Several ethanol plants have been changing hands and one of the more recent was the purchase of Xethanol LLC, based in Blairstown, Iowa, by Fiberight LLC, based in Virgina. Fiberight purchased the plant with the intent of converting it into a cellulosic ethanol demonstration plant. The fuel will be produced through the conversion of municipal sold waste (MSW) to ethanol. …
SunBelt Biofuels to License Freedom Giant Miscanthus
There is another biofuel feedstock entering the mix next spring. SunBelt Biofuels LLC, based in Georgia, has announced that it will sell registered and certified rhizomes of its Freedom Giant Miscanthus to several hundred Southest U.S. licensed growers. This will mark an unusual relationship in that SunBelt has an exclusive licensing agreement with Mississippi State University. According to a company …
Flex-Fuel Photo Challenge: Cutest Kid
The E85 Flex-Fuel Challenge, a contest by the Renewable Fuels Association, is offering a lucky winner a pretty nice holiday present. The cutest kid photo will win a year’s supply of fuel. Here’s how it works. • Take the most adorable or funny snapshot of your child. • Submit the photo by midnight on January 5th. • Vote for your …
Book Review – Cool It
What is the greatest crisis in the history of civilization? Global warming. Well, at least according to the media’s portrayal. However, according to Bjorn Lomborg, the author of “Cool It“, and the second review in my Copenhagen Climate Conference three views in seven days series, while global warming is an concern, it is not the most pressing worldwide issue. Lomborg …
Gen. Wesley Clark to Speak at White House Jobs Summit
Ret. General Wesley K. Clark, who is the Co-Chairman of Growth Energy, will be speaking at the White House jobs summit today. “Green Jobs” has been a hot topic since the new administration took office; yet not much traction has been gained in turning around unemployment rates, which are currently the highest since 1983. The summit was convened by President …
Rethinking Deforestation – A Copenhagen Challenge
Yesterday I wrote about one of the major challenges facing leaders who will be participating in the Copenhagen Climate Conference – global warming. Today, I’m addressing a second major issue facing the leaders – stopping deforestation. There is a misnomer that the main driver of deforestation is the increased production of biofuels. While there is a correlation between biofuels and …
Solazyme: Biofuels Digest’s Top Bioenergy Company
Biofuels Digest has announced its “Hottest 50 Companies in Bioenergy” for 2009/2010. The top of the list? Solazyme, a company specializing in developing renewable oils. The list is determined by a combination of a 75-member panel of international selectors and votes from Biofuels Digest subscribers, and is one of the most coveted by bioenergy companies. Last year, Solayme was ranked …
Book Review – The Chilling Stars
Yesterday, in the post Countdown to Copenhagen, I mentioned that there are still quite a few scientists around the world who agree that climate change exists, but don’t agree about the cause. To kick off my three views in seven days series, is a review of the book, “The Chilling Stars A New Theory of Climate Change.” The authors are …
USDA Responds To EPA’s Postponement of E15 Waiver
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has responded to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) postponement of the E15 Waiver request. In a statement issued by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Vilsack said, “We are very encouraged that the results of the tests of E15 in newer model cars have been positive. The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) movement towards developing an …
Countdown to Copenhagen
The countdown to the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference is on as the talks begin in six days. The conference, December 7-18, 2009 is a meeting of the UN to hash out a successor to the Kyoto protocol that is set to expire in 2012. The aim is to prevent global warming, and similar talks date back to the 1992 Earth …