(Kansas City Business Journal) Kansas City isn't exactly flush with cash, but it has managed to make $2 million the past few years through its innovative handling of sludge, The Kansas City Star reports. The city has turned a profit from handling sludge
Sustainability
Back TO HOMEVillagers, Police Clash over Disputed Land
by Obey Manayiti (News Day) Dozens of angry villagers last week fought running battles with Zimbabwe Republic Police officers over disputed land between villagers and Green Fuel in Chisumbanje. The clashes started last Monday, but turned nasty over the weekend after
January 01, 2013 Read Full Article
Forest Products Society Journal Publishes Special Biofuels Issue
(Forest Products Society) Biofuels made from high-yield, short rotation woody crops or from forest residuals and thinnings that are currently left unused have substantial potential to reduce CO2 emissions as well as to contribute to energy independence. A series of
December 31, 2012 Read Full Article
Well-to-Wheels Energy Use and Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Ethanol from Corn, Sugarcane and Cellulosic Biomass for US Use
by Michael Wang, Jeongwoo Han, Jennifer B Dunn, Hao Cai and Amgad Elgowainy (IOP Science/Argonne National Laboratory) Globally, bioethanol is the largest volume biofuel used in the transportation sector, with corn-based ethanol production occurring mostly in the US and sugarcane-based ethanol
December 30, 2012 Read Full Article
National Academies Press Publishes "Sustainable Development of Algal Biofuels"
(Committee on the Sustainable Development of Algal Biofuels; Board on Agriculture and Natural Resources; Board on Energy and Environmental Systems; Division on Earth and Life Studies; Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences; National Research Council) Biofuels made from algae are
December 30, 2012 Read Full Article
WASDE Report
by Geoff Cooper (Renewable Fuels Association) ... Total global grain supplies were raised slightly to 2705.6 MMT, the second-largest on record. The U.S. ethanol industry is projected to use 78.9 MMT (net DDGS), meaning just 2.92% of the world grain supply
December 27, 2012 Read Full Article
Govt Urged to Empower Small Farmers in Biofuel Production
by Gerald Kitabu (IPP Media) The government of Tanzania has been urged to localise biofuel commercial production by empowering small farmers in terms of training, loans and marketing. The call was made by Tanzanian researchers and scientists during a recent visit
December 27, 2012 Read Full Article
USDA Funds Mississippi State University Biofuel Study
(ClarionLedger.com) A team of Mississippi State University agricultural economists recently received U.S. Department of Agriculture funding to study policies impacting biofuel supply chains. Keith Coble is the principal investigator for a project to develop a model to assess how state or
December 26, 2012 Read Full Article
Cuba Expands Biofuel Production
(NewsTrackIndia) Cuba has opened its second biodiesel plant and plans to build three more to produce green fuel from inedible plants, the state-run TV reported. The new plant is now having trial run in the town of Cabaiguan in the central
December 21, 2012 Read Full Article
Ethanol Doubles Corn's Food Production
by Orrie Swayze (AgWeek) Both sides of the food versus fuel debate assume ethanol wastes food and the debate simply circles around how much food is wasted. Compared to what? Before determining informed judgments, both sides should compare corn’s food
December 20, 2012 Read Full Article
Energy Advisor: Host of Factors Affect Food Prices
by Sarah Bittleman (Dairy Herd/USDA) Rob Green’s recent Wall Street Journal op-ed “The cause of higher grocery bills isn’t the drought. It’s the failed federal ethanol policy” fails to take into consideration a host of factors, other than demand for corn, that affect
December 20, 2012 Read Full Article
Can Flex-Fuel Cars Put US on the Road to Low Oil Prices?
by Suzanne Goldenberg (The Guardian) Barack Obama is in the market for creative ways of combating climate change, and Eyal Aronoff thinks he has one – involving the US's beloved motor car Eyal Aronoff identifies himself on his business card as
December 20, 2012 Read Full Article
NNFCC Review of the Year: 2012's Biggest Bioenergy, Biofuels and Bio-Based Products News Stories
by Matthew Aylott (National Non-Food Crops Centre) NNFCC take a look back at the bioenergy, biofuels and bio-based products stories making the headlines in 2012. ... In Europe, both Vivergo and Ensus started producing bioethanol made from wheat this year but the use of food
December 20, 2012 Read Full Article
Neste Oil to Produce Biojet as Part of EU-Funded ITAKA Project
(Neste Oil/Biodiesel Magazine) Neste Oil has joined the Initiative Towards Sustainable Kerosene for Aviation (ITAKA) project, which is being funded by the EU to support the commercialization and use of renewable aviation fuel in Europe. Neste Oil's role in the
December 19, 2012 Read Full Article
Special Forest Products Journal Biofuels Issue
(WebWire) Biofuels made from high yield, short rotation woody crops or from forest residuals and thinnings that are currently left unused have substantial potential to reduce CO2 emissions as well as to contribute to energy independence. A series of articles
December 18, 2012 Read Full Article
Sahara Forest Project Launched
by Mohammad Shoeb (The Peninsula Qatar) Qatar has launched a novel pilot project, ‘Sahara Forest’ in collaboration with a Norwegian company, which will help produce food crops (such as tomatoes, cucumber, melon), fodder crops, freshwater, clean energy, salt, algae (for
December 18, 2012 Read Full Article
Oregon to Implement Phase One of Clean Fuels Program
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) On Dec. 7, the Oregon Environmental Quality Commission elected to begin implementation of the state’s Clean Fuels Program. A spokeswoman for the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality confirmed the commission voted four to one to
December 17, 2012 Read Full Article
National Corn Growers Association Offers Ethanol Facts Resource, Designed for Mobile Platform
by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The National Corn Growers Association has launched a new web-based resource,www.EthanolFacts.com. ...The home page of EthanolFacts offers links to short articles on hot topics in ethanol circles: flex-fuel vehicles, food and fuel, jobs and
December 17, 2012 Read Full Article
Insurance Industry Perspectives on Extreme Weather Events
(Environmental and Energy Study Insitute) The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) organized a briefing on insurance industry perspectives on recent extreme weather events and how strategic investment can help manage the threats posed by a changing and more severe climate. In
December 17, 2012 Read Full Article
U.S. Agricultural Research Is Faltering, Report Warns
by Stephanie Strom (New York Times) A blue-ribbon panel of scientific and technology advisers to President Obama warns that the nation risks losing its longstanding supremacy in food production because research in agriculture has not kept up with new challenges like climate
