NewsTrust - Biofuels - Most Recent Stories

The GMO that Could Have Killed Nearly All Life on Earth

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 00:00:00 -0700

nationofchange.org - Mar. 26 (Special Report) - some scientists a while back,”What if we could bioengineer these things to create alcohol super-efficiently and super strong?” Potentially, they figured, all organic waste could be fed to this bacteria to create super potent high octane ethanol biofuel, fertilizers, grain alcohol that could be used for drinking, cooking, and cleaning, etc., solving so many of the world’s most recognized sustainability issues. This was really, really starting to look like something amazing, so amazing it could have the potential to “Save the World.”

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GM crops promote superweeds, food insecurity and pesticides, say NGOs

Wed, 19 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0700

The Guardian - By John Vidal - Oct. 19 (News Report) - Report finds genetically modified crops fail to increase yields let alone solve hunger, soil erosion and chemical-use issues Genetic engineering has failed to increase the yield of any food crop but has vastly increased the use of chemicals and the growth of "superweeds", according to a report by 20 Indian, south-east Asian, African and Latin American food and conservation groups representing millions of people. The so-called miracle crops, which were first sold in the US about 20 years ago and which are now grown in 29 countries on about 1.5bn hectares (3.7bn acres) of land, have been billed as potential solutions to food crises, climate change and soil erosion, but the assessment finds that they have not lived up to their promises. The report claims that hunger has reached "epic proportions" since the technology was developed. Besides this, only two GM "traits" have been developed on any significant scale, despite investments of tens of billions of dollars, and benefits such as drought ...

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U.S. military ready to buy affordable, homegrown jet biofuels | McClatchy

Mon, 20 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0700

McClatchy - By Renee Schoof - Jun. 20 (News Report) - The challenge for the new industry is to find money to ramp up from nearly zero today. The Department of Defense has called for biofuels that don't displace food, don't use up fresh water, yield less greenhouse-gas pollution than conventional fuels and cost the same. National security is the main reason to move off oil dependence, according to Navy Secretary Ray Mabus. Mabus ordered the Navy to get ready to use alternative energy for half of its power at sea and on shore by 2020. That would require more than 300 million gallons of biofuels a year, for blending with conventional fuel. The Air Force aims to fly on a 50-50 blend of biofuels and conventional fuel by 2016, an annual requirement of 400 million gallons.

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High noon for ethanol

Tue, 14 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0700

The Hill - By Andrew Restuccia, Ben Geman - Jun. 14 (News) - he Senate is slated to vote on Sen. Tom Coburn’s (R-Okla.) plan to eliminate a major ethanol industry tax break and the ethanol import tariff. Ethanol backers are battling the amendment and seeking to pull support from Coburn.

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National biomass debate intensifies with new limits in Massachussetts

Thu, 05 May 2011 00:00:00 -0700

iWatch News - By Ronnie Greene - May. 05 (Investigative Report) - The debate over biomass plants – pitched as a way to produce power while protecting the environment, but derided by critics as anything but green – intensified this week in Massachusetts with proposed new rules that would make it harder for industry to secure public aid to erect new facilities.

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Obama Sets Goal of One-Third Cut in Oil Imports

Wed, 30 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0700

New York Times - By John M. Broder - Mar. 30 (News) - With gasoline prices rising, oil supplies from the Middle East pinched by political upheaval and growing calls in Congress for expanded domestic oil and gas production, President Obama on Wednesday will set a goal of a one-third reduction in oil imports over the next decade, aides said Tuesday.

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Using Waste, Swedish City Shrinks Its Fossil Fuel Use

Sat, 11 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0800

New York Times - By By ELISABETH ROSENTHAL - Dec. 11 (Special Report) - ...the city and surrounding county, with a population of 80,000, essentially use no oil, natural gas or coal to heat homes and businesses, even during the long frigid winters.

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A Bit More Ethanol in the Gas Tank

Thu, 14 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0700

New York Times - By Matthew L. Wald - Oct. 14 (News) - The ruling, which was requested by ethanol producers, was widely expected but is the subject of heated debate over whether E15 is safe for cars and other gasoline-powered devices. Fuel sold today typically contains as much as 10 percent ethanol, but automakers and other critics say that a higher blend of ethanol could corrode engines.

