The Vatican has unveiled a new book detailing the Holy See’s solar power initiatives. “The Energy of the Sun in the Vatican” was presented last week during a press conference by Cardinal Giovanni Lajolo, president of the commission governing Vatican City State. It details two solar projects undertaken by the Vatican in the last two years – the installation of …
Deforestation Decline Debunks Land Use Change Theory
Rainforest deforestation rates have reached new lows, which further challenges the theory of international land use change that has been used to penalize corn ethanol for its carbon footprint. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva announced today that deforestation rates in the Brazilian Amazon declined 14 percent from August 2009 to July 2010, reaching the lowest rates ever recorded …
Senators Write Letter Supporting Ethanol Incentives
While a group of senators yesterday urged an end to ethanol incentives, another group sent a letter supporting an extension of the current tax credit and associated tariff. The letter, sent to Senate leadership and signed by Senators Charles Grassley (R-IA) and Kent Conrad (D-ND) with 13 others, asked that the ethanol incentives be “a high priority on the Senate’s …
Survey Drawing Winner
The Survey Monkey has spoken and the winner is …. drum roll, please…. Jamie Wilson with the Corn Marketing Program of Michigan Jamie reads Domestic Fuel and says she is most interested in stories related to ethanol. We sincerely appreciate her taking the time to fill out the survey so we can learn more about our audiences on all the …
Big Ethanol NASCAR Announcement Coming This Week
The famed fountains of the Bellagio in Las Vegas will be the site of a big announcement this Thursday afternoon by NASCAR and Growth Energy. The announcement will be made by NASCAR CEO Brian France and Hall of Fame Driver Rusty Wallace, along with Growth Energy Co-Chairman (Ret.) Gen. Wesley Clark during the NASCAR Champions Week in Las Vegas. Growth …
Giant Miscanthus Field Day Scheduled
REPREVE Renewables of Georgia is planning to prepare for the start of 2011 spring planting with the first annual Freedom Giant Miscanthus Field Day next month. As holder of the exclusive license for the commercialization of Freedom giant miscanthus, the company will use the field day to educate growers and landowners about the planting and harvesting of the biomass crop, …
Some Senators Urge End to Ethanol Incentives
U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Jon Kyl (R-AZ), together with 15 other senators, today sent a letter to the Senate leadership expressing their “lack of support for extending the current 54-cent-per-gallon tariff on ethanol imports and the 45-cent-per-gallon subsidy for blending ethanol into gasoline.” Calling the incentives for domestic ethanol production “fiscally indefensible,” the senators wrote that ending them …
ACORE Forum to Spotlight Renewable Energy Policy
Renewable energy policy will be in the spotlight next week at the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) forum being held December 8-9 in Washington, D.C. According to ACORE, the Phase II Renewable Energy in America National Policy Forum will feature bi-partisan discussion of key energy issues. Each panel will begin with a topical presentation, followed by a conservative point …
Soybean Growers Fly-in for Biodiesel
In an effort to convey the urgent need for Congress to extend the biodiesel tax incentive, American Soybean Association (ASA) farmer-leaders are participating in a biodiesel fly-in today to meet with members of Congress in Washington, D.C. Participating from ASA are grower-leaders Joe Steiner of Ohio, Bob Henry of Kansas and Darryl Brinkmann of Illinois. These ASA leaders are joining …
Florida Biodiesel Firm Acquires Puerto Rico Company
A Florida-based biodiesel firm is investing in a Puerto Rico company’s algae biofuels research. Alternative Fuels Americas (AFA) announced today that it is acquiring Sustainable Agro Biotech of Puerto Rico, which has been developing proprietary technologies “to recycle carbon dioxide emission into microalgae varieties with robust growth and oil production capabilities and to achieve commercially feasible harvesting of microalgal products.” …