by Chris Clayton (DTN Progressive Farmer) ... An Iowa state senator's bill would take away the companies' ability to use eminent domain. The bill introduced by state Sen. Jeff Taylor, a Republican from northwest Iowa, would limit the use of eminent
land use change
Back TO HOMESetting the Record Straight on the Environmental Outcomes of the Renewable Fuel Standard
by Geoff Cooper (Renewable Fuels Association) A new report published today (February 14, 2022) in the Proceedings of the National Academy of the Sciences, funded in part by the National Wildlife Federation, purports to examine the “environmental outcomes” of the Renewable
February 15, 2022 Read Full Article
In Historic Vote, Los Angeles Will Phase out Oil Drilling
by Adam Mahoney (Grist) Once a magnet for urban oil drilling, the city now moves to curb its dependence on fossil fuel production. -- On Wednesday, the Los Angeles City Council approved a sweeping measure that will ban new oil and gas
January 31, 2022 Read Full Article
Biodiesel Expansion OK’d Amid Asphalt Concern
by Thomas Breen (New Haven Independent) An Annex plant that turns vegetable oil into biodiesel fuel won permission to expand its industrial waterfront operations — with a plea from City Plan Commissioners to do its best to swap out asphalt with concrete when possible
January 25, 2022 Read Full Article
Raw Material for Biofuel Production Is Available on 7% of the Cultivated Area
(Union for the Promotion of Oil and Protein Plants (UFOP)) In 2020, crops such as cereals, oilseeds, protein, sugar and fiber plants, fruit, vegetables, nuts, etc. were cultivated on 1.4 billion hectares worldwide. Most of these products were used to feed
January 24, 2022 Read Full Article
Animal, Vegetable or Mineral (Oil)? Exploring the Potential Impacts of New Renewable Diesel Capacity on Oil and Fat Markets in the United States
by Chris Malins and Cato Sandford (International Council on Clean Transportation) This report provides an overview of the U.S. renewable diesel market and explores the potential market and environmental impacts of increased renewable diesel capacity. The United States currently supports renewable diesel
January 19, 2022 Read Full Article
ACE, Industry Groups Encourge CARB to Recognize Climate-Smart Farming Practices in Low Carbon Fuel Standard
(American Coalition for Ethanol) In a cosigned letter, the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE), along with the Great Plains Institute, Low Carbon Fuels Coalition, the National Biodiesel Board, and Canadian Oilseed Processors Association, recommended the California Air Resources Board (CARB) recognize the
January 16, 2022 Read Full Article
White House Will Recruit Rural Land for New Clean Energy Projects, Could It Create Too Much Competition for Land?
by Tyne Morgan (Farm Journal AgWeb) The Biden Administration is ramping up its efforts to deploy clean energy infrastructure across the country. The White House announced this week plans to utilize public lands and rural America for wind, solar and other clean energy
January 14, 2022 Read Full Article
A Rebuttal to DeCicco: Use Locally Produced Renewable Energy
(Owatonna People's Press/Renewable Fuels Association) The author claims that the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) was enacted in the wake of 9/11. That is not true. The RFS was enacted after the petroleum industry was unsuccessful in getting Congress to protect the
January 05, 2022 Read Full Article
Two Birds with One Stone: A Combined Environmental and Economic Performance Assessment of Rapeseed-Based Biodiesel Production
by Xueqing Yang,Yang Liu, Alberto Bezama, Daniela Thrän (GCB-Bioenergy) Rapeseed is the dominant feedstock for biodiesel production in Germany; however, significant decline in crop yields observed during the 2018 drought in Europe poses economic and environmental risks for its sustained
December 30, 2021 Read Full Article
Sustainable Aviation Fuel: Decoupling Carbon from Commercial Flight Fact Sheet
(U.S. Department of Energy) The U.S. Department of Energy Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) empowers energy companies and aviation stakeholders by supporting advances in research, development, and demonstration to overcome barriers for widespread deployment of low-carbon sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). SAF made from renewable biomass and
December 29, 2021 Read Full Article
Biofuels Are Having a Government-Funding Moment
by Angely Mercado (Popular Science) ... Just this month, the Department of Energy (DOE) announced a plan to provide more than $100 million for basic research and tech development to produce biofuels, biomaterials, and bioproducts. Biofuels are liquid fuels produced from renewable sources,
December 29, 2021 Read Full Article
What We Know about Two Carbon Capture Pipelines Proposed in Iowa
by Donnelle Eller (Des Moines Register) ... Two companies — Summit Carbon Solutions and Navigator CO2 Ventures — want to build pipelines that will be used to move carbon dioxide captured from ethanol, fertilizer and other agricultural industrial plants. The companies plan to
November 29, 2021 Read Full Article
Maine Hits the Brakes on 145-Mile Transmission Project
by Matthew Choi (Politico's Morning Energy) Maine Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Melanie Loyzim suspended the permits for the New England Clean Energy Connect, a controversial 145-mile transmission project that would deliver hydropower from Quebec into New England. The suspension
November 24, 2021 Read Full Article
ITOCO Launches Its Nopal Cactus Carbon Capture Program in Portugal through a Joint Venture with LATINCHOICE-UNIPESSOAL LDA
(Accesswire/ITOCO) ITOCO INC. (OTC PINK:ITMC) ITOCO is pleased to announce it has selected LATINCHOICE - UNIPESSOAL LDA. in Portugal to Joint Venture as it expands its Nopal Cactus Carbon Capture Program internationally. The ITOCO Nopal Cactus Carbon Capture Program has been
November 19, 2021 Read Full Article
America’s Native Grasslands Are Disappearing
by Katharine Gammon (The Guardian) The Great Plains are being torn up at a ferocious rate – with frightening implications for biodiversity and carbon storage. -- ... (Patrick)Lendrum led a research team that released a report in September showing that from 2018
November 05, 2021 Read Full Article
As Demand for Green Energy Grows, Solar Farms Face Local Resistance
by Ellen Rosen (New York Times) Developers say industrial-scale farms are needed to meet the nation’s climate goals, but locals are fighting back against what they see as an encroachment on their pastoral settings. READ MORE As Demand for Green Energy
November 03, 2021 Read Full Article
Maine Is in Danger of Losing Some of Its Best Agricultural Land to Solar Farms
by Julia Bayly (Bangor Daily News) Approximately 67,000 fixed-tilt, bifacial panels will comprise a solar farm under construction at the Eastern Piscataquis Industrial Park in Milo. There is growing concern that development of solar farms will come at the expense
October 18, 2021 Read Full Article
Plug-in Cars Are the Future. The Grid Isn’t Ready.
