Book Review – The Great Global Warming Blunder

Joanna Schroeder

“I am under no illusion that this book will settle the scientific debate over the roles of mankind versus nature in global warming and climate change. Quite the opposite. I am hoping that the scientific debate will finally begin.” These are the final words of author and climatologist, Dr. Roy Spencer in his new book, The Great Global Blunder.

While the mainstream media continues to report that global climate change is real and caused by man, Spencer argues that it is in fact real, but not manmade. He says that global warming is just part of a natural cycle. In fact, he said that cloud cover is one of the “feedbacks” (i.e. causes) of warming and cooling trends.

Spencer is not the first scientist to speak out against the theory that global climate change is manmade. Climate physicist Henrik Svensmark and award winning science writer Nigel Calder also believe that clouds are a cause of global warming. They lay out their theory in “The Chilling Stars A New Theory of Climate Change.”

Spencer argues that scientists who take a risk and offer other ideas for the cause of climate change, are not often published in scientific journals nor are their theories covered by the mainstream media who likes stories that bring the message of doom and gloom.

“Why am I willing to stick my neck out on an issue where there is so much momentum running in the opposite direction? Because the United States is making decisions on energy policy that will literally lead to death and suffering. The environmental lobby, activist news media, opportunistic politicians–and even a few Big Oil interests–have led the public to believe that we can “go green” in generating energy,” writes Spencer.Read More

book reviews, Environment

USDA Predicts Record Corn Crop

Joanna Schroeder

In the latest forecast issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), corn farmers are on track for a record corn crop and yield per acre for this year. The numbers are estimated to surpass the records set in 2009. USDA expects farmers to harvest 13.37 billion bushels, 2 percent larger than in 2009. They are also projecting 165 bushels per acre, up from 164.7 bushels per acre last year, also a new high.

Renewable Fuels Association Vice President of Research Geoff Cooper notes that the record yields effectively demonstrate that U.S. farmers can meeting increasing demands without needing to expand acreage as well as meet the growing demands for food, feed and fuel.

“This will be the third 13 billion bushel crop on record and it’s worth noting that this year’s crop will be produced on nearly 6 million fewer acres than the first 13 billion bushel crop just three years ago. Once again, today’s report further undermines the theory that U.S. farmers will need to convert non-agricultural land to cropland to keep up with increasing demand. The rapid adoption of new technologies and practices is allowing the nation’s farmers to continue to produce more grain on fewer acres.”

To put the significance of the increase in perspective, this year’s estimated crop will be twice as large and the corn crop produced 30 years ago in 1980 but it will be achieved using only 4.6 percent more acres than in 1980. Also of note, the USDA projects that 4.7 billion bushels of corn will be processed into ethanol for the 2010/11 marketing year, producing approximately 13 billion gallons of ethanol.

Agribusiness, corn, Ethanol, Ethanol News, RFA

Novozymes Acquires Brazilian Ag Company Turfal

Joanna Schroeder

Novozymes has announced that is has acquired Brazilian microorganism company Turfal in order to obtain direct access to the Brazilian bioagriculture market. Turfal develops and manufacturers microbes that stimulate the growth of crops, such as soybeans, by fixating nitrogen. These microbes allow growers to use less fertilizer and save money.

Turfal’s operations are located 25 miles from Novozymes’ Latin American headquarters in Curitiba and will become the platform for all of Novozymes’ sustainable agriculture business in Brazil.

“The main reason for the acquisition is that we want to expand Novozymes’ position within the market for sustainable agriculture,” said Thomas Videbæk, Executive Vice President, BioBusiness, Novozymes. “We see exciting growth opportunities on the Brazilian bioagriculture market, and Turfal will give Novozymes direct access to this market.”

Novozymes is stepping up its game as the company continues to position itself as a worldwide player to help meet the challenges of feeding a growing global population. Experts estimate that global agricultural production will need to increase by 73 percent in order to feed more than 9 billion people by 2050. One sustainable agricultural challenge is to increase yields without increasing the number of acres of cropland.

“The nitrogen-fixating inoculants from Turfal and Novozymes can help farmers reduce their need for nitrogen fertilizers by up to 80 percent on leguminous crops. This is a unique value proposition in a world where farmers are under pressure to increase yields in a sustainable manner,” said Videbæk.

Agribusiness, biofuels, Brazil

Long Island Gets Four New E85 Pumps

Cindy Zimmerman

Gulf Oil has opened four new E85 pumps in Long Island. The new dispensers were installed with funding from Growth Energy’s 2010 E85 and blender pump program.

