate change is being held.
by Caroline Ochieng, Francis X. Johnson and Anne Nyambane (Stockholm Environment Institute) This paper synthesizes the current knowledge about the impact of biofuels on ecosystem services. — Biofuel feedstock production can be
Deeper into the Biomass: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to the DOE’s Billion Ton Report, Vol. 2
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The US Department of Energy’s Billion-Ton Report: Advancing Domestic Resources for a Thriving Bioeconomy says that 1.2 billion tons of biomass would be available at $40 or less per
by Byron Dorgan (Arent Fox LLP/National Biodiesel Board/The Hill) … A recent Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) report released to Congress on the environmental and resource conservation impacts of biofuel production deliberately misses the mark
(Environmental Protection Agency) This report is the second of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) triennial reports to Congress required under the
(MIghty Earth) A new investigation, “Burned: Deception, Deforestation, and America’s Biodiesel Policy” by the organizations Mighty Earth and ActionAid USA has
by David Kessel (Marin Independent Journal) … Discussions on energy use and production are important, but need to be based
by Amy Mayer & Erica Hunzinger (Harvest Public Media) … Since 1980, the amount of land being farmed or grazed
(Associated Press/Honolulu Star Advertiser) An energy entrepreneur has proposed purchasing the Molokai Ranch and turning part of it into a farm
(The Guardian Nigeria)The Oyo State government has paid compensation to about 77 families whose lands were acquired recently for mass
by Sarantis Michalopoulos (EurActiv) Not all second-generation biofuels listed by the European Commission are sustainable, critics warn, urging policymakers to use
John Abraham, in an article in The Guardian, notes, “Biofuels can help solve climate change, especially with a carbon tax
by John Abraham (The Guardian) Biofuels can help solve climate change, especially with a carbon tax — We’re not yet optimizing biofuel production
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) On March 8, Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt., and Sen. Tom Udall, D-N.M., introduced companion bills
by Richard A. Lovett (Cosmos) Could green microorganisms be the geoengineering fix the world’s needs? — … Not only can these fast-growing
by PTI, Guwahati (India TV) Numaligarh Refinery Ltd (NRL) will utilise bamboo as main biomass for producing bioethanol under the project at
by Melissa Tanji (Maui News) … Around 1,330 gallons of sunflower oil was generated from the first 14-acre field farmed by
by Tim Pearce (Daily Caller) Two environmental groups sued the Trump administration Friday over the threat that the 2018 renewable fuel
(Deutsche Welle) Members of the European Parliament have rejected an attempt to phase out support for crop-based biofuels. So what’s next
(Wisconsin State Journal) … A study conducted for the U.S. Agriculture Department found corn ethanol’s life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions, by 2022, will be
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies is working with bioenergy industries and leaders to assist
(New Indian Express) A day after Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan sought the assistance of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for setting
( São Paulo Research Foundation – FAPESP/EurekAlert!) Expansion of sugarcane cultivation for biofuel in areas not under environmental protection or reserved
by Carol Spaeth-Bauer (Wisconsin State Farmer) A University of Wisconsin-Madison study released on Nov. 15 has officials in the ethanol industry frustrated, disputing the
(University of Hohenheim) Until now, acreage was designated for either photovoltaics or photosynthesis, that is, to generate electricity or grow crops.
by Paola Tamma (EurActiv) The lawmaker in charge of steering the EU’s biofuels reform in the European Parliament is looking for compromise
by Lisa Gibson (Ethanol Producer Magazine) A massive expansion of land use for sugar cane growth in Brazil, and a subsequent
by Adam Klauber, Isaac Toussie, Steve Csonka and Barbara Bramble (Aviation Week & Space Technology) To some, biofuels conjure negative images
by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In Sweden, a group of four NGOs have written an open letter to members of
(European Environment Agency) Making Europe’s production, consumption and trade in food environmentally sustainable is possible, but it will require a major

by Aino Siirala* (Advanced Biofuels USA) The 10th Biofuels International Conference and Expo took place in Edinburgh this year. The
(EU Reporter) Ahead of key votes on the post-2020 EU Renewable Energy Directive (RED II) in the ITRE, ENVI and TRAN
(National Biodiesel Board) A new academic paper published in Biotechnology for Biofuels shows biodiesel’s benefits are even better than previous models suggest.