by Will Englund (Washington Post) ... Seventy-four times last year, the wind across Upstate New York dropped so low that for stretches of eight hours or more barely any electricity was produced. Nearly half the year, the main transmission line
October 13, 2021 Read Full Article
Biden’s Proposed Tenfold Increase in Solar Power Would Remake the U.S. Electricity System
by Joshua D. Rhodes (The Conversation) ... Relying more heavily on region-specific technologies ... would require building more high-voltage transmission lines to move that energy over long distances, which could increase costs and draw opposition from landowners. ... The report assumes that
September 15, 2021 Read Full Article
Brazil’s Biofuel Program Sputters on Weak Emissions Accounting
by Sibélia Zanon (Mongabay; Translated by Maya Johnson) • The RenovaBio program has been encouraging biofuel producers in Brazil to emit less carbon dioxide since the end of 2019. The program survived a rocky first year brought on by the
September 08, 2021 Read Full Article
D.C. Circuit 2019 RVO Decision Is a Mixed Bag for Biofuels
by Sarah Main and Shailesh Sahay (Foley Hoag) ... On July 16, 2021, the D.C. Circuit issued a decision that resolved several challenges to its 2019 Renewable Volume Obligations (RVO) rulemaking. ... Renewable fuel producers challenged the volume requirements set in the
August 03, 2021 Read Full Article
Fit for 55: The EU's Plan for a Green Transition
(European Council) As part of the European Green Deal, with the European Climate Law, the EU has set itself a binding target of achieving climate neutrality by 2050. This requires current greenhouse gas emission levels to drop substantially in the next decades.
July 29, 2021 Read Full Article
CPOPC Urges the EU to Rethink Its Palm Oil Policy
(Biofuels International) The Council of Palm Oil Producing Countries (CPOPC) has again urged the European Union to revise its approach on vegetable oils in biofuels. This comes under the framework of RED II in light of the upcoming revision of
July 08, 2021 Read Full Article
Energycane Produces More Biodiesel than Soybean at a Lower Cost
(University of Illinois/EurekAlert!) Bioenergy from crops is a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels. New crops such as energycane can produce several times more fuel per acre than soybeans. Yet, challenges remain in processing the crops to extract fuel efficiently. Four new studies
July 08, 2021 Read Full Article
Indonesia's B30 Program to Drive Global Biodiesel Production in 2021-2030: Report
by Aditya Kondalamahanty (S&P Global) Indonesia's use of palm oil to make biodiesel to rise by 23% by 2030; Biodiesel use projected to increase by 7% over coming decade; Palm oil production expected to weaken on sustainability, land constraints Indonesia will be the main
July 08, 2021 Read Full Article
Bioresources within a Net-Zero Emissions Economy: Making a Sustainable Approach Possible
(Energy Transitions Commission) In its new report Bioresources within a Net-Zero Emissions Economy, the Energy Transitions Commission (ETC) makes plain that, while bioresources are in principle renewable, not all forms of biomass use are beneficial from an environmental perspective: not all biomass
July 07, 2021 Read Full Article
Groundbreaking New Partnership Will Use Blockchain Technology to Record, View and Measure the Growth of 50 Million Pongamia Trees
(Investancia) Blockchain will track 50 million trees through Investancia and EcoMatcher Partnership --- Groundbreaking new partnership will use blockchain technology to record, view and measure the growth of 50 million pongamia trees to be planted in the Paraguayan Chaco forest
June 15, 2021 Read Full Article
Thinking Beyond Wires: Using Advanced Transmission Technologies to Accelerate the Transition to Clean Energy
(Environmental Law and Policy Center) In order to integrate renewables nationwide and reduce the worst impacts of climate change, we need a robust, efficient, and modern electricity delivery network. [caption id="attachment_143383" align="aligncenter" width="637"] From Environmental Law & Policy Center report[/caption] Transmission lines already
June 04, 2021 Read Full Article
New Reports Correct the Record on Faulty Land Use Change Assertions
(Renewable Fuels Association) A pair of recent studies examining purported cropland expansion in the Midwest are based on a flawed methodology that “suffers from accuracy and certainty issues,” according to a new review of the studies by researchers at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.