“We are proud to be among the first to offer E85 in Long Island and we look forward to the day when many more fuel choices form the foundation of a new energy future,” said Laura Scott, Senior Vice President Finance and Strategy for Gulf Oil. “We would like to thank Growth Energy, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority and the Department of Energy for making this project financially feasible.”

Gulf’s new Long Island E85 pumps are located in Brentwood, Hauppauge, Rockville Centre, and Ronkonkoma. This brings the total number of E85 sites in the state of New York to 58.

E85, Ethanol, Growth Energy

USDA Proposes Blending Solar and Wind Power

John Davis

A USDA scientist believes wind and solar power generating systems could be set up to complement each other.

A study by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) agricultural engineer Brian Vick at the agency’s Renewable Energy and Manure Management Research Unit in Bushland, Texas says that by using solar power during doldrum days and wind at night could help offset the two energy sources shortcomings:

Vick discovered that in the Texas Panhandle and West Texas, as well as in northern and southern California, there is almost an exact mismatch between wind power production and peak energy demands over a 24-hour period. In these locations, at the heights of modern wind turbines, winds are lowest at mid-day, when power demands are greatest. In Texas, there is also a seasonal mismatch: The winds are weakest in the summer, when power demands are highest.

But the sun’s rays are most intense at mid-day and in summer months.

Texas is the top state for wind-generated electricity production, with Iowa ranking second and California third. California is the leader in solar-generated electricity production.

The most efficient storage system is one being used in solar thermal power plants, where the sun’s heat is used to heat water or other fluids. The fluids are kept hot long after the sun goes down, ready to be used later to produce steam to generate electricity.

The excess electricity generated by wind in the late night and early morning hours could be pumped into the grid and removed by storage facilities (like pumped-storage hydroelectricity or compressed-air energy storage facilities) to match the utility loading in the daytime.

The article goes on to say that Vick and his colleagues have also been testing wind/biodiesel hybrid systems.

Biodiesel, Solar, USDA, Wind

First U.S. Wave-Energy Project Moves Forward

Joanna Schroeder

Ocean Power Technologies (OPT), a New Jersey-based company focusing on harnessing energy from oceans, announced a major step towards the approval of a license issued by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to build the first commercial wave park on the West Coast. OTC has signed a Settlement Agreement (SA) with 11 federal and state agencies along with three non-governmental stakeholders for its utility-scale wave power project to be located 2.5 miles offshore near Reedsport, Oregon.

The wave park will be comprised of 10 PB150 PowerBuoys with a maximum sustained generating capacity of 150 kiloWatts, an undersea substation to collect the power and a submarine cable to deliver the power to the Pacific Northwest Grid. Once complete, it is anticipated that 4,140 MegaWatt hours per year will be delivered to the grid – or enough electricity to power up to 375 homes. The company reports that the first PB150 PowerBuoy is already being constructed at the Oregon Iron Works.

As reported in a company press release, this first-ever wave energy SA was reached after extensive technical, policy, and legal discussions to place to discuss appropriate prevention, mitigation and enhancement measures.

Oregon’s Governor, Ted Kulongoski, said, “The Settlement Agreement is a groundbreaking document that demonstrates the State’s commitment to partnering with the private sector and coastal communities to explore how we can tap into the renewable resource of ocean waves to power our communities. The manufacture of the first buoy has already created dozens of green-energy jobs in Oregon and when the 10-buoy wave power project is built, a whole new industry will be created to benefit our coastal communities. This is an exciting time for our State and I look forward to continuing to foster this new industry in Oregon in a way that is sensitive to marine habitat and continues to value this important resource for Oregon’s fishermen.”

Electricity, Energy, News

Ethanol Production Strong, Exports Holding Steady

Joanna Schroeder

Ethanol production fell slightly for the week ending August 8, 2010 as compared to the week prior, yet remained strong totaling 866,000 barrels per day (b/d) or just shy of 36.4 million gallons per day. This according to Energy Information Administration (EIA) and reported by the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA). The four-week average ending August 6, 2010 shows ethanol production remains strong at 848,000 b/d.

Nationwide stocks of ethanol also dipped to 19.3 million barrels or 810.6 million gallons. This is down from 19.5 million barrels the previous week, and the lowest total since the week ending August 11, 2010.

Gasoline demand is down as well, landing just under 388 million gallons per day. As a percentage of daily gasoline use, daily ethanol production represents 9.38 percent – the highest percentage since weekly production reports began.

June ethanol exports (both denatured and un-denatured, non-beverage) came in 6 percent less than May numbers, totaling 16.07 million gallons. Overall, however, exports for the first six months of 2010 equaled total exports for all of 2008, the strongest export year in recent history. True to form, Canada and Mexico remained the top two markets for U.S. product.

