Insights about the most promising industrial crops grown on marginal land. MAGIC aims to promote the sustainable development of resource-efficient and economically profitable industrial crops grown on marginal lands, considering that
Tag "land use policy"
(ADVANCEFUEL) Policy and governments set ambitious climate and energy targets for the transport sector both on EU level, such as the revised Renewable Energy Directive, and international level, such as the
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,
(Office of Representative Peter Welch (D-VT)) Bill would phase out corn ethanol mandate, reverse tide of habitat destruction, and boost the mandate for advanced biofuels that reduce greenhouse gases — Today
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 Sarita Reed and Vincius Fontana (Future Fuel Strategies/China Dialogue) There are 332 million cars on the road in China, more than anywhere in the world. Most run on pure petrol,
(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
(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
(Biorenewable Deployment Consortium) BDC is a 501c3 organization focused on education and brokering partnerships in order to accelerate the deployment of economic bioprocesses and assist the forest products industry to
(Solutions from the Land) A panel of political, business and environmental leaders is the latest to issue warnings about the growing climate crisis emanating from increasingly volatile global weather patterns. Citing
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
(Union zur Förderung von Oel- und Proteinpflanzen (UFOP)/Biodiesel Magazine) Production of hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) in the European Union has picked up pace since 2012. Petroleum companies, such as Neste, Eni
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
(Washington Post) … A new and more accurate accounting method enabled one of the researchers, Princeton University’s Tim Searchinger, to calculate that biofuels are actually environmental villains: “Using ethanol or biodiesel
(Union zur Förderung von Oel- und Proteinpflanzen (UFOP)) The preliminary anti-subsidy duties announced by the EU Commission will not reduce imports of palm oil-based biodiesel. This is the conclusion the Union
(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
(Solutions from the Land) Solutions from the Land takes great pride in supporting the North American Climate Smart Action Alliance (NACSAA) as it continues its important work in putting farmers,
(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 Dave Keating (Euractiv) “ILUC has been solved,” declared Bernd Kuepker, a renewables policy officer at the European Commission’s energy department, at an event held in Brussels this week. He was, of course, not
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 Zachary Oren Smith (Iowa City Press-Citizen) … Mighty Earth, a program affiliated with left-leaning think tank Center for International Policy, has three paid organizers setting up shop in Iowa City, Des Moines
(Saint Mary’s University/Canadian Biomass Magazine) Research into how poor-quality, marginal land can be used to produce biomass as a potential revenue stream for farmers underway at Saint Mary’s University received $1.2
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,
(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 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
(The Star) French energy group Total said a move by lawmakers to exclude palm oil from raw materials approved for use in biofuel would put at risk its La Mede facility
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.
by Marc Kellens (Biodiesel Magazine) Marc Kellens, the global technical director for Desmet Ballestra, takes us through the history and future of biodiesel production, identifying key milestones and cultural shifts, including
(The World Bank) Bringing the Concept of Climate-Smart Agriculture to Life: Insights from CSA Country Profiles across Africa, Asia, and Latin America The Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) Country Profile Series assesses climate
(UN Food and Agriculture Organization) Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) is an approach that helps to guide actions needed to transform and reorient agricultural systems to effectively support development and ensure food security
(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,
(Free Malaysia Today/Bernama) Malaysia is scheduled to hold a meeting with Indonesia and Colombia in Jakarta next February to discuss the French National Assembly’s decision to exclude the use of palm
(Bioenergy Insight) Research from Durham University has suggested that the increasing use of bioenergy could be just as damaging to global biodiversity as climate change. Durham University researchers have suggested that
(Grain Net) The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE), Environmental Entrepreneurs(E2), the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA), and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) thank the Farm Bill conferees for including a new pilot Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP)
(Solutions from the Land) Events at the last round of global climate talks in Katowice, Poland over the past two weeks have drawn a spotlight on the need for agriculture, conservation
(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
(Bioenergy Insight) The Committee on Climate Change (CCC) has published two new reports on land use and biomass and the Anaerobic Digestion & Bioresources Association (ADBA) has responded. ADBA’s chief executive
by Charles Eichacker (Bangor Daily News) The company developing a state-of-the-art waste processing facility in Hampden says the project will probably be completed by the end of March — nearly a
(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 Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In the UK, virtual NGO SumOfUs has gathered nearly 75,000 signatures on a digital petition demanding the European Commission to ban palm oil as part of the regulatory
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 Beth Walker (The Third Pole) Biofuels will dominate future growth in renewables and are essential for decarbonizing the most difficult sectors; China and India should lead the way, argues new
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.