June 02, 2021 Read Full Article
Red Tractor Paperwork Crucial to Access Biofuels Market
(Farmers Weekly) Arable farmers will have to produce new “mass balance” figures – essentially stock and movement records – from 1 July, in order to achieve Red Tractor status to supply the growing biofuels market. The rule changes are being introduced to
May 27, 2021 Read Full Article
Ethanol Boss: Electric Vehicles Are Not the Future, but Part of It
by Sarantis Michalopoulos (EURACTIV.com) Looking at electric vehicles as the only option for the decarbonisation of Europe’s transport sector is wrong and we should take into account all available sustainable solutions, Valérie Corre from the European Renewable Ethanol Association (ePURE) told
May 27, 2021 Read Full Article
Johnson County Landowners Consider Trading Ethanol Crop for Fields of Solar in $4.7M Project
by Zachary Oren Smith (Iowa City Press-Citizen) On land that has yielded corn and beans, Jim Dane and some other Johnson County farmers may see something new produced. Locally, the Dane name is associated with Dane's Dairy, a popular ice cream shop just off Highway
April 28, 2021 Read Full Article
Earth Day 2021 Series Day 14: Sustainable Land Use: What Can We Learn from Farmers?
by Joanne Ivancic* (Advanced Biofuels USA) They say that Sustainability is a three-legged stool: Environmental Sustainability, Economic Sustainability and Social Sustainability. If any of these legs is missing, the stool falls over. Climate Smart Agriculture The North America Climate Smart Agriculture Alliance is
April 14, 2021 Read Full Article
QUOTE OF THE WEEK -- Brian Ross
"Holy moly. How on Earth are you going to get people not coming with pitchforks and tar to these siting meetings?" Brian Ross, a vice president at the St. Paul, Minn.-based Great Plains Institute upon reviewing a map representing the
March 26, 2021 Read Full Article
Biden's Dilemma: Land for Renewables
by Peter Behr and Jeffrey Tomich (E&E News) Picture an area of land equal to the combined territories of Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island. That's the space that could be required to site the massive
March 26, 2021 Read Full Article
Looking ahead to Second-Generation Biofuels
by Janet Kubat Willette (Farm Progress) Madhu Khanna, distinguished professor of environmental economics at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, says that CRP acres have the potential to produce harvestable bioenergy crops. Speaking at a Council on Food, Agricultural and Resource Economics webinar earlier this
March 11, 2021 Read Full Article
The Science Behind Ethanol’s Carbon Intensity, Land Use Change: The Digest’s 2021 Multi-Slide Guide to Corn Starch Ethanol’s Carbon Intensity
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) What’s the life cycle system for corn starch ethanol? What is the current best estimate for carbon intensity of corn ethanol? What about ethanol biorefinery energy use intensity and land use change carbon intensity? What
March 11, 2021 Read Full Article
Building the Evidence on Corn Ethanol’s Greenhouse Gas Profile
by Jan Lewandrowski (US Department of Agriculture) Over the past two decades, the demand for renewable fuels — including corn-based ethanol — has helped drive a strong domestic market for corn, and supported rural America by generating jobs (PDF, 1.5 MB). New research
February 15, 2021 Read Full Article
EH&E Study Shows Corn Ethanol Emits 46% Less Greenhouse Gases Than Gasoline – Finding Differs from Conventional Wisdom Suggesting Only 20%
(Environmental Health & Engineering Inc.) Research from EH&E shows that greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for ethanol, a biofuel made from corn, are 46% lower than gasoline. Conventional wisdom based on a prior analysis done by EPA had pegged the difference to
February 15, 2021 Read Full Article
Groups Fight Wisconsin Transmission Line
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy)Conservation groups on Wednesday sued over the federal government’s approval of the 102-mile, $500 million Cardinal-Hickory Creek high-voltage transmission line that would carry electricity from renewables from Iowa to Wisconsin. The suit argues that the
February 12, 2021 Read Full Article
To Make the U.S. Auto Fleet Greener, Increasing Fuel Efficiency Matters More Than Selling Electric Vehicles
by John DeCicco (The Conversation) ... Motorcars stay on the road for a long time, so failing to adequately reduce gasoline vehicle emissions this year burdens the atmosphere with excess carbon dioxide (CO2) for many years ahead. ... The media spotlight on EVs
February 04, 2021 Read Full Article
Harvard, Tufts, EH&E Scientists Find Corn Ethanol Reduces Carbon Emissions by Nearly 50%
(Renewable Fuels Association) A comprehensive new study by scientists from Harvard University, Tufts University and Environmental Health & Engineering Inc. shows that using corn ethanol in place of gasoline reduces greenhouse gas emissions by almost half. The “central best estimate” of corn ethanol’s
January 26, 2021 Read Full Article
Boeing Planning to Debut 100% Biofuel Planes by 2030
by Sarah George (edie.net/Eurative) Boeing has already completed one commercial flight using 100% biofuel in 2018 --Boeing Co has unveiled plans to deliver commercial aircraft capable of using 100% biofuel by 2030. Using existing technologies under current regulations, it can
January 25, 2021 Read Full Article
Abandoned Cropland Should Produce Biofuels
by Steinar Brandslet (Norwegian University of Science and Technology/Phys.Org) Growing perennial grasses on abandoned cropland has the potential to counteract some of the negative impacts of climate change by switching to more biofuels, according to an NTNU research group. Researchers consider
January 23, 2021 Read Full Article
Getting to Neutral Carbon: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to Carbon Drawdown
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s A.J. Simon shared this illuminating slide guide at ABLC 2020 to look at the role that bioeconomy pathways play in drawing down CO2 from the atmosphere. From pathway selection, corn starch,
January 19, 2021 Read Full Article
Renewable Fuels Are Taking off…but Can They Supply the Massive Demand?