December 17, 2012 Read Full Article
USDA Grants Support Sustainable Bioenergy Production
(US Department of Agriculture) Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced $10 million in research grants to spur production of bioenergy and biobased products that will lead to the development of sustainable regional systems and help create jobs. Vilsack highlighted the
December 17, 2012 Read Full Article
EU Farmers and Biofuel Industry Mobilise against the EC Biofuel U-Turn
(AgiTrade) In a letter to the European Commission in early October 2012, Copa-Cogeca, the EU farmers’ and agricultural cooperatives’ organisation, affirmed its opposition to EC proposals to limit to 5% ‘the use of crop-based biofuels’ in meeting transportation energy needs and
December 17, 2012 Read Full Article
Tanzania: Villagers Cry Foul On Bio-Fuel Investments
by Ashery Mkama (AllAfrica.com) Villagers from Kilwa and Rufiji districts have requested the government to involve them in implementation of bio-fuel projects and investments in which huge tracts of land is used. They told members of the Journalists' Environment Association
December 14, 2012 Read Full Article
EESI Discusses Biomass, Bioenergy, and Sustainability With State Environmental Legislators
by Ned Stowe (Environmental and Energy Study Institute) EESI Policy Associate Ned Stowe recently gave a presentation on biomass, bioenergy, and sustainability to the 11th Annual Great Lakes Environmental Legislators Forum of the National Caucus of Environmental Legislators in Chicago,
December 14, 2012 Read Full Article
Half the Oil: A Plan to Cut Projected U.S. Oil Use in Half in 20 Years
(Union of Concerned Scientists) We have the practical solutions at hand to protect consumers, the climate, and our environment from the growing costs of our oil use. How? It all comes down to one simple fact: Using less is the real oil
December 14, 2012 Read Full Article
Most U.K. Crops Meet Environmental Biofuel Standards, AHDB Says
by Whitney McFerron (Bloomberg) Most rapeseed, sugar beet and wheat crops in the U.K. meet environmental standards for use in biofuels, the Agriculture & Horticulture Development Board said. Ninety-seven percent of the country’s rapeseed, all of its sugar beets and
December 14, 2012 Read Full Article
Sustainable Energy for All: Focus of Sustainable Energy Symposium
by Joanne Ivancic (Advanced Biofuels USA) The United Nation’s emphasis of “Sustainable Energy for All” (SE4All) in 2012 wrapped up with a decision to continue the focus with a Sustainable Energy for All Decade. The Pennsylvania Sustainable Energy Fund (SEF)
December 14, 2012 Read Full Article
EPA Renewable Fuel Standards Cost Wendy’s $174 Million in Costs
by Christopher Goins (Politic365.com) The chairman of Wendy’s Restaurant’s supply chain cooperative, which is responsible for food purchases for Wendy’s Restaurants, says that because of EPA Renewable Fuel Standards every individual Wendy’s Restaurant has to pay $20,000 to $30,000 more per
December 11, 2012 Read Full Article
Biobased Briquettes, Not Bombs, for the Taliban?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) From time to time, we report on correspondence exchanged with our veterans and serving men and women in the field, on the subject of the strategic and tactical opportunities in biofuels and bioenergy. This week, we heard
December 11, 2012 Read Full Article
Fossil-Fuel Subsidies of Rich Nations Five Times Climate Aid
by Alex Morales (Bloomberg) Rich countries spend five times more on fossil-fuel subsidies than on aid to help developing nations cut their emissions and protect against the effects of climate change, the Oil Change International campaign group said. In 2011, 22 industrialized
December 11, 2012 Read Full Article
Climate Talks Focus on Fossil Fuel Subsidies
by Karl Ritter (Associated Press/Salt Lake Tribune) Hassan al-Kubaisi considers it a gift from above that drivers in oil- and gas-rich Qatar only have to pay $1 per gallon at the pump. ...Qatar — the host of U.N. climate talks that
December 10, 2012 Read Full Article
IISD-Led Seminar Offers Global Perspective on Biofuel Subsidies: Issues Policy Brief
(International Institute for Sustainable Development) “Rational policies should be based on understanding the real impacts of government support to biofuels on the environment and the society,” said Sirpa Pietikäinen, MEP and chair of GLOBE EU. “The spiralling food versus fuel
December 06, 2012 Read Full Article
CO2 Emissions Could Feed Algae Biofuel Bonanza
by Max Paris (CBC News) U.S. Steel Canada announces pilot project that will test Pond Biofuels technology U.S. Steel Canada announced Tuesday it will partner with Union Gas and Pond Biofuels to test an innovative system that pulls carbon dioxide directly
December 06, 2012 Read Full Article
How to Keep Biofuels Sustainable
by RP Siegel (TriplePundit) While the bio-based economy should be more sustainable than the alternative – any good idea can be implemented poorly. I asked Jesper Hedal Kløverpris, Sustainability Manager for Novozymes, how we can ensure that biofuels are being produced in
December 05, 2012 Read Full Article
EPA Grants Biofuel Pathway for Grain Sorghum
(FarmFutures) Qualifies some ethanol plants to produce domestic advanced biofuel The Environmental Protection Agency Monday announced it has approved grain sorghum as an eligible feedstock under the Renewable Fuels Standard. "This is a significant step forward for the sorghum industry," said Bill Kubecka,
December 05, 2012 Read Full Article
Expert in Biofuels: EU Biofuel Policy Is Addressing the Wrong Issue
(Hveiti) European policymakers should focus on how to organize the synergies between food and fuel rather than wasting time on theoretical models of land use changes that do nothing to improve matters in the real world, says biofuel expert André
December 05, 2012 Read Full Article
RFA to EPA: “Time is Now” to Revise Lifecycle GHG Analyses of Corn and Sugarcane Ethanol
(Renewable Fuels Association) The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) should immediately initiate a process to update its obsolete lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) analyses of corn and sugarcane ethanol for the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS2), according to a letter sent Friday to EPA Administrator
December 05, 2012 Read Full Article
Portland General Electric Tests Biofuel Options to Replace Coal at Boardman Plant
(AP/Oregon Live) Portland General Electric is in its second year of testing the giant cane known as Arundo donax as a potential replacement for coal at the Boardman Power Plant. But the utility is also looking at other biomass sources that
December 05, 2012 Read Full Article
California-Grown Sorghum Used in Ethanol Production
(Chromatin/BusinessWire) Chromatin’s Sorghum Seed Recognized for Water Use Efficiency and Versatility Chromatin, Inc., a privately held provider of innovative crop breeding technology, sorghum seed products and feedstocks, announced it has generated the first crop of sorghum that has been grown and
