Book Review – Why We Hate The Oil Companies

Joanna Schroeder

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. …

biofuels, book reviews, Ethanol, Geothermal, Natural Gas, Oil, Solar, Wind

Banned Energy Drinks Turned To Ethanol

Joanna Schroeder

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 …

biofuels, Ethanol

With a Little Help From My Friends

Joanna Schroeder

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 …

Biodiesel, biofuels, Energy, Ethanol, Opinion, Solar, Wind

BIRD Energy Grant Awarded to Virent, HCL CleanTech

Joanna Schroeder

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 …

biofuels, Cellulosic, Ethanol, International

CAFOs Could Commercialize Algae Biofuels

John Davis

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 …

algae, biofuels, conferences

Gene Opens Up More Potential Biomass for Biofuels

John Davis

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 …

biofuels, biomass, Cellulosic, Ethanol, Ethanol News, News

Joanna’s Best Books of 2010

Joanna Schroeder

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 …

biofuels, book reviews, Energy, Environment, Opinion

Will Biogenic Emission Regulation Curb Biomass Growth?

Joanna Schroeder

According to the National Alliance of Forest Owners (NAFO), the inclusion of biomass emissions (biogenic carbon emissions) in the EPA’s Clean Air Act greenhouse gas permitting program hinders growth of renewable energy. However, the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) is countering their argument saying that there is public data on investments in biomass showing that it is in fact growing. The …

biofuels, biomass, Environment

Book Review – The Impending World Energy Mess

Joanna Schroeder

With only two days left in 2010, I thought “The Impending World Energy Mess” was only fitting for review as we head into 2011. It is also fitting for another reason, it ties nicely into the story I brought you earlier this week, $5 Gas Prices on the Horizon. The authors, Dr. Robert L Hirsch, Dr. Roger H. Bezdek, and …

biofuels, book reviews, Natural Gas, Oil, Solar, Wind