by Cameron Begley and Allan Green (Spiegare) In the accelerating push to decarbonise aviation and marine transport fuels, constraints around the sustained availability of fats and oils feedstocks are already emerging. Recent breakthroughs in feedstock engineering technology from Australia presents a promising
December 30, 2020 Read Full Article
UPM Joins the BIKE Project Promoting Sustainable Biomass Value Chains for Biofuels
(UPM Biofuels) UPM Biofuels has joined the BIKE project that promotes low-ILUC risk biofuels production for European Bioeconomy. The project brings together companies and research organisations who believe that novel, safe and reliable biomass value chains can be deployed to produce
December 21, 2020 Read Full Article
Could We Ever Pull Enough Carbon out of the Atmosphere to Stop Climate Change?
by Donavyn Coffey (Live Science) ... Sabine Fuss has been looking for these answers for the last two years. An economist in Berlin, Fuss leads a research group at the Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change and
December 02, 2020 Read Full Article
Joint Policy Proposal to Accelerate the Deployment of Sustainable Aviation Fuels in Europe - A Clean Skies for Tomorrow Publication
(World Economic Forum) What is the World Economic Forum doing to help aviation meet net zero goals? Through the Forum’s Clean Skies for Tomorrow coalition, stakeholders across the European aviation value-chain have aligned on key policy proposals to inform the EU’s
November 30, 2020 Read Full Article
Environmental Sustainability of Biofuels: A Review
by Harish K. Jeswani, Andrew Chilvers and Adisa Azapagic (Proceedings of the Royal Society A) Biofuels are being promoted as a low-carbon alternative to fossil fuels as they could help to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and the related climate change impact
November 30, 2020 Read Full Article
Study Confirms Contribution of Bioenergy to Climate Change Mitigation
by Elton Alisson (Agência FAPESP) ... Some argue, for example, that biofuels are not sustainable because the conversion of non-agricultural land to grow energy crops could lead to a significant initial decrease in carbon storage, creating what is known as a
November 19, 2020 Read Full Article
Sustainable Bioeconomy Vital for Freshwater Resources
(Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research/Phys.Org) In the future, the world may increasingly rely on renewable biomass resources for the provision of food, fodder, fiber and fuel. How this transition to a bioeconomy will affect Nordic water resources, is something BIOWATER, a
October 23, 2020 Read Full Article
RFS Rule in Court, Chapter 2019
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) The D.C. Circuit on Friday hosted the annual legal rite: a challenge to EPA's blending mandate under the Renewable Fuel Standard, with this round focusing on the rule governing 2019 requirements. Biofuel producers argued that
September 28, 2020 Read Full Article
Intensive Monoculture Is Putting Water Systems in Peril
(University of Birmingham) The global spread of vast forest plantations and agricultural monocultures are turning once diverse landscapes into areas of land supporting single plant species, with profound implications for our terrestrial water cycle, according to new research. A new paper
September 24, 2020 Read Full Article
Study Predicts Climate Benefits Stemming from the Use of Advanced Biofuels
(AZO CleanTech/Colorado State University) Biofuel and bioenergy systems are integral to scenarios for displacing fossil fuel use and producing negative emissions through carbon capture and storage. But the net greenhouse gas mitigation benefit of these systems has been controversial, due to
August 31, 2020 Read Full Article
Renewable Transport Fuel Association: Green Fuel Firms Launch New Trade Body
(Business Green) RTFA aims to drive uptake of low-carbon fuels such as bioethanol, biomethane, biodiesel and biopropene -- Twelve companies have joined together to form the Renewable Transport Fuel Association (RTFA), a new trade body launched this week for producers and suppliers
August 27, 2020 Read Full Article
Advanced Biofuels Show Real Promise for Replacing Some Fossil Fuels
(Colorado State University/Science Daily) A new study predicted significant climate benefits stemming from the use of advanced biofuel technologies. -- Biofuel and bioenergy systems are integral to scenarios for displacing fossil fuel use and producing negative emissions through carbon capture and
August 26, 2020 Read Full Article
With Colombia and Argentina as a Base, Experts Highlight Potential of Biodiesel in Latin America and the Caribbean
(Clarin (Google translation)) Jens Mesa Dishington, executive president of Fedepalma and Luis María Zubizarreta, president of Acsoja and Carbio, called for the promotion of biodiesel production in the region. -- In a forum organized by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation
August 26, 2020 Read Full Article
Showcase Bioeconomy: Research Wants to Combine Species Protection and Palm Oil Production
(University of Hohenheim) In Sumatra, smallholders in particular have a key function, according to a study on the conversion of rainforests into monocultures and their effects -- Oil palm plantations as far as the eye can see. In addition to a dramatic decline
August 17, 2020 Read Full Article
How to Tackle Climate Change, Food Security and Land Degradation
(North America Climate Smart Agriculture Alliance News) Some lesser-known options, such as integrated water management and increasing the organic content of soil, have fewer trade-offs than many well-known options, such as planting trees, according to a Rutgers-led study in the journal Global