December 05, 2012 Read Full Article
Despite Urban Migration, Scale Elusive for MSW-to-Fuels
by Mackinnon Lawrence (Biofuels Digest/Pike Research) There are few topics that get the clean technology sector excited less than trash. Meanwhile, the news is littered with stories discussing municipal areas from Zimbabwe to Los Angeles and Mumbai to Moscow struggling to
December 05, 2012 Read Full Article
2 New Tools Can Cut Deforestation And Support Sustainable Palm Oil In Indonesia
by Craig Hanson (WRI Insights) At the 10th Annual Meeting of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), WRI launched two new online mapping applications designed to help the palm oil industry grow while avoiding deforestation. These free tools enable palm oil producers, buyers,
November 29, 2012 Read Full Article
The False Choice Between Palm Oil And Indonesian Forests
by Nigel Sizer (WRI Insights/The Jakarta Post) ...The world’s top scientists are also raising concerns. According to a recent study in Nature Climate Change, from 1990 to 2010, 90 percent of lands converted to oil palm plantations in Kalimantan were forested. There need not,
November 29, 2012 Read Full Article
EU Commission Backs Controversial Sustainable Palm Oil Scheme
by Barbara Lewis (Reuters) The European Commission has approved a scheme that would certify as sustainable transport fuel made from palm oil, condemned by environmental groups as one of the most damaging sources of biodiesel. The Commission made public on Tuesday
November 29, 2012 Read Full Article
In Indonesia and Malaysia, as Demand for Palm Oil Grows, So Do Environmental, Labor Concerns
by Jason Motlagh (The Washington Post/Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting) Long a preferred cooking ingredient in developing countries, palm oil is now in greater demand in Western markets because of its low price and long shelf life. Derived from the
November 29, 2012 Read Full Article
Response to National Council of Chain Restaurants RFS Guest Editorial
by Bob Dinneen (Renewable Fuels Association) ... In regard to the November 28th op-ed, “A Mandate to Raise Food Prices” by Rob Green, Executive Director of the National Council of Chain Restaurants: If he really believes that the major cause of higher
November 29, 2012 Read Full Article
Ennesys Launches “Green Building” Demo in France
(Algae Industry Magazine) French biotech startup Ennesys will today launch its first demonstrator system for “truly green” buildings – in the Nanterre district of La Defense near Paris. It’s a simple idea: to turn buildings into energy production units by
November 29, 2012 Read Full Article
True or False: 10 Percent of US Corn Crop Used for Ant Repellent
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Well, that’s an absurd headline, isn’t it? False, false and false. It’s ridiculous, misleading and harmful to conclude that 10 percent of the US corn harvest is used for ant repellent – just because 10 percent
November 29, 2012 Read Full Article
Cultivating the Promise of Agricultural Cleantech
by Dallas Kachan (Renewable Energy World/Kachan & Co.) ...In its new report on agricultural cleantech, Kachan uses the following criteria to differentiate cleantech developments from generic agricultural innovations: improved efficiency of resource use reduced ecological impact smaller carbon footprint sustained or enhanced profitability Technologies that reduce
November 28, 2012 Read Full Article
Carbon vs Rural Economic Development
by Jim Lane (BioBased Digest) ...World Growth warns that the REDD+ program to reduce emissions from deforestation is fatally flawed. At the UN climate conference in Qatar, World Growth released “Immoral Aid: The effect of REDD+ on developing country economies”. It
November 28, 2012 Read Full Article
Global Clean Energy Holdings Earns Roundtable on Sustainable Biofuels (RSB) Certification
(RSB Services Foundation/Global Clean Energy Holdings) The RSB Services Foundation, the implementing entity of the Roundtable on Sustainable Biofuels (RSB) which has developed a global sustainability standard and certification system for biofuel production, is pleased to announce that Global Clean
November 26, 2012 Read Full Article
NIST Posts Presentations for 4th International Conference on Biofuels Standards
The National Institute of Standards and Technology announced that it has posted presentations from the 4th International Conference on Biofuels Standards: Current Issues, Future Trends on its web site. The purpose of the meeting was to provide a forum for
November 26, 2012 Read Full Article
The 2012 Maryland Energy Forum
by Bradley Frieze (Advanced Biofuels USA) On Wednesday, October 3rd, four leading activists for the use of renewable energy sources held a forum at Frederick Community College. This ‘Maryland Energy Forum’ focused mainly on four present energy issues: hydrofracking, coal,
November 26, 2012 Read Full Article
False Hope: The Harmful Promotion of Agrofuels in Asia and Canada
by Jack Litster (CCCI-CCIC) When the price of agrofuel production finally became economically competitive with the high price of oil around 2005, a debate soon opened up about whether transport fuel produced from crops (such as palm oil, corn, sugarcane,
November 17, 2012 Read Full Article
Biodiesel Industry on Brink as Waste Oil Use Plummets
by Elinor Zuke (The Grocer) The amount of used cooking oil being re-purposed as fuel has plummeted since a tax incentive was axed - and industry insiders are warning that the situation could spell the end of the British biodiesel
November 17, 2012 Read Full Article
ENN, EADS/Airbus to Collaborate on Algae-based Aviation Fuels
(Algae Industry Magazine) China’s ENN and Europe’s EADS have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to co-develop microalgae-based aviation fuels. The agreement was made public at the China International Air Show in Zhuhai, Guangdong province. ... The scope of the companies’ new
November 17, 2012 Read Full Article
Farm Foundation Blog: Food & Fuel for 9 Billion in 2050
by John Davis (DomesticFuel.com) How do you keep an expected world population of 9 billion people by the year 2050 fed AND meet the world’s energy needs? Our friends at Farm Foundation are taking on those challenging questions, hopefully with
November 16, 2012 Read Full Article
World Energy Outlook: A New Global Energy Landscape Is Emerging
(International Energy Agency) The 2012 edition of the World Energy Outlook was released on 12 November 2012. Drawing on the latest data and policy developments the report presents analytical insights into trends in energy markets and what they mean for
November 16, 2012 Read Full Article
The GM Tree Plantations Bred to Satisfy the World's Energy Needs
by John Vidal (The Guardian) Israeli biotech firm says its modified eucalyptus trees can displace the fossil fuel industry It's a timber company's dream but a horrific industrial vision for others: massive plantations of densely planted GM eucalyptus trees stretching across Brazil, South Africa,
November 16, 2012 Read Full Article
Standards: Assurance of Quality or a Path toward Exclusion?