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U.S. Military Orders Less Dependence on Fossil Fuels

Mon, 04 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0700

New York Times - By Elisabeth Rosenthal - Oct. 04 (News Report) - Even as Congress has struggled unsuccessfully to pass an energy bill and many states have put renewable energy on hold because of the recession, the military this year has pushed rapidly forward. After a decade of waging wars in remote corners of the globe where fuel is not readily available, senior commanders have come to see overdependence on fossil fuel as a big liability, and renewable technologies — which have become more reliable and less expensive over the past few years — as providing a potential answer. These new types of renewable energy now account for only a small percentage of the power used by the armed forces, but military leaders plan to rapidly expand their use over the next decade.

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Net Benefits of Biomass Power Under Scrutiny

Sat, 19 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0700

New York Times - By TOM ZELLER Jr. - Jun. 19 (News Report) - Doubts about biomass power threaten its viability as a renewable energy source as the nation seeks to diversify its energy portfolio.

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Food prices to rise by up to 40% over next decade, UN report warns

Tue, 15 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0700

The Guardian - By Katie Allen - Jun. 15 (News) - Food prices to rise by up to 40% over next decade, UN report warns Growing demand from emerging markets and for biofuel production will send prices soaring, according to the OECD and the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation ... Farm commodity prices have fallen from their record peaks of two years ago but are set to pick up again and are unlikely to drop back to their average levels of the past decade, according to the annual joint report from Paris-based thinktank the OECD and the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

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Biofuels Policy and Legislation

Tue, 15 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0700

U.S. Department of Energy - Jun. 15 (Special Report) - The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 * Section 202 creates a more aggressive Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) calling for transportation fuel sold or introduced into commerce in the United States, on an annual average basis, contains at least the applicable volume of renewable fuel, advanced biofuel, cellulosic biofuel, and biomass-based diesel:

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Big Oil can't get beyond petroleum

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Washington Post - By Eborah Gordon, Daniel Sperling - Jun. 14 (Opinion) - Oil companies, of course, have invested heavily in marketing campaigns designed to show that they are busy thinking up ways to supply tomorrow's cleaner energy. In addition to BP's "Beyond petroleum" slogan, there's Chevron's "Finding newer, cleaner ways to power the world," Shell's "Let's pass energy on to the next generation" and ExxonMobil's "Taking on the world's toughest energy challenges." But no matter how much these companies say they want to find more environmentally sensitive, renewable sources of energy, their basic strategy is still to make as much money as possible by sticking more holes in the ground in search of more fossil fuel.

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Discussion: Big oil can't get beyond petroleum

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Washington Post - By Rocci Fisch, Daniel Sperling, Deborah Gordon - Jun. 14 (Interview) - The best policy mechanisms are a price floor on oil (to level the playing field for clean alternative fuels and unconventional oil, both of which are more expensive than today's oil) along with low carbon fuel standards that create market incentives for Big Oil to produce or buy offsets from cleaner fuel producers

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Biofuel

Sat, 12 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Wikipedia - Jun. 12 (Special Report) - Biofuels are a wide range of fuels which are in some way derived from biomass. The term covers solid biomass, liquid fuels and various biogases.

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Munching machines

Thu, 10 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Economist - Jun. 10 (News Report) - A robot with dietary requirements might sound a bit far fetched, but a team of American researchers is developing a machine that will fend for itself by gathering biomass (wood, leaves and grass) to be used as a biofuel to run its steam-driven engine. Who might want such a device? The American army.

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EU biofuels 'should be certified'

Thu, 10 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0700

BBC News - By Mark Kinver - Jun. 10 (News) - The plans, outlined by the European Commission, would apply to all types of biofuels, including imported fuel. The commission said the schemes would deliver substantial CO2 reductions and help protect forests and wetlands. Environmental groups said the voluntary measures were too weak to halt a "dramatic increase in deforestation".