July 28, 2020 Read Full Article
Letter to the Advanced Bioeconomy: Advance off the Beach
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) There was always going to be a point when the advanced bioeconomy reached the end of the “R&D years” and transitioned into “the years of deployment”, and if you read the Biden plan here or the latest pushback from
July 28, 2020 Read Full Article
As Woods Give Way to Solar Farms, State to Issue Controversial Rules that Could Harm Solar Industry
by David Abel (Boston Globe) ... For years, their family used the patch of forest in this suburb west of Boston to hike, sled, walk their dog, and experience wildlife close at hand. Then two years ago, a developer began clear-cutting
July 14, 2020 Read Full Article
New Publication – Novel Regional and Landscape-Based Approaches to Govern Sustainability of Bioenergy and Biomaterials Supply Chains
(IEA Bioenergy) Novel regional and landscape governance approaches aim at addressing complex sustainability challenges by enhancing commitment and collaboration between multiple stakeholders and sectors to achieve common goals for a more sustainable production at larger geographical scales and across sectors, regardless
July 14, 2020 Read Full Article
The Science behind Brazilian Biofuels Policy – RenovaBio
by Marcelo A. Boechat Morandi (Embrapa Meio Ambiente/LinkedIn) Insights on how Brazil is innovating and investing in the low carbon economy, especially in agriculture and energy. RenovaBio is a market driven incentive mechanism, based on the economic theory of “Coase Market”
June 25, 2020 Read Full Article
Biofuels are Catalyst to Successful Agriculture: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to POET’s Biofuels and Agriculture
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) POET shared this visual slide guide at last week’s DigestConnect webinar, highlighting today’s agricultural landscape, U.S. corn acreage and yield and production countries, showing where America’s corn goes, noting how biofuels are critical for successful
June 03, 2020 Read Full Article
National Wildlife Federation Joins GOP Governors Calling for RFS Waivers
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) The National Wildlife Federation believes EPA's Andrew Wheeler should use the agency's waiver authority to reduce blending requirements under the Renewable Fuel Standard. The green group, one of a handful of enviros to engage
June 02, 2020 Read Full Article
Technical Report Comparison of Biofuel Life Cycle Analysis Tools Phase 2, Part 2: Biochemical 2G Ethanol Production and Distribution
by Antonio Bonomi, Otávio Cavalett, Bruno Colling Klein, Mateus Ferreira Chagas, and Nariê Rinke Dias Souza (Brazilian Biorenewables National Laboratory (LNBR)/ National Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM)/IEA Bioenergy) Second-generation (2G) or lignocellulosic biofuels are deemed advanced in
May 29, 2020 Read Full Article
Biodiesel’s Contribution to the Modern Food System
by Don Scott (Biodiesel Sustainability Now/National Biodiesel Board/Medium.com) ... Biodiesel was developed in the U.S. as a beneficial use for the excess fats and oils created as co-products or byproducts of protein production. Biodiesel uses excess fats and oils from
May 28, 2020 Read Full Article
Featured Project: Purdue University Elevated Solar Panels
(Indiana Agriculture Coalition for Renewable Energy) Our first featured renewable energy project is a joint project between PU Chemical Enginering and PU Agronomy Department at the Sustainable Food, Energy and Water Systems (SFEWS) research project in West Lafeyette. ... “This research will
April 30, 2020 Read Full Article
Don’t Look to Mature Forests to Soak Up Carbon Dioxide Emissions: Results of Australian Study May Have Impact on New York State Carbon Neutrality Goals
(Suny College of Environmental Science and Forestry) Research published today in Nature suggests mature forests are limited in their ability to absorb "extra" carbon as atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations increase. These findings may have implications for New York state's carbon neutrality
April 23, 2020 Read Full Article
Potential Feedstocks, Biofuel Markets, Corn and Cellulosic Ethanol: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to Increasing Feedstock Production for Biofuels
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The Biomass Research and Development Board published a report that looks at how to address the constraints surrounding availability of biomass feedstocks for biofuels. Four questions guide the analysis: What feedstocks and at what price? What is the
April 22, 2020 Read Full Article
Scaling Algae for Carbon Capture and Biofuels
(Boss Magazine) ... What else algae can suck up, though, is carbon dioxide. When harnessed for carbon capture, algae could become a force in combatting climate change. ... Like other plants, algae take in carbon dioxide during photosynthesis. In fact,
April 01, 2020 Read Full Article
Focus Forward from Challenge to Opportunity: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to RFA’s 2020 Ethanol Industry Outlook
y Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The Renewable Fuels Association released its 2020 Ethanol Industry Outlook, an annual publication that provides policymakers, regulators, consumers, the media, and renewable fuel advocates with key statistics, trends, insight, and analysis on the latest developments
March 30, 2020 Read Full Article
Are Biofuels Part of the Carbon Emissions Solution?