by Joanne Ivancic (Advanced Biofuels USA) You know you have benefited from a conference when you come away from three days of presentations, panel discussions and a solid dose of audience participation with new understandings and clarifications; and with a
November 15, 2012 Read Full Article
European Commission Backs Down on EU ETS and Agrees to 'Stop the Clock' on International Aviation Emissions
(GreenAirOnline) EU Climate Commissioner Connie Hedegaard announced this morning the EU will suspend enforcement of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) to airlines flying to and from Europe in order to allow ICAO to continue its progress towards a
November 12, 2012 Read Full Article
COMMUNITY ADVISORY BOARD — ‘Ethanol’ Shouldn’t Be a Dirty Word
by Cliff Meeuwsen (Holland Sentinel) Ethanol has become a dirty word for some, and I’m not sure why. How did the cleanest burning, highest quality, cheapest form of liquid renewable fuel ever get to be such a punching bag for politicians,
November 12, 2012 Read Full Article
Green Jet Fuels Could Take off in Chicago and the Midwest
by Alan Yu (Medill Reports) Boeing, United Airlines and several other Chicago entities hope to make the Midwest a hub for the production of green jet fuels. Although most of the technology required to produce biofuels for aircraft on a large
November 12, 2012 Read Full Article
EU Must Ensure Biofuel Producers in Indonesia Respect Land Rights
(The Guardian) Tighter EU rules on biofuel production are failing to protect the land rights of Indonesia's indigenous communities ...To understand the scale of the problem, Sawit Watch (sawit means palm oil in Indonesian) is supporting smallholders and indigenous people in more than 660
November 12, 2012 Read Full Article
US Researchers Say that Indirect Land Use Numbers Should Fall 75% on New Analysis
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Michigan, a research team led by Michigan State’s Bruce Dale, writing in the November 2012 issue of Biomass & Bioenergy, that they believe that a lifecycle analysis approach to ILUC requires replacing the nutritional functions
November 09, 2012 Read Full Article
Carbon Offsetting Rather than Emissions Trading Becoming Favoured Route as ICAO Looks towards a Global Scheme
(GreenAirOnline) As ICAO expert groups continue their work on a global market-based approach to limiting the growth of international aviation emissions, it is beginning to emerge that carbon offsetting, rather than emissions trading, is the favoured option for States and
November 08, 2012 Read Full Article
LSU AgCenter Studying Switchgrass as Biofuel Feedstock
(Associated Press/The Advocate) An LSU AgCenter forestry researcher is looking at a fast-growing plant called switchgrass as a potential biofuel feedstock. Switchgrass needs little fertilizer and can tolerate drought and floods, Michael Blazier said — and on land left open because
November 08, 2012 Read Full Article
Mathematical Tricks, Backdoor Policies
by Robert Vierhout (Ethanol Producer Magazine/ePURE) After almost three years of study, debate, hours of meetings, many reports, public and nonpublic consultations, the European Commission has released its legislative proposal on how to address the indirect land use change effects of
November 06, 2012 Read Full Article
Industry Improves as Indicators Stabilize, Diversification Expands
by Paula Emberland (Ethanol Producer Magazine/Christianson & Associates PLLP) Multiple revenue streams lessen impact of ethanol prices ...First, and perhaps most importantly, more plants are producing different types of coproducts, and they’re making more money from those coproducts, both in real
November 06, 2012 Read Full Article
More Accurate ILUC Carbon Accounting
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) Dr. Jesper Hedal Kløverpris and Dr. Steffen Mueller have proposed a new approach to measuring the climate impact of biofuels related land-use changes (ILUC) as opposed to other land use changes: “Baseline Time Accounting Concept” and believe it should
November 06, 2012 Read Full Article
The Role of Biofuels in a Warming World
RP Siegel (TriplePundit) ... We know that the 14 billion gallons of ethanol produced by American agriculture last year displaced close to 10 billion gallons of gasoline, reducing carbon emissions that contribute to warming. Biofuel also increased energy independence and
November 06, 2012 Read Full Article
Election Day: Amidst Shifting Geopolitical Realities, U.S. Biofuels Industry Seeks Policy Clarity
by Mackinnon Lawrence (Biofuels Digest/Pike Research) ...A lack of clarity around biofuels policy reflects a reshuffling of current geopolitical realities that belies nearly forty years of dependence on Middle East oil. ... Data published by the Energy Information Agency (EIA) supports this
November 06, 2012 Read Full Article
Running from the Bear: Making Biofuels from Municipal Solid Waste
by Ed Hamrick (Biofuels Digest/Greenworld Fuels) ... There are more than two billion tons of MSW produced worldwide every year, with more than 250 million tons per year produced in the USA every year. Disposal of MSW is a thousand year
November 06, 2012 Read Full Article
Agro2 Achieves Sustainability Certification for Cassava in Panama
(Agro2/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Agro2 S.A., located in Veraguas, Panama, is proud to be the first company in Panama to be certified by the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification confirming the compliance of Agro2’s cassava production and processing methods with the
November 05, 2012 Read Full Article
Baseline Time Accounting Significantly Improves the Climate Impact Assessment of Indirect Land Use Change (ILUC)
(PR NewsWire) Accounting for dynamics in the global agricultural area reduces the current estimated contributions to global warming from ILUC by 60-70% Indirect land use models that forecast the global warming impact of biofuels production incorporate time accounting in a very
November 01, 2012 Read Full Article
Using Manure To Mend Mine-Damaged Soils
(USDA Agricultural Research Service) From 1850 to 1950, the Tri-State Mining District of southwestern Missouri, southeastern Kansas, and northeastern Oklahoma produced 50 percent of the zinc and 10 percent of the lead in the United States. The last active mine
November 01, 2012 Read Full Article
Aussie Brothers Make Biofuel Breakthrough
by Nick Perry (The Australian) A Technology breakthrough by two Australian brothers could offer a solution to the world's insatiable appetite for food and fuel. Phillip and Geoff Bell have developed a new way to produce ethanol from waste products such