(International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis/Phys.Org) New IIASA-led research has found that a single climate mitigation scheme applied to all sectors, such as a global carbon tax, could have a serious
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
by Steve Bi* (Advanced Biofuels USA) Renaissance-era facades capped with green copper patina and orange clay shingles harmonize seamlessly with imaginative, hallmark-of-Scandinavia, hyper-modern structures in downtown Copenhagen. The city provided the
(IUCN) Banning palm oil would most likely increase the production of other oil crops to meet demand for oil, displacing rather than halting the significant global biodiversity losses caused by palm
(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
(Union of Concerned Scientists) Study Finds Coastal Municipalities May Lose Huge Sums in Property Tax Revenue — Accelerating sea level rise in the lower 48 states, primarily driven by climate change, is
(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
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
by Denise Civiletti (Riverhead Local) A proposal by United Riverhead Terminal to install six tanks for storing 108,000 gallons of biofuel at its Northville facility drew intense opposition from residents of
by Sudheer Mopperthy (Asian Age) The EU adopted this new fuel with rigour and pledged that by 2020, 10 per cent of all transport fuels in EU nations would be biodiesel. …
by Claire Stam (EURACTIV.com) The Brazilian Senate is considering lifting a ban on sugarcane production for ethanol fuel in the Amazon.
by Amy Mayer & Erica Hunzinger (Harvest Public Media) … Since 1980, the amount of land being farmed or grazed
(Neste Corporation) … In order to truly have impacts in human rights, we have started identifying potential human rights issues and
by Kevon Paynter (Yes! Magazine) Portland, Ore., climate activists celebrate a win against Big Oil as city- and state-level initiatives gain
Letter to the Editor: Renewable Fuel Standard Threatens New Jersey Wildlife & Worsens Climate Change
by Kelly M0oij (Audubon Society/Tap Into New Brunswick) … A decade removed from RFS beginnings has given ample time for evaluation
(Union zur Förderung von Oel- und Proteinpflanzen (Union for the Promotion of Oil and Protein Plants, UFOP)) Strong global harvest yields
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies is working with bioenergy industries and leaders to assist
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
by Lisa Gibson (Ethanol Producer Magazine) A massive expansion of land use for sugar cane growth in Brazil, and a subsequent
By Michael Eggleston* (Advanced Biofuels USA) Flying in Formation: Since the first test flight almost 10 years ago, there have
by Roslyn Anderson (MS News Now) Jackson Councilman Kenneth Stokes urged his colleagues to fight the expansion of a biodiesel plant
(Advantage News) The Illinois Department of Transportation has approved implementation of a renewable energy demonstration project using grasses collected from
Biofuel Potential in Southeast Asia: Raising Food Yields, Reducing Food Waste and Utilising Residues
(International Renewable Energy Agency) Southeast Asia has considerable resources to produce liquid biofuels sustainably, using biomass feedstocks that would not cause
by Mark Sponsler (Colorado Corn/Journal-Advocate) … Oxygenating gasoline is required under Clean Air Act amendments, and ethanol — with its clean-burning
(Phys.Org/University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) Corn is grown not only for food, it is also an important renewable energy source.