by Neil Briscoe (Irish Times) ... “Ireland has one million petrol vehicles,” James Cogan, Ethanol Europe’s industry and policy adviser told The Irish Times. “E10 allows that fleet to cut emissions by an amount equivalent to taking 50,000 cars off the road. Or
March 18, 2020 Read Full Article
Notice of Request for Public Comment on Updates to Technical Guidelines for Quantifying Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions and Carbon Sequestration at the Entity-Scale for Agriculture and Forestry COMMENTS DUE April 20, 2020
(U.S. Department of Agriculture/Federal Register) In accordance with Section 2709 of the 2008 Farm Bill, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) developed technical guidelines and science-based methods to quantify greenhouse gas sources and sinks from the agriculture and forest sectors
March 07, 2020 Read Full Article
MIND THE GAP: Letter from Europe
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) If you have not followed the Alternative and Renewable Fuels Forum, bookmark this, and today I’ll give you some of the flavor of this group with 110 members — project owners and developers, policy experts, technologists,
March 04, 2020 Read Full Article
New Framework for Biofuels Leaves Many Questions Unanswered
by (Business Maverick) The recently published Biofuels Regulatory Framework is an important step in the attempt to develop a national biofuel industry, but it is far from sufficient to ensure the full benefits of biofuels while minimising the risks. -- On
February 20, 2020 Read Full Article
Minister Wants Bio-Ethanol Plant Expedited
(The Tribune) After the matter was highlighted in The Tribune a few days back, Union Food Processing Industries Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal today requested Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to intervene and ask the Punjab Government to expedite
February 14, 2020 Read Full Article
Why Are Low Carbon Biofuels Needed to Decrease Greenhouse Gases?
(Agricultural & Applied Economics Association/Cision) Four AAEA members publish research in AEPP -- Electric vehicles are being introduced gradually, and even with aggressive policy support they are expected to reach 50% of total fleet by 2050, making it imperative to use
February 06, 2020 Read Full Article
New Study Finds ‘Insignificant’ Link between US Biofuel Policy and Deforestation in Southeast Asia
(Biofuels International) A new study carried out by economic modelling experts from Purdue University in the US has found the impacts of US biofuel policy on deforestation in Malaysia and Indonesia to be insignificant. The study, titled ‘US Biofuel Production and
January 21, 2020 Read Full Article
Three Firms Eye Ethanol Licences
(Herald/George Maponga Masvingo Bureau) Three companies have applied for land irrigated by the new Tugwi-Mukosi Dam to grow sugar cane to make ethanol for blending into fuels. Greenfuel in Chisumbanje and Tongaat Hulett Zimbabwe in Chiredzi are the only two
January 14, 2020 Read Full Article
Growing Better: Ten Critical Transitions to Transform Food and Land Use
(The Food and Land Use Coalition) The Global Consultation Report of the Food and Land Use Coalition September 2019 -- For people, nature and climate -- There is a remarkable opportunity to transform food and land use systems, but as the challenges
January 09, 2020 Read Full Article
Corn and Ethanol Markets: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Farmer Efforts to Drive the Renewable Economy
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The National Corn Growers Association is working hard to increase demand, improve productivity and environmental sustainability and more, but how are they doing this? How do their programs help drive the bioeconomy? What misinformation are
January 07, 2020 Read Full Article
Report from Growth Energy Debunks Unsupported Claims Regarding Endangered Species
(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 and speculation.” The report was authored by Ramboll, a global
December 10, 2019 Read Full Article
Report: Thailand Could Benefit from Ethanol Imports
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 could benefit from importing ethanol and other biofuels. While the country
December 03, 2019 Read Full Article
Brazil Sugarcane Growth Can Meet Biofuel Need and Not Drive Deforestation: Study
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, according to computer models that compared the impact of different
November 29, 2019 Read Full Article
Advanced Biofuels: What Holds Them Back?
(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 infrastructure or the transport fleet, can be deployed rapidly to
November 25, 2019 Read Full Article
In Surprise Move, Brazil Has Removed Restrictions on Amazon Sugarcane Production
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 and other areas of primary forest. -The measure is controversial because
November 15, 2019 Read Full Article
Renewable Fuels: Advancing European Market Uptake
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 European is used to at least one of these habits
November 11, 2019 Read Full Article
Leading Companies Endorse WBCSD’s Call for a Stronger Circular Bioeconomy
(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 opportunities. -The Guide was endorsed by 15 CEOs from companies
November 08, 2019 Read Full Article
Argonne National Laboratory Releases 2019 GREET Model
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 use change from the production of biofuels, as well as
November 05, 2019 Read Full Article
A Roadmap to Make the Land Sector Carbon Neutral by 2040
(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 to the land sector becoming carbon neutral by 2040 and
October 24, 2019 Read Full Article
Biofuels Producers Merit Recognition for Contributions to Climate Change Mitigation
(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 local governments - are showcasing the many ways they benefit
October 22, 2019 Read Full Article
Does Security of Supply Drive Key Biofuel Markets in Asia?