by Jeremy Deaton (Nexus Media) … Many are leasing their fields to solar developers in need of flat land clear of
(Bio-based News) U research project MAGIC kicks off — On 4-5 July 2017, the 25 partners involved in the EU
by Sara Taginawa (Environmental and Energy Study Institute) On Tuesday, July 25, the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology held
(Biofuels International) Biofuels are needed to meet the UK’s commitments to mitigating climate change, according to a new report requested
by James Bobreski (Finger Lakes Times) … Ethanol is the alcohol in our beer that we enjoy at a ball game, a
by Emily Druckman (Renewable Fuels Association) More than a decade after the original renewable fuel standard (RFS) was signed into
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The production of Agrisoma’s Resonance Carinata is being expanded to multiple locations globally to provide
“Think of it as 100+ acres of energy storage and carbon sequestration,” said Kelly King, Vice President and Co-Founder of
by Marc J. Rauch (The Auto Channel) … Faced with some actual governmental actions that were detrimental to gasoline/diesel dominance, instead
by Tim Jamison (The Courier) The city is donating land and extending sewer in the Martin Road business park to
by Bruce Dale (Detroit News) Regarding “Renewable Fuel Standard has failed, April 16,” Prof. Wolfram has failed to do his
by Daryl Worthington (Biofuels International) Indonesia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has denounced the European Parliament Resolution on Palm Oil and
by Jim Lane (BiofuelsDigest) … For any society, an even more perfect class of technology assets would allow us to
by Jessie Stolark (Energy and Environmental Study Institute) Are we using the right tools to understand land use change, particularly at
by Ashwin Raman (Duluth News Tribune/Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association) I believe the March 21 story, “Habitat loss highest near ethanol plants,” did
by Bob Dinneen (Renewable Fuels Association/Ethanol Producer Magazine) RFA’s president and CEO highlights key facts from the organization’s annual industry
by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In Australia, the federal government’s economic advisor—The Productivity Commission—has called on New South Wales, Queensland
(Sputnik News) Whereas biofuel is often touted as the “greenest” solution to the Earth’s climate woes, such as global warming,
by Jordan Lubetkin (National Wildlife Federation) Millions of acres of wildlife habitat are being lost to crop production, according to
David C. Walmsley Rob Bailis, and Alexandra-Maria Klein (Environmental Science & Technology) Despite setbacks, interest in Jatropha cultivation remains high.
by Stephen Rapundalo (Morning Consult/MichBio) The United States Department of Agriculture just dropped a truth bomb. According to the agency’s
(Phys.Org) A new study published last week in the journal Environmental Research Letters by researchers at the University of Puerto
(RightsAndResources.org) Experts at Dakar event point to a significant cause of investment losses, work stoppages and violence across Africa: the
by Nicolas Loris (DownsizingGovernment.org/The Heritage Foundation) … The problem is not with the voluntary use of biofuels in the marketplace, but
(Karlsruhe Institute of Technology) Climate Researchers Study Impacts of Land-use Change on Carbon Dioxide – Reforestation Is Important to Climate
(U.S. Department of Energy/Ethanol Producer Magazine) The 2016 Billion-Ton Report (BT16), Volume 2: Environmental Sustainability Effects of Select Scenarios from Volume
(Environmental Research Web) Cultivating algae for food and biofuel could make a serious dent in our greenhouse gas emissions, as
by David DeGennaro (National Wildlife Federation) Since Congress passed into law in 2005 a federal mandate to blend corn-based ethanol and
by Chelsea Harvey (The Washington Post) The Great Plains lost more grassland to agriculture in 2014 than the Brazilian Amazon