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Commission seeks to remove confusion over biofuel policy

Thu, 10 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0700

BBC News - By Jennifer Rankin - Jun. 10 (News) - The European Commission has to give more “clarity” to its biofuel policy to ensure it does not cause the destruction of protected forests, the head of the Commission's energy department has told European Voice. The EU's biofuel policy has been criticised by some scientists, green campaigners and Commission departments for its potential to cause more greenhouse-gas emissions than it saves, with the possible destruction of forests and land outside Europe emerging as a major concern.

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Mass.: Wood power emits more carbon than coal -

Thu, 10 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Associated Press - By Steve Leblanc - Jun. 10 (News) - Massachusetts is taking a second look at wood-burning power plants after a new study for the state found the use of the forest "biomass" releases more greenhouse gases than coal. Biomass has long been part of the state's portfolio of renewable energy sources, along with solar, wind and geothermal. Massachusetts Environmental Secretary Ian Bowles said the state is now rethinking that policy — which includes taxpayer incentives for wood-burning plants.

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Can 3rd And 4th Gen Biofuels Wean Us From Our Petro-Addiction?

Tue, 08 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Greentech Media - By Eric Wesoff - Jun. 08 (Opinion) - Last summer saw a surge of investment in algae-based biofuel technologies. Synthetic Genomics alone received $300 million from Exxon. Using a variety of approaches, Sapphire, Aurora, Solazyme and Amyris all received significant funding to go after the elusive trick of coaxing biofuels from algae. ... "fourth-generation" biofuels, created using petroleum-like hydroprocessing, advanced biochemistry, or revolutionary processes like Joule’s "solar-to-fuel" method, defy any other category of biofuels.

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Stabilization Wedges

Mon, 07 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Princeton University - Jun. 07 (Special Report) - To get on track to avoiding dramatic climate change, the world must avoid emitting about 200 billion tons of carbon, or eight 25 billion ton wedges, over the next 50 years. This is the heart of the Carbon Mitigation Initiative's (CMI) Stabilization Wedges concept, a simple framework for understanding both the carbon emissions cuts needed to avoid dramatic climate change and the tools already available to do so. Since the wedges concept is becoming a paradigm in the field of carbon mitigation, CMI has developed this website both as an educational resource and as an archive of resources for those who'd like to incorporate the wedges into their own presentations and workshops. Our graphics and other materials may be used freely for non-commercial purposes; we just ask that you credit the "Carbon Mitigation Initiative, Princeton University."

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Five Challenges of Next-Generation Biofuels

Mon, 07 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Consumer Energy Report - By Robert Rapier - Jun. 07 (Opinion) - The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has just issued a report detailing the outlook and challenges of next generation biofuels. ...many would-be next generation fuel producers are making unrealistic assumptions about things like feedstock costs. Thus, where they project falling costs based on their optimistic projections, the USDA report forecasts that their biomass costs will be much higher than expected.

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Exxon $600 Million Algae Investment Makes Khosla See Pipe Dream

Thu, 03 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Bloomberg - By Kambiz Foroohar - Jun. 03 (News) - “We’ve produced tens of thousands of gallons, and by the end of 2010, I hope I can say we’ve produced hundreds of thousands,” Wolfson, 39, says. “In the next two years, we should get the cost down to the $60 to $80-a-barrel range.” At that price, Solazyme’s algae fuel would compete with $80-a-barrel oil.

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Resource-use indicators seen as first step to efficiency | EurActiv

Wed, 02 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0700

EurActiv - Jun. 02 (News) - Resource efficiency is one of the flagship initiatives of the 'Europe 2020' strategy for economic growth. Stakeholders stressed the need to establish coherent and clear indicators to evaluate the bloc's use of resources and progress made towards a more eco-efficient economy.... Tim Rice, biofuel policy officer at Actionaid, noted that EU companies have already acquired some five million hectares of African land - equivalent to the size of Denmark - for biofuel production. However, he argued that if the EU wants to use biofuels, it needs to bring production home and match its energy needs with sustainable local biofuel production.

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Crime against humanity underway in Ghana?

Thu, 27 May 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Myjoyonline News - By Benjamin Apraku Gyampoh - May. 27 (Opinion) - I am not against the production of biofuels; neither will I try to make a case for the production of biodiesels in Ghana. Instead, I will try to be objective in my assessment of where Ghana stands in this whole biodiesel/fuel brouhaha.

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