(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 reason for the introduction of biofuel policy support in China,
October 22, 2019 Read Full Article
EU Parliament Unfazed by Trade Fight over Palm Biofuel Phase-Out
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 phase out palm oil-based biofuels by 2030. The two Southeast
October 15, 2019 Read Full Article
Report: U.S. Biofuels Help Drive Environmental Progress
(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 was authored by Ramboll, a global research and management firm
September 26, 2019 Read Full Article
Circuit Court Rejects Challenges to EPA’s Renewable Fuel Standards
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 industry groups. Under longstanding EPA policy, the burden of introducing more
September 03, 2019 Read Full Article
Chinese Demand Heats up Brazil’s Ethanol Industry
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 in China, more than anywhere in the world. Most run
August 14, 2019 Read Full Article
New IPCC Report to Assess the Interaction between Global Warming and Land Use
(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 land grab. Coping with each of these problems will require a
August 06, 2019 Read Full Article
European Ethanol Industry Needs Market Reforms to Counter Growing Trade Threat
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 EU’s domestic production base will bring benefits for the economy
July 23, 2019 Read Full Article
New University and Government Reports Set the Record Straight on Ethanol’s GHG Benefits
(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 use change” analyses based on flawed satellite imagery-based methodologies. These studies
July 17, 2019 Read Full Article
IEA Bioenergy Annual Report 2018
(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 – lessons and messages from a three-year Inter-Task project’, the preparation of which
June 03, 2019 Read Full Article
Expanding US Cropland Emits Same as 36 New Power Plants
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 the US. “Folks can easily see and understand how tropical deforestation
May 29, 2019 Read Full Article
Energy Sprawl – Friend or Foe?
(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. The key to it all is planning. -- In an effort
May 14, 2019 Read Full Article
USDA Study Shows Significant Greenhouse Gas Benefits of Ethanol Compared with Gasoline
(U.S. Department of Agriculture) A new study released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) finds greenhouse gas emissions from corn-based ethanol are about 39 percent lower than gasoline. The study also states that when ethanol is refined at natural gas-powered
April 29, 2019 Read Full Article
Where Will All the Feedstock Come From?
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 these new biomass-based diesel projects intend to produce renewable diesel
April 17, 2019 Read Full Article
Ethanol Industry Gets Welcome News: USDA Study Shows It’s More Environmentally Friendly than Gasoline
(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 — ethanol has significant greenhouse gas benefits when compared to
April 09, 2019 Read Full Article
New Study Exposes Absurdity of NWF Land Use Change Claims
(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 paid for by the National Wildlife Federation (NWF). In addition,
April 09, 2019 Read Full Article
TerViva Raises $20 Million in Series D to Drive Product Development and Market Expansion
(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 commercializing resilient pongamia trees that produce as much as ten
March 27, 2019 Read Full Article
Brazil’s GranBio Acquires USA’s American Process
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 processes for conversion of biomass to renewable fuels, chemicals, and
March 18, 2019 Read Full Article
Report: Feds' Biofuel Policy Produced Unintended Environmental Consequences
(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 water supplies in Texas and other drought-prone areas. Producing a single
March 09, 2019 Read Full Article
Have Land? Make Money from Hemp with Black-Owned Cultiv8
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 people who own land can make some serious money with
March 05, 2019 Read Full Article
The Next Money Crop for Farmers: Solar Panels
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) DeBaillie. Hundreds have applied to host acres of solar panels
February 24, 2019 Read Full Article
Georgetown Wants to Raze 210 Acres of Trees to Meet Green-Energy Goals. Environmentalists Are Crying Foul.
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, which involves razing about 210 acres of trees in rural Charles
February 19, 2019 Read Full Article
Fermentable Sugar as a Raw Material for the Chemical Industry: First Generation as Sustainable as the Second – Significant Reduction in Greenhouse Gases for Both
(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 is just as advantageous for a sustainable raw materials strategy of
February 11, 2019 Read Full Article
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
"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 the marketplace thanks to the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) exceed
February 06, 2019 Read Full Article
New Study: RFS2 Has Reduced GHG Emissions by 600 Million Metric Tons, Beating EPA Expectations
(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 of GHG reduction since 2007. Actual GHG reductions under the
February 06, 2019 Read Full Article
Potential Trade‐Offs of Employing Perennial Biomass Crops for the Bioeconomy in the EU by 2050: Impacts on Agricultural Markets in the EU and the World
(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 PBC as a means to reach greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation
February 05, 2019 Read Full Article
Taxes versus Emissions Trading System: Evaluating Environmental Policies that Affect Multiple Types of Pollution
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 when both pollution types are controlled by taxes, although a
February 03, 2019 Read Full Article
Empirical Evidence Suggests Negligible Indirect Land Use Effect of Corn Ethanol in the U.S.
(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 and there was also a sharp upturn in corn prices
January 29, 2019 Read Full Article
Proposed Solar Energy Developments Draw Opposition Over Loss of Farmland
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 Renewables, plans to lease a portion of the scenic property in
January 20, 2019 Read Full Article
We’ll Begin Production of Ethanol, Glucose Syrup from Sweet Sorghum Soon
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, the Director General of Raw Materials Research Council (RMRDC), Dr.
