According to a new paper published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology, “Land Availability for Biofuel Production,” authored by researchers from the University of Illinois, using detailed land analysis, biofuel crops cultivated on available land could produce up to half of the world’s current fuel consumption. This could be done, the researchers say, without negatively affecting food crops or …
OriginOil CEO: 2011 Year of Algae Bio-based Chemicals
This year will be the year of bio-based chemicals made from algae … that according to the CEO of OriginOil, algae-to-biofuel maker. Riggs Eckelberry made the prediction on MoneyTV, an internationally-syndicated weekly business television program. “2011 is the year of biochemicals made from algae.” OriginOil on MoneyTV, 6 Jan 2011 from OriginOil on Vimeo. Eckelberry says some major players in …
Book Review – Why We Hate The Oil Companies
Two, four, six, eight, who do we love to hate? The oil companies! Despite my story lead, I was not a cheerleader in another life but I couldn’t get that cheer out of my head while I read this week’s book, “Why We Hate The Oil Companies Straight Talk From An Energy Insider,” by John Hofmeister. I recently gave Mr. …
Banned Energy Drinks Turned To Ethanol
People desperate for the rush of excessive caffeine while drinking alcohol had their shaky nerves calmed when oodles of Four Loko and other alcohol-laden energy drinks were yanked from the shelves. Federal authorities asked manufactures to discontinue producing these drinks citing they were dangerous and calling them an “unsafe food additive” that caused partakers to become “wide-awake drunk.” According to …
With a Little Help From My Friends
I’m feeling a bit nostalgic this first week of 2011 for the days of affordable energy prices, environmentalists who still understood change for the greater good and for a biofuels industry that not only got along but were actually friends. We’re only four days into the new year and some energy economists have declared that $3.00 per gallon gas prices …
BIRD Energy Grant Awarded to Virent, HCL CleanTech
A $900,000 BIRD Energy grant has been awarded to Madison, Wisconsin-based Virent Energy Systems, Inc. and Isreal-based HCL CleanTech from the BIRD Foundation along with the U.S. Department of Energy and the Isreali Ministry of National Infrastructures. BIRD Energy is a program for the U.S. and Isreal to jointly develop renewable energy. Virent and HCL have partnered on a $2.1 …
CAFOs Could Commercialize Algae Biofuels
Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) could be the key for algae-to-biofuel operations becoming commercial-scale… that according to Thomas Byrne, president and CEO of Byrne & Company LLP, a renewable energy project developer. This article from Biorefining Magazine says the potential is greatest in northern climates, where anaerobic digesters that use microbes to break down the organic forms of nitrogen and …
Gene Opens Up More Potential Biomass for Biofuels
Researchers in Oklahoma have discovered the gene responsible for how dense of material a plant grows, and that discovery could open the door to more biomass for biofuels grown in the same amount of land. This press release from the Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation says making denser plants allows farmers to increase the amount of biomass without increasing their agricultural …
Joanna’s Best Books of 2010
There are a few things I have learned over the last two years of reviewing books. First, no matter how much you “dislike”, or disagree with an author, you always learn something from him or her – always. Second, there are always two sides to every story and we all need to do a better job of learning more about …