A nasty little beetle is destroying millions of acres of lodgepole pine trees across the western United States and so far, no one has been able to stop it. But, in the tradition of making lemonade from lemons, the biofuels industry has been working on ways to use the dead trees for energy – and one company is now claiming …
Book Review – Enough
As I write this review, I’m sitting on my deck looking out at dozens of acres of avocado, orange and lemon trees. Yesterday, I helped to plant a vegetable garden – the produce being grown for a local restaurant. The irony is that as I am surrounded by abundance here in America, I’m reading about those in other countries who …
Loss of Ethanol Incentives Could Cost Jobs in Half the Nation
New research indicates that allowing the ethanol tax incentives to expire at the end of this year would mean job losses in 25 states, not just the Midwest. According to additional research conducted by economist John Urbanchuk, non-traditional ethanol producing states like California, Texas, Georgia, Colorado, and Tennessee would be hit by job losses due to the expiration of the …
Wind Energy Experts Gather in Iowa
Iowa is getting to be known as a center for wind energy, including production of the green power and production of the tools needed to generate that power. So, it’s no wonder that the state is the host of a pair of wind energy conferences this week. KCCI-TV in Des Moines says the gatherings hosted by the Iowa Alliance for …
Researchers Turn Fungus into Biodiesel
New research has shown that biomass can be directly transformed into biodiesel that suits many quality standards, including ASTM D6751 and EN14213 and 14214. This post from GreenCarCongress.com says Spanish researchers Gemma Vicente and colleagues made the discovery that could open up many more feedstocks for biodiesel … but admit the process needs some work: Oils from oleaginous microorganisms, such …
Ag Department, Navy Team Up for Biofuels
Leaders from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Navy have kicked off the first of several forums designed to increase biofuels production and meet the Navy’s renewable energy needs. This USDA press release says the opening of the forum today in Honolulu came as a result of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) recently signed by the USDA and …
Anti-Ethanol Machine Back in Action
The Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) and fellow ethanol foes have been fairly quiet since food prices began moderating last year, but the coalition has gotten back into action this past week with a new campaign opposing E15. A scathing editorial in the Washington Times Monday followed directly on the heels of a full-page ad in “The Hill” last week sponsored …
Study Shows Impact of Removing Ethanol Tariff
Brazil is eliminating its tariff on ethanol imports and wants the United States to do the same, but a recent study shows Brazil has far more to gain in that deal. The study, prepared by IHS Global Insight, determined that eliminating import tariffs and increasing the tax on domestic ethanol would have severe economic consequences for both American ethanol producers …
Rep. Giffords Releases Solar Energy Report
Today, U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz) along with Environment Arizona, have released a solar energy report, “Building a Solar Future: Repowering America’s Homes, Businesses and Industry with Solar Energy,” detailing how solar energy can be used to power our homes, businesses, farms, and neighborhoods as well as how solar can play a role in energy security and pollution reduction. “This …