November 01, 2012 Read Full Article
Venter: Biofuels 'Dead' without U.S. Aid
by Bradley J. Fikes (North County Times) Famed genomics researcher J. Craig Venter, who is working to develop biofuels from photosynthetic algae, acknowledged this week that alternate fuels are “dead” unless the federal government mandates their use with a carbon
November 01, 2012 Read Full Article
UK Gov to Source Palm Oil from Environmental-Friendly Sources by 2015
(NewEnergyWorldNetwork.com) By the end of 2015, all palm oil used in the UK government’s food and catering services will be from environmentally-friendly sources, the country’s Environment Minister has announced. ...The Renewable Energy Association (REA) commented on the palm oil statement and
November 01, 2012 Read Full Article
Climatic Conditions Make Abu Dhabi Ideal for Commercial Production of Biofuels from Algae
(United Arab Emirates/AMEInfo.com) Abu Dhabi's abundant sunshine and climate make it a near-ideal location for growing algae for commercial production of biofuels. Such unique geographic and climatic conditions further enhance the opportunity for the Emirate to become a leading developer
November 01, 2012 Read Full Article
A Million Tonnes of DDGs Pushed onto UK Market
(All About Feed) Two huge wheat-for-ethanol plants are coming on stream in Britain supplying and extra one million tonnes of distillers grains to the animal feed industry. Material from these plants will help fill the cattle fodder gaps for the coming
October 31, 2012 Read Full Article
Denmark Sets High Goals for Renewables
by Roger Moore (Ethanol Producer Magazine/Leifmark LLC) ...If you’re Denmark, and practically surrounded by the North Sea, global warming and the anticipated rise in the ocean level tend to focus the national mind. To thrive economically, as well as survive
October 30, 2012 Read Full Article
Verifying Forest Sustainability
by Charles A. Levesque and Eric W. Kingsley (Innovative Natural Resource Solutions LLC/Biomass Magazine) Increased talk about the use of woody biomass for energy in the U.S. has many people wondering how best to assure that the fuel and feedstock used
October 30, 2012 Read Full Article
The Underlying Objection
by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Is there something deeper going on in all this anti-ethanol rhetoric? Is there some sort of philosophical underlying problem? ...So, is it anti-corn? Is it anti-industrial agriculture? I can understand people being concerned about the
October 30, 2012 Read Full Article
Union of Concerned Scientists: 680 Million Tons of U.S. Biomass Available by 2030
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The Union of Concerned Scientists has published a report that shows that biomass feedstock has the potential to dramatically increase our nation’s renewable energy supply. The report, titled “The Promise of Biomass,” determined that
October 29, 2012 Read Full Article
Reflections on Developments in the Biorefinery Industry: 4th Nordic Wood Biorefinery Conference
by Stefaniya Becking* (Advanced Biofuels USA) The 4th Nordic Wood Biorefinery conference held in Helsinki, Finland (October 23-25, 2012) brought together over 300 people from around 30 countries. The organizers successfully achieved the goal of having a stimulating event with
October 29, 2012 Read Full Article
BSR Publishes Sustainability Report, Seeks Public Comments
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) BSR, a nonprofit membership organization focused on consulting, research and cross-sector collaboration, has released a new report that assesses the sustainability impacts of commercial transportation fuels, as well as the market outlook for a
October 29, 2012 Read Full Article
Scientists Make Case for Sustainable Approach to Bioenergy
by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Increasing demand for bioenergy feedstock is generating debates about food versus fuel and indirect land-use change. An interdisciplinary team of 11 scientists from seven European countries and the U.S. recently published a paper reviewing
October 29, 2012 Read Full Article
Google Tests Biofuel Car
(Environmental Leader) Google has been using Cool Planet Energy Systems’ biofuel blend to run a fleet vehicle at the search giant’s Mountain View, Calif. campus, according to the energy-tech startup. ...During the Google trial, a campus vehicle called GRide ran on
October 29, 2012 Read Full Article
Biofuels Research Project Aims To Study Sustainable Development
by Nino Marchetti (EarthTechling) One of the major issues facing those growing biofuel crops are finding suitable locations where they can be grown sustainably, avoiding competition with food crops for land resources. A new renewable energy research project being undertaken by Arizona State University researchers aims
October 26, 2012 Read Full Article
Biofuel Criticism Draws Rebuttal
by Gene Lucht (Iowa Farmer Today) ...That’s what Craig Floss did when several speakers spoke derisively about biofuels during this past week’s World Food Prize symposium. Floss, executive director of the Iowa Corn Growers Association, says 99 percent of the food
October 26, 2012 Read Full Article
Biofuels Must be a Larger Part of Future Energy Mix: Global Renewable Fuels Alliance
(Global Renewable Fuels Alliance/Renewable Fuels Association) As world and energy industry leaders gather today (october 22, 2012) in Dubai at the World Energy Forum to chart a roadmap for a sustainable energy mix, the Global Renewable Fuels Alliance (GRFA) renewed
October 26, 2012 Read Full Article
In a World Hungry for Biofuels, Food Security Must Come First
by Olivier De Schutter (The Guardian) ...The new starting point should be to put food security first. Globally, 25% of land is already degraded, and the remaining productive areas are subject to ever-greater competition from industrial and urban uses. This is
October 26, 2012 Read Full Article
UK Government Uncertainty over Whether to Include International Aviation Emissions in Carbon Budgets
(GreenAirOnline) With emissions from aviation and shipping likely to make up a quarter of the total UK output by 2050, it would be impossible to achieve national climate objectives without including the two sectors in reduction targets, the head of
October 26, 2012 Read Full Article
Large-Scale Production of Biofuels Made from Algae Poses Sustainability Concerns