by David Smiley (Miami Herald) On mainland Miami, miles away from the pumps that keep Biscayne Bay from slowly swallowing
by Tim Jamison (The Courier) The city is donating land and extending sewer in the Martin Road business park to
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
(European Parliament/Biomass Magazine) To counter the impact of unsustainable palm oil production such as deforestation and habitat degradation, particularly in
by Jessie Stolark (Energy and Environmental Study Institute) Are we using the right tools to understand land use change, particularly at
by Bob Cleaves (Biomass Power Association/Biomass Magazine) More than 100 million trees across California, many located in the federally managed Sierra,
(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
(International Energy Agency) Bioenergy is the largest source of renewable energy today, providing heat and electricity, as well as transport
(U.S. Department of Agriculture) Analysis finds that U.S. corn-based ethanol reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 43 percent compared to gasoline,
by David DeGennaro (National Wildlife Federation) Since Congress passed into law in 2005 a federal mandate to blend corn-based ethanol and
by Mary Karugaba (New Vision) Staggering the commencement date would help government build capacity. — … Presenting the opposition’s views on the
by Dick Roche (EurActiv/Pannonia Ethanol) A response delivered by Commissioner Miguel Arias Cañete in the European Parliament last week demonstrates
by Patrick Kent (Irish Cattle & Sheep Farmers’ Association/Euractiv) The key element of this renewable energy plan is that the
(Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association) … According to Mr Kent (ICSA president Patrick Kent), this strategy flies in the face
by Lidia Dinkova (TC Palm) The county is following through on its promise to up safety regulation over biofuel producers after a
by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Biofuels operations under the right conditions can lead to improved household food security in
by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) The White House has published a mid-century strategy on decarbonization that addresses biofuels and bioenergy.
(Oxfam) The European Union must overhaul its current bioenergy policy, which is based on getting fuel from plants, because the
by Jeremy Cox (DelmarvaNow.com) … The measure would bar the energy projects from lands in agricultural zones. That would rob solar
(Sandia National Laboratories) A wide-ranging analysis of water vulnerability across the Pacific — including the U.S., China, Russia and Japan
(Collective Action and Property Rights) In this blog, Farai Mutondoro, Mary Jane Ncube, Manase Chiweshe and Derick Hamunakwadi discuss the
by Orlando Milesi (Inter Press Service) Seaweed, a nutrient-rich foodstuff that was a regular part of the diet of several South
by Spencer Chase (Agri-Pulse) … When it comes to land use, Colin O’Mara, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation, testified
by Art Cullen (Storm Lake Times) … So how can we produce ethanol sustainably — that is, a scheme under which
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … The headline from the event is that projects and feedstock providers are more engaged
by Mark Edwards (Algae Industry Magazine) The Green Friendship Bridge series examines a simple question: “What makes better sense, extending the
by Niu Shuping and David Stanway (Reuters/AgWeek) China’s plan to let the market set corn prices is bad news for
(Longview News Journal) Kinder Morgan is halting work on the $1 billion Palmetto Pipeline after Georgia lawmakers approved a one-year
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … In South Africa,, Chromatin and Zaad Holdings have entered into an alliance to produce and
by Suzanne Goldenberg (The Guardian) Arpa-E project deploys drones and robots to breed fast-growing, drought-resistant and greener biofuel from sorghum
by Sonja van Renssen (Energy Post) Biofuels are returning to the political agenda in Europe as EU policymakers start to
(Associated Press/Frederick News Post) The Garrett County Commissioners are considering a Deep Creek Lake watershed management plan that would restrict
by Demetrio Bueno Carvalho (Astana Times) … Referring to Brazilian experience, in the past 12 years the blending of ethanol with gasoline
by James P. Lenfestey (Star Tribune) … Keystone would not, as Obama noted, have any noticeable economic benefit to
by Katie Valentine (Think Progress) … Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR), along with Senator and presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, is introducing
by Stephen Lee (Capital Journal) An attorney for a handful of Onida residents opposing the siting of a proposed new
by Nichola Groom (Reuters) … The visitor represented Clean Line Energy Partners LLC, a Texas company established to build transmission lines
by Deborah Yetter (Courier-Journal) A spirited group of protesters marched more than 20 blocks along West Broadway Sunday afternoon to
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) As America’s farmers hit retirement age and technology options explode, what comes next? … The
by Jose Graziano DA Silva (UN Food and Agriculture Organization/AllAfrica.com) Over the past several years, biofuels have become a bone
by Jose Graziano da Silva (United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization/Project Syndicate) … But this is a false dichotomy. The choice cannot be between
by Greg Norman (Mongabay.com) … Cross River State, a coastal jurisdiction in southeastern Nigeria, still bears the marks of the country’s agricultural
By Tim Searchinger and Lyndon Estes (The Washington Post/Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School for Public and International Affairs) In recent
by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) It may soon be possible to certify that biomass is not only sustainably
by Torrie Cope (Idaho Press-Tribune) Residents who live in the area of Lower Pleasant Ridge Road fear that a proposed
By Alexis Arthur (OilPrice.com) Less than a decade ago, biofuels were set to take the energy world by storm. They
by Thomas N. Thompson (Biofuels Digest/U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD), Washington) … This superb collection of essays shows that Latin America is
by Eduardo Porter (The New York Times) Does combating climate change require burning the world’s forests and crops for fuel?
