The latest reports from the U.S. Department of Agriculture are lowering the forecast for this year’s corn crop, but raising the expected use of corn for ethanol. Corn production is now forecast at 12.5 billion bushels, down 1 percent from the October forecast and down 4 percent from last year’s record production of 13.1 billion bushels. The reason for the …
RFA Urges White House to Support Cellulosic Ethanol
The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) is urging the White House to “stay the course” on advance biofuels. In a letter hand to President Obama this week, RFA President and CEO Bob Dinneen urged the Obama Administration to maintain its commitment to the commercialization of cellulosic ethanol and other advanced biofuels. The RFA letter is in response to a White House …
Opponants File Lawsuit Over Ethanol Decision
A coalition of food and livestock organizations has filed suit in federal court to overturn the Environmental Protection Agency’s recent decision to allow gasoline containing 15 percent ethanol (“E15”) to be sold for cars manufactured in the 2007 model year or later. Farm and food petitioners in the suit, which was filed with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the …
Chicken Fat Biodiesel Plant in Danger of Closing
A new Louisiana refinery that turns chicken fat and other greases into biodiesel is in danger of closing if Congress doesn’t hurry up and renew the $1-a-gallon federal biodiesel tax incentive. This article from the Wall Street Journal says the Tyson Foods Inc. and Syntroleum Corp. venture is just getting ready to announce the successful opening of the Geismar, La. …
Algae Biofuel Maker Makes Hydrogen at High Level
Algae Biofuel Maker OriginOil, Inc. has found a way to produce hydrogen from the power of the sun at a level comparable to solar photovoltaics. This company press release says the breakthrough could prove to be a highly scalable and renewable source of hydrogen that can come from algae production: To achieve this breakthrough, OriginOil researchers built a pared-down version …
Grant to Help Turn Dirty Plastic and Rubber into Fuel
An Ohio company has won a state grant that will help it turn dirty plastic and rubber into transportation fuel. Akron-based Polyflow LLC, has announced it has received a $50,000 grant in development funding from the Edison Technology Assistance Grants (E-TAG) program funded by the Ohio Department of Development. Polyflow will get some help from EWI, a leading engineering and …
Book Review – The Story of Stuff
Many years ago on a high school field trip, we were taken to the local landfill. It was nearly full and the city needed to do something – find somewhere to take its trash. Out of this field trip came my first environmental inspiration. I researched recycling and determined that at that time, the only way to get people to …
Company: 3D Technology Will Revolutionize Solar Power
The man in charge of a California solar company believes his company’s unique three-dimensional technology could revolutionize the way solar arrays capture power. Jim Nelson, the CEO of Solar3D, says his company’s conceptual three-dimensional solar cell is a departure from the traditional technology for solar cells, which normally use a two-dimensional design that reflect a lot of the light back …
Food Prices on the Rise – Biofuels Not to Blame
Is the food versus fuel debate finally subsiding? It has been hanging around since 2008 when the Grocery Manufactures of America launched a coordinated attack on the ethanol industry blaming them for the rising cost of food. It turned out that the greatest offender was actually rising oil prices which topped out over $150 per barrel. This week, the Wall …