(Science Daily) Scaling up the production of biofuels made from algae to meet at least 5 percent -- approximately 39 billion liters -- of U.S. transportation fuel needs would place unsustainable demands on energy, water, and nutrients, says a new
October 25, 2012 Read Full Article
Biofuels Mandates Around the World – Who Is Moving the Targets?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... United States Concerns over the price impacts of a devastating US drought have led to call for a waiver in the US Renewable Fuel Standard volumetric targets. Proposed waivers have ranged from small, symbolic down-shifting
October 25, 2012 Read Full Article
Novozymes Urges EU to Recognise Next Generation Biofuel Opportunity
by Will Nichols (Business Green) The EU's new biofuels policy falls short of what is needed to spur growth in advanced fuels and is mistakenly writing off fuels derived from food crops, one of the world' largest biotechnology companies has warned. Commissioners last
October 25, 2012 Read Full Article
LCFS Would Benefit Minnesota
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) According to a recent study from Political Economy Research Institute, a Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) in Minnesota would have a positive environmental and economic impact. The paper, “The Employment Impacts of a Low- Carbon Fuel Standard
October 24, 2012 Read Full Article
Geoff Cooper Addresses Attendees at Export Exchange
by Jamie Johansen (DomesticFuel.com) Attendees for the 2012 Export Exchange were the audience for Renewable Fuels Associations’s Geoff Cooper. Geoff serves as the organizations Vice President and spoke to over 500 of the worlds feed producers, marketers and buyers. He explained that distillers grains and
October 24, 2012 Read Full Article
Biodiesel Will Stay in Tanks Following Policy U-Turn
by David Thorpe (Link2Portal.com) A policy U-turn by the European Commission, on the indirect effects on land use and greenhouse gas emissions caused by biofuels, has managed to upset almost all parties. Changes being published today to draft proposals for a revision
October 24, 2012 Read Full Article
Expert: Southeast Has Potential to Become ‘Saudi Arabia’ for Biofuels Crop Production
by Blair Fannin (Texas A&M University) Dr. Bill McCutchen sees the potential for the southeast to become the ‘Saudi Arabia’ for production of dedicated energy crops. “It’s the Bioenergy Belt,” said McCutchen, executive associate director of Texas A&M AgriLife Research, at
October 24, 2012 Read Full Article
HYDRAULIC FRACTURING: Data-Heavy Project Aims to Move Methane Emissions Research beyond 'He Said, She Said'
by Gayathri Vaidyanathan and Saqib Rahim (E&E Publishing/Energy Wire) A team of academics, natural gas companies and environmentalists is hoping to pull a crucial environmental issue from the jaws of polarization and controversy -- and start moving it into the realm
October 24, 2012 Read Full Article
California Defends Greenhouse Gas Regulation for Fuels
by Rory Carroll (Reuters) California attorneys advocating for a program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from fuels came under stern questioning from a three-judge panel on Tuesday (October f16, 2012), in a case that threatens a key component of the
October 24, 2012 Read Full Article
RETECH 2012: Policy and Planes
by Josh Rathod (Advanced Biofuels USA) RETECH 2012, an international conference on the business, policy, and technology of renewable energy, took place this year in DC at the regal Omni Shoreham hotel in Washington, DC. Under the luxurious chandeliers and
October 24, 2012 Read Full Article
COLUMN-EU Biofuel Shift Could Apply to Tar Sands: Wynn
by Gerard Wynn (Reuters) The European Commission has proposed phasing out support for food-based biofuels in a move that not only undermines the industry but provides a possible roadmap for addressing the wider implications of producing crude oil from tar sands. ...The European Commission has
October 24, 2012 Read Full Article
Rain Dancing on Wall Street, Main Street and Elm Street
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) As drought, recession, and capital starvation form a perfect storm, will advanced biofuels be thrown under the bus? Industry leaders say that dropping biofuels production targets will not reverse impacts of the 2012 drought. Instead,
October 23, 2012 Read Full Article
Biodiesel Emissions Shown to Contain Respiratory Disease-Linked Compounds
(Medical Xpress) Compounds that affect respiratory health have been found in biodiesel exhausts. This might lead to restrictions on the use of this form of biofuel as an alternative to fossil fuel, according to researchers from the Queensland University of
October 23, 2012 Read Full Article
Growing Biofuels on "Surplus" Land May Be Harder Than Estimated
by Nathanael Massey (Scientific American/Climatewire) A new study shows that degraded, marginal or abandoned land may not be very productive for growing fuel crops ...From the California desert to the badlands around Chernobyl, Ukraine, bioenergy is taking root in the form of
October 23, 2012 Read Full Article
Biofuels Industry Does Not Deserve to Be Demonised
by Clare Wenner (The Guardian) Grossly simplifying the issues and creating bogeymen risks crushing desperately needed solutions Given all the hysteria over biofuels you'd be forgiven for believing that wiping out the biofuels industry will solve world hunger. It won't. Firstly, agriculture is
October 23, 2012 Read Full Article
European Union Seeks to Cap Food-Based Biofuel Production
by Louise Downing and Ewa Krukowska (Bloomberg BusinessWeek) The European Union wants to limit the contribution of crop-based biofuels toward the bloc’s renewable energy target to avoid competition with food and spur the development of clean fuels made from non-edible crops. The
October 19, 2012 Read Full Article
Flybrid Mechanical Hybrid System Powering Dyson Racing Prototype at 10 Hour Race on Saturday
by Robert Kozak (Advanced Biofuels USA) Hybrid energy storage systems will play some part in the effort to meet the new 54.5 mpg CAFE standards. Their importance will be dictated by their weight and efficiency. We thought you’d be interested
October 18, 2012 Read Full Article
$10M Grant Will Fund Research into Biofuel-Based Economic Development
(Pennsylvania State University) The Northeast could help lead the way to a renewable-energy-based economy by utilizing marginal and abandoned land to grow energy crops such as perennial grasses and fast-growing woody plants. That's the goal of a new research and education
October 16, 2012 Read Full Article
Will Algae Ever Power Our Cars?