by Joan Koka (Argonne National Laboratory) … The new analysis, published in The Royal Chemistry Society’s Energy & Environmental Science, incorporates
by Carol Werner (Environmental and Energy Study Institute/Morning Consult) … H.R. 5180, a proposal introduced by U.S. Representative Bill Flores (R-Texas),
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In the EU, Copa & Cogeca warned against EU Commission plans to phase out conventional
by Jeremy Cox (DelmarvaNow.com) … The measure would bar the energy projects from lands in agricultural zones. That would rob solar
by Anthony Adragna (Politico’s Morning Energy) … YOU BUILD ME UP: The Global Commission on the Economy and Climate released
(International Council on Clean Transportation) … Indonesia’s policies promoting the development of biofuels has always been portrayed as a way
by Rebecca Chillrud (Environmental and Energy Study Institute) … The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently issued an endangerment finding for aircraft,
(National Biodiesel Board) Economic modeling by Purdue University continues to reduce predicted emissions of ‘indirect land use change’ — Biomass-based
by Geoff Cooper (Renewable Fuels Association/Denver Post) Re: “EPA dodges responsibility on ethanol,” Sept. 3 editorial. The ethanol industry agrees
by Dick Roche (Biofuels Digest/Pannonia Ethanol) Just as the EU institutions were shutting up shop for the long summer break the
by Marie-Joe Costantine (BioFuelNet) Study stating “ biofuels are worse than gasoline” is fundamentally flawed — … In the study, when
by Robert C. Brown (Des Moines Register) … The genesis of the latest headlines is frustration among certain biofuels critics
by Marc J. Rauch (The Auto Channel) … I can’t say for sure, since I haven’t done a count and compared
Rowena Lindsay (Christian Science Monitor) A new study suggests that biofuels can mitigate only 37 percent of the CO2 released
(U.S. Geological Survey) The Northern Great Plains of North and South Dakota, which support over 40 percent of United States commercial
(MichBio/BusinessWire) MichBio, the biosciences industry association in Michigan, issued the following statement today regarding the release of a University of
by Geoff Cooper (Renewable Fuels Association) … Mr. (Mark) Perry suggests (without any scientific support or a single citation) that ethanol
by Bob Dinneen (Renewable Fuels Association/U.S. News and World Report) … Indeed, it’s fairly obvious that (Mark) Perry’s yarn is simply intended
by Keith Matheny (Detroit Free Press) The multi-billion-dollar U.S. biofuels industry — promoted and expanded for over a decade by the
(Collective Action and Property Rights) In this blog, Farai Mutondoro, Mary Jane Ncube, Manase Chiweshe and Derick Hamunakwadi discuss the
by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) A recent column provides some insight into anti-ethanol stances by making a connection between
by Dick Roche (EurActiv) Public policy should be built on firm foundations. Objective analysis, verifiable facts and solid science are
(Environmental and Energy Study Institute) … With a potential omnibus spending package on the table this fall, the oil industry and
by Jessie Stolark (The Hill/Environmental and Energy Study Institute) … The total amount of U.S. land under production by American farmers is
by Geoff Cooper (Renewable Fuels Association) Here we go again. We didn’t think it could get much worse than the
by Spencer Chase (Agri-Pulse) … When it comes to land use, Colin O’Mara, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation, testified
by Keith L. Kline, Siwa Msangi, Virginia H. Dale, Jeremy Woods, Glaucia M. Souza, Patricia Osseweijer, Joy S. Clancy, Jorge A. Hilbert, Francis X. Johnson, Patrick C. McDonnell, Harriet K. Mugera
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … The headline from the event is that projects and feedstock providers are more engaged
by Mike Lefever (Post Independent/Citizen Telegram) … In the end, though, I hope your take away is the same as mine; there’s
by Dick Roche (EurActiv) The European Commission’s proposal to scrap the mandate for the use of biofuels and, in effect, to