(Environmental and Energy Study Institute) In the World Resources Institute (WRI) working paper, “Avoiding Bioenergy Competition for Food Crops and
by Juliet Eilperin (The Washington Post) President Obama issued an executive order Friday directing federal agencies to adopt stricter building
(Renewable Fuels Association) Today (January 30, 2015), the Global Renewable Fuels Alliance (GRFA) criticized a new report by World Resources
(Union of Concerned Scientists) A report from the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) finds that reducing emissions from the land
by Nick Miroff (The Washington Post) Long before the massacre, when Mapiripan was just a faraway little place not worth
by Tony Bizjak (Sacramento Bee) The city of West Sacramento and a Texas-based gasoline company are battling over whether it’s
by Kelly April Tyrrell (University of Wisconsin-Madison) In Wisconsin, bioenergy is for the birds. Really. In a study published today
by Jennifer Runyon (RenewableEnergyWorld.com) There was never any conflict between using corn for food or for ethanol since corn growers send
by Rex Springston (Richmond Times-Dispatch) Panel assessing rising seas holds first meeting, discusses action plan Col. Paul B. Olsen, commander of
(US Department of Agriculture) Farm Bill program will benefit wildlife and outdoor recreation activity in California Bay Delta Region, Mississippi,
by Steven Mufson (The Washington Post) The multibillion-dollar Anschutz Exploration Corp., which helped make its founder, Philip Anschutz, one of the
by Michael Carus, Lara Dammer, Andreas Hermann and Roland Essel (nova-Institute) nova-paper #4 “Proposals for a Reform of the Renewable
(Environmental Working Group) The Environmental Protection Agency’s pending proposal to cut the amount of corn ethanol that must be blended
by John M. Urbanchuk (ABF Economics, Agriculture and Biofuels Consulting, LLP) The impact of biofuel production mandated by the Renewable Fuel
(25 x ’25) The 25x’25 Alliance welcomes the recognition by an Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change work group report released
by John Podesta, Dr. John P. Holdren (White House) … Rising seas threaten our coastlines. Dry regions are at higher risk of
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) After six years of debate — finally a database appears on actual indirect land use
by Brent Erickson (Biotechnology Industry Organization/Biofuels Digest) … The true good news is that the Senate conferees prevailed in getting $881
by Bob Dinneen (Renewable Fuels Association/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Ethanol enhances America’s economy by creating jobs, raising the GDP, increasing incomes
(University of Bern, Switzerland) If grassland used intensively, biodiversity decreases. Particularly affected are rare species, a new study headed by
by Rob Vierhout (ePURE/Ethanol Producer Magazine) At the yearly F.O.Licht’s World Ethanol Conference, two speakers spoke about ethanol as a coproduct,
by Martiin Kidston (Missoulian) If 1 ton of woody debris can produce 50 gallons of fuel, how many gallons of
by Sean Bartlett(Platts) A European Council proposal to amend the Renewable Energy Directive will fail to realize EU targets for
(Friends of the Earth Europe) Illegal and harmful production of palm oil in Indonesia is continuing, reveals a new report
(Science Daily) Expanding millions of hectares of Brazilian land to produce palm oil for food or for renewable, clean-burning biodiesel