by Marc Gunther (The Guardian) Scores of companies across the world are racing to unlock algae's energy potential and create a 'green crude oil' Tiny Columbus, New Mexico (population, 1,678) is hot, flat and uncrowded — an ideal place to launch
October 16, 2012 Read Full Article
California Greenhouse Gas Rules Face Major Court Test
by Howard Mintz (Mercury News) Having fended off a challenge to groundbreaking emissions standards for new cars, California now finds itself in a legal tug-of-war to preserve some of its unprecedented regulations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions of fuels. The 9th
October 16, 2012 Read Full Article
On Marginal Land, These Grasses May Be Greener
by Kristofor Husted (KBIA) In the parched, rolling hills of western Missouri, you might expect to see a desolate scene after this summer’s drought. But in this field, hip-high native grass sways across the landscape like seaweed in the ocean. Wayne Vassar
October 16, 2012 Read Full Article
US Grains Council Releases New, Expanded Edition of DDGS Handbook
(Pork Network) To update current and potential customers on advances in research and end-users' experience in feeding distiller's dried grains with solubles (DDGS), the U.S. Grains Council (USGC) has released the third edition of A Guide to Distiller's Dried Grains with
October 16, 2012 Read Full Article
Lufthansa Suspends Biofuel Test Flights
(Deutsche Welle) Lufthansa has stopped testing biofuel in its aircraft because it has exhausted its stocks of biosynthetic kerosene and no other reliable supplies are available. The final test flight was a long-haul service to the US. German airline Lufthansa ended
October 16, 2012 Read Full Article
Study Finds a LCFS in Minnesota Would Create Nearly 32,500 Jobs
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) A study recently published by the Political Economy Research Institute at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst explores some of the economic impacts of establishing a low carbon fuel standard (LCFS) in Minnesota. The study,
October 15, 2012 Read Full Article
Industry Seeks to Weaken EU Cap on Crop-Based Fuels
(Reuters) ...The European Commission is under strong pressure from industry groups and some of its own departments to weaken a planned cap on the use of biofuels made from food crops such as rapeseed and wheat. Last month, the two EU
October 15, 2012 Read Full Article
The Red-Light District in Biofuels Feedstocks
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...In biofuels, feedstocks come in many shapes, phases, and sizes — but only three colors – red, yellow and green. That’s what our friends in the financial world tell us. Now, sometimes even a red-light
October 15, 2012 Read Full Article
EU Non-Food Biofuels Target Needs New Investment -Shell Unit
(Reuters) EU will need millions of tonnes of non-food biofuels to meet targets; Investment incentives currently not enough Large new investment incentives will be needed to promote the development of alternative biofuels after the European Union's move to curb the use
October 15, 2012 Read Full Article
Burning Man, Burning Microbe: Biofuels beyond Biomass
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...Are they biofuels? We think so – even if they are post-biomass. They do what organisms have done for eons to make biomass in the first place: convert lifeless CO2, sunlight and water and nutrients
October 15, 2012 Read Full Article
Bioenergy - The Broken Promise
(Linköping University) Biofuels are going to save us from climate threats and the oil crisis, while at the same time providing an opportunity to the smallholder farmers of the world. Hopes are high, but completely unrealistic. It is like trying
October 15, 2012 Read Full Article
Soufflet Group Opens Facility to Research Solid State Fermentation
(Food Product Design) The Soufflet Group opened a technological research facility and laboratory dedicated to the research and applications developed by OSIRIS and the Regional Biotechnology Research Programs to increase the value derived from agricultural resources and agro-industrial byproducts through
October 15, 2012 Read Full Article
World Bank Rejects Call to Halt Land Deals
(Newstime Africa) The World Bank has rejected a call to suspend its involvement in large scale agricultural land acquisition following the release of a major report by the international aid agency Oxfam on the negative impact of international land speculation
October 15, 2012 Read Full Article
Renewable Energy: Not Just a Nice Idea
by Bruce Dale (Star Tribune) Commentaries: Considered in context, it's clear that ethanol has an important role to play. A commentary about corn ethanol published in the Star Tribune this summer was disappointing ("Too much corn is being wasted as fuel," Aug.
October 14, 2012 Read Full Article
New Method of Turning Sewage Sludge into Biodiesel is Low-Cost, High-Yield
by Derek Markham (Treehugger) ...A team of researchers in South Korea have developed a new process for converting the lipids in sewage sludge into biodiesel, at not only a lower cost than conventional biodiesel, but with much higher yields. The
October 12, 2012 Read Full Article
Draft EU Proposals Would Devastate UK Biofuels Industry
(Renewable Energy Magazine) The Renewable Energy Association (REA) has warned that the speed and scale of EU proposals are likely to destroy UK biofuels sector innovations rather than building on them. The UK biofuels industry stands to be devastated by draft
October 12, 2012 Read Full Article
Alberta Innovates Funds Biorefining Conversions Network 2.0
(MarketWire) Hydrocarbon-like fuels and chemicals to come from agricultural and forest biomass With funding from Alberta Innovates Bio Solutions, the Biorefining Conversions Network aims to become a hub for bioeconomy investments and a world class centre of excellence for biorefining and
October 12, 2012 Read Full Article
Why Ecotricity’s Electric Car Is the Future of Biofuels
by Claire (Innovatrs) ...This week, the EU revised its target down to 5% in biofuels, and an additional 5% in a new type of fuel that isn’t manufactured in the same way. They now require a new type of biofuel
October 12, 2012 Read Full Article
How Do Second-Generation Biofuels Work?
by John Perritano (HowStuffWorks) At first glance, the fields of miscanthus that blanket Sampson County, N.C., seem of little importance. Standing 4 feet (1.21 meters) taller than a basketball hoop, miscanthus is a giant, spiky, inedible -- and some would
October 12, 2012 Read Full Article
$1-2/gal Price Hikes, Refinery Closures Seen Under California LCFS
(Opisnet.com) While already suffering through the highest pump prices in the continental U.S., Californians could face even higher gasoline and diesel costs when new low carbon fuel regulations gain traction Jan. 1, warn fuel experts. Price hikes of as much
October 03, 2012 Read Full Article
Are High Grain Prices Good for Anyone?