January 15, 2019 Read Full Article
Why Investors Ditched Sh2tr Biofuels Projects
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. It has been estimated that between 2007 and 2008, the Southern
January 11, 2019 Read Full Article
Farmland Expansion Increases Carbon Footprint across Northern Corn Belt
(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 State University scientist. The study, published in the academic journal Environmental
January 08, 2019 Read Full Article
Malaysia Says Norway Move to Ban Palm-Based Biodiesel Could Hinder EFTA Trade Talks
(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, a Kuala Lumpur government minister said on Friday. A Norwegian parliament
December 28, 2018 Read Full Article
Corn Ethanol Production Has Minimal Effect on Cropland Use, Study Shows
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 of non-cropland to crop production and the environmental effects of
December 28, 2018 Read Full Article
Assessing Bioenergy Sustainability: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide ABLC Guide to IEA Bioenergy
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 Technology and IEA Bioenergy gave this illuminating overview of the methods
December 26, 2018 Read Full Article
New Study Shows that Corn Acreage and Total Crop Acreage Are Not Very Responsive to Local Ethanol Production and Crop Prices
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. How the development of corn-based biofuel affects land-use change, particularly
December 21, 2018 Read Full Article
Environmental Benefits of Energy Crops: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide ABLC Guide to University of Illinois Research
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, Urbana-Champaign, gave this illuminating overview of the environmental benefits of energy crops
December 21, 2018 Read Full Article
More Bioplastics Do Not Necessarily Contribute to Climate Change Mitigation
(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. However, a recent study from the University of Bonn suggests
December 11, 2018 Read Full Article
More Sustainable: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide ABLC Guide to Intensification Response & Landscape Design in Bioenergy Production
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 competitive advantage for productivity and/or conservation based on Biophysical characteristics
December 03, 2018 Read Full Article
Reforms Must Prepare the UK Countryside for Climate Change and Ensure that Our Use of Land Supports Reduced Emissions
(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 is already happening. In this context, current uses of land
November 21, 2018 Read Full Article
Part of the Answer to Climate Change May Be America’s Trees and Dirt, Scientists Say
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 as 21 percent of the country’s annual greenhouse gas emissions. At
November 19, 2018 Read Full Article
Environmental Groups File Petition with EPA Accusing It of Illegally Allowing Wildlife Habitat Conversion for Biofuels
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 and conservation groups filed a petition with EPA, asserting the
November 01, 2018 Read Full Article
Agri-Tech Can Turn African Savannah into Global Food Basket – African Development Bank
(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 green revolution. “This sleeping giant needs to wake up,” the Bank’s
October 31, 2018 Read Full Article
Argonne GREET 2018 Update
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 environmental effects of a wide variety of transportation fuels and
October 12, 2018 Read Full Article
Sustainable Intensification: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to More Biomass for Bioenergy without Imposing iLUC
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 from Poul Erik Laerke and Uffe Jørgensen of Aarhus University
October 10, 2018 Read Full Article
Redesigning Poplar Trees to Take the Drought ... and the Salt and the Heat
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 growth or even complete loss. The rising frequency of these
October 08, 2018 Read Full Article
Indonesia Halts All New Palm Oil Plantations for 3 Years
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 country whose farmers and businesses rely heavily on palm oil. With
September 24, 2018 Read Full Article
Farmers in Guatemala Are Destroying Dams to Fight ‘Dirty’ Renewable Energy
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, Santiago set out with pickaxes and sticks to break up
September 10, 2018 Read Full Article
Activists Protest Biofuels outside UN Meeting on Climate Change in Bangkok
(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. ... “Defend our rights to food, land and water,” said one of
September 06, 2018 Read Full Article
Mechanisms and Indicators for Assessing the Impact of Biofuel Feedstock Production on Ecosystem Services
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 a significant driver of landscape modification, ecosystem change and biodiversity
August 15, 2018 Read Full Article
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 ton by 2040, and 1 billion tons would be available
August 02, 2018 Read Full Article
EPA Hasn’t Told the Whole Story of the Benefits of Biofuels
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 because of what it excludes. The EPA authors note that
July 24, 2018 Read Full Article
Biofuels and the Environment: Second Triennial Report to Congress
(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 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA). EISA Section 204 calls for EPA to report to Congress on the environmental
July 02, 2018 Read Full Article
Investigation into U.S. Renewable Fuels Policies Finds “Green” Biodiesel Producers Driving Massive Deforestation
(MIghty Earth) A new investigation, “Burned: Deception, Deforestation, and America’s Biodiesel Policy” by the organizations Mighty Earth and ActionAid USA has found that biodiesel is not the environmentally friendly, “green” fuel claimed by industry producers. On-the-ground investigators documented bulldozing, burning and
June 27, 2018 Read Full Article
Ethanol Discussion Needs to Be Based on Facts
by David Kessel (Marin Independent Journal) ... Discussions on energy use and production are important, but need to be based on factual information, not made up red herrings. • The articles state the intent was to increase renewable fuels. Not mentioned
June 25, 2018 Read Full Article
What Happens On The Edges Of Cities When Farmland Gives Way To Development
by Amy Mayer & Erica Hunzinger (Harvest Public Media) ... Since 1980, the amount of land being farmed or grazed in the U.S. has dropped 13 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Much of it now is covered
March 30, 2018 Read Full Article
Energy Entrepreneur Proposes Hibiscus Farm at Molokai Ranch
(Associated Press/Honolulu Star Advertiser) An energy entrepreneur has proposed purchasing the Molokai Ranch and turning part of it into a farm for hibiscus that would be used for bio-fuel. Andres De Rosa, the CEO of renewable energy company Lamplighter Energy, shared his