by Roy Roberson (Southeast Farm Press) • Sounds like a good deal for grain growers and a bad one for livestock producers and consumers, but are such high prices really good for any of us? • Allan Baucom says the last
October 02, 2012 Read Full Article
Kansas Energy Projects Fuel Economic Promise
by Tim Carpenter (Topeka Capital Journal) Grants of $20.5 million offer twist to ethanol plant, farm machinery A $15.9 million investment of federal economic stimulus cash by Gov. Sam Brownback hangs on an Oakley ethanol plant's vision of generating value from
October 02, 2012 Read Full Article
Why We Need Biofuels
by Gale Buchanan, S.Z. Li, James R. Fischer and Joshua Yean (25 x '25) The following guest blog is a response to a recent Wall Street Journal editorial that criticized U.S. biofuel policy. The authors of this rebuttal are from Gale Buchanan, a former USDA Chief
September 30, 2012 Read Full Article
Fight over Expanding Canola in Oregon Pits Organic Food Lovers against Biofuels Advocates
(Associated Press/Washington Post) Wet winters and cool, dry summers make Oregon’s Willamette Valley one of the best places on the globe to produce seeds for organic broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and a variety of other vegetables known as brassicas. That
September 30, 2012 Read Full Article
'Miracle' Crop Could Invade Like Kudzu
By John Murawski (News and Observer/Bradenton.com/Bradenton Herald) It's billed as a champion energy crop that yields three times as much ethanol per acre as corn, a fast-growing field grass that's ideal for making clean auto fuel without displacing scarce crop
September 30, 2012 Read Full Article
Green MBA and Integrating Sustainability in Business Education
by Ram Ramanan and Weslynne Ashton (Air and Waste Management Association) In today’s global environment, societal needs are defining markets, and business leaders have to be ready to address a range of issues from poverty and hunger to sustainability and
September 30, 2012 Read Full Article
Fuel and Technology Alternatives for Buses
(VTT Technology) ... So far, conventional diesel buses and conventional diesel fuel have dominated the market, with some contribution from natural gas buses. Now we are in a situation in which the technology options are increasing rapidly. This goes for vehicle technology
September 27, 2012 Read Full Article
One Report Says Global Grain at Record High
by Rich Keller (Ag Professional) As most of the reports circulating in the United States are about anticipated grain shortages in meeting demand, a report came out this week from one organization that was headlined: “Global grain production at record
September 27, 2012 Read Full Article
International Project Aims to Develop Water-Efficient Biofuel Crops
(Phys.Org) Scientists from the University of Liverpool are part of an international research project to apply the properties of drought-adapted desert plants, like agave, to poplar trees, a recognised biofuel crop. Dr James Hartwell, from the Institute of Integrative Biology, is
September 27, 2012 Read Full Article
FAO Publishes Book on Biofuels Co-Products Use in Animal Feeds
(American Association of Swine Veterinarians) The United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization recently published a book entitled Biofuel co-products as livestock feed - Opportunities and challenges. AASV member Dr Harold Tilstra co-authored Chapter 3; ”Impact of United States biofuels co-products on
September 27, 2012 Read Full Article
Heard it Through the Grapevine: Useful Facts and Scuttlebutt from the Algae Biomass Summit
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Jobs, global expansion, proteins vs fuels, new R&D funding – all the big issues are under debate both on and off the floor at the Algae Biomass Summit. ...Jobs Dr. John Benemann projected on stage that,
September 27, 2012 Read Full Article
Algae Industry Counseled on Sustainability Objectives at Summit
by Tom Bryan (Biodiesel Magazine) The algae industry’s ambition to build a global industry that is fundamentally sustainable, safe and responsible was the chief topic of discussion on day two of the 2012 Algae Biomass Summit in Denver. Keynote speaker L.
September 26, 2012 Read Full Article
EU Non-Food Biofuels Target Needs New Investment -Shell Unit
(Reuters) * EU shift away from food-based biofuels will need big investment * EU will need millions of tonnes of non-food biofuels to meet targets * Investment incentives currently not enough Large new investment incentives will be needed to promote the development of
September 26, 2012 Read Full Article
Ebony and Ivory: The BioProcess Algae Story
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...But carbon dioxide emissions remain. In fact, large corn ethanol plants are considered “major emitters” under EPA rules because one-third of the corn kernel, by weight, is released as carbon dioxide during fermentation. About 19
September 26, 2012 Read Full Article
Green MEP Joins Row over Biofuel Plant at Shoreham Port
(Shoreham Herald) A SUSSEX MEP is the latest to say “no” to a proposals for a biofuel power station in Shoreham. Adur District Council is currently considering an application, to build the facility at the town’s port. It has attracted hundreds of
September 26, 2012 Read Full Article
Biofuels Rarely Better than Petrol
(SwissInfo.ch) Biofuels have an undeserved reputation for environmental friendliness, according to a study commissioned by the Federal Energy Office and released Monday. The study re-evaluated the ecological effects of biofuels and their production processes. Empa, an interdisciplinary research and services institution
September 25, 2012 Read Full Article
Take It to the Limit: Algenol and Rising Yields in Advanced Biofuels
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Algenol hits 7000 gallon per acre mark in field operations. What’s the impact for Algenol, for energy independence, for the cost of transport fuel? ...Algenol CEO Paul Woods revealed that the company, at its 4-acre, outdoor
September 25, 2012 Read Full Article
Energy Sorghum Demonstrates Potential During Dry Summer
by Dan Conable (Cato Analytics LLC/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Despite weather challenges and the learning curve for farmers unfamiliar with this energy sorghum, one of the first commercial-scale plantings of the crop in the northeastern U.S. has been a success. More than 400
September 24, 2012 Read Full Article
Crop Prices Probably Peaked After Drought Cuts U.S. Output
by Luzi Ann Javier (Bloomberg BusinessWeek) Rallies in corn, wheat and soybeans because of drought in the U.S., the top grains shipper, are probably over and it would need worsening weather elsewhere to push up futures, said Macquarie Agricultural Funds