U.S. ethanol producers consumed 13.131 million bushels of corn daily which produced 877,000 b/d of ethanol. In addition to ethanol, U.S. producers also supplied more than 97,000 metric tons of livestock feed daily, 86,300 metric tons of which was distillers grains. The industry also supplied 3.75 million pounds of corn oil daily.

Data from the federal government showed that 4.06 million metric tons of distillers grains had been exported in 2010 through June. This is down from 5.6 million metric tons exported in total during 2009 and 4.5 million metric tons exported in 2008. Not surprisingly, China is now the top importer of U.S. distillers grains, representing 25 percent of the market followed by Mexico and Canada.

Ethanol, Ethanol News, RFA

Camelina for Biodiesel A Good Bet

Joanna Schroeder

Camelina continues to show promise as a second-generation feedstock for biodiesel. The feedstock has several advantages including a high oil content, grows on marginal land and needs little to no fertilizer or water. It contains a high amount of Omega-3s and its dried distillers grains have already been approved as cattle feed. Researchers at Penn State have been working with farmers along with HERO BX to test the viability of camelina for several years and early tests are showing great promise.

However, camelina began its upward trajectory as a viable feedstock for biodiesel when aviation tests were successfully conducted using biodiesel blends including camelina (HERO BX was involved in some of these tests).

There is also research underway at Washington State University (WSU) and researchers Scott Hulbert and Bill Pan are working with local farmers to refine camelina varieties, cropping practices, economics and marketing. The research is part of a new major initiative called the “Sustainable Aviation Fuels Northwest” project. In partnership with Alaska Airlines, Boeing, the Port of Seattle, the Port of Portland, and Spokane International Airport, the project will look at biomass options, including camelina, within a four-state region as possible sources for creating renewable jet fuel.

According to a press release from July 12, announcing the project the partnership will examine all phases of developing a sustainable biofuel industry, including biomass production and harvest, refining, transport infrastructure and actual use by airlines. It will include an analysis of potential biomass sources that are indigenous to the Pacific Northwest, including algae, agriculturally based oilseeds such as camelina, wood byproducts and others. The project is jointly funded by the participating parties and is expected to be completed in approximately six months.

“The Pacific Northwest is a global gateway for people, cultures and commerce and aviation is a vital contributor to that process,” said Boeing Commercial Airplanes CEO Jim Albaugh. “Developing a sustainable aviation fuel supply now is a top priority both to ensure continued economic growth and prosperity at regional levels and to support the broader aim of achieving carbon-neutral growth across the industry by 2020.”

Biodiesel, News

Investors Fuel Algae-Biofuel Maker Solazyme with $52M

John Davis

Algae-biofuel maker Solazyme has garnered $52 million in venture capitol from the likes of Morgan Stanley and Chevron.

This article from the New York Times says the San Francisco-based company is using the money to commercialize its green fuel:

Solazyme is one of the most successful companies working on algae, along with generously-funded Sapphire Energy. While most of its competitors struggle to scale, it already has a contract with the U.S. Navy to supply jet fuel made entirely of algae derivatives. The Navy agreed to fund the company in exchange for 20,000 gallons of fuel for its ships, valued at $8.5 million. It has already received 1,500 of these gallon.

What makes Solazyme special? It relies on a fermentation process that allows a certain type of bioengineered algae (which grows in the dark) to convert sugars directly into oils. Short and relatively easy, this procedure uses existing industrial equipment, saving money on what has proved to be an otherwise expensive, multi-phase operation. The company is able to produce a full replacement for petroleum-based fuel, not simply an additive.

Like many other biofuel companies, including those that use microbes to convert feedstocks, Solazyme is also applying its process to generate industrial chemicals, including food additives and cosmetics. This chemical business has proven to be a lot more lucrative than selling fuels for companies like LS9, Amyris Biotechnologies and Mascoma. But Solazyme seems to be closer to making its fuels profitable, perhaps in the next two to three years.

The article goes on to say that to be successful, Solazyme will have to be able to build a plant big enough to achieve reasonable scale. That size of facility could cost up to $100 million. An algae-based rival, Synthetic Genomics, has just opened its own test facility in Southern California with about $600 million from ExxonMobil. That explains Solazyme’s wooing of the Chevron money.

algae, Biodiesel

Am. Lung Assoc. in MN to Hold Biodiesel Workshops

John Davis

Just about everything in this country moves by a truck, train or barge running on diesel. The folks up in Minnesota, with their first-in-the-nation biodiesel mandate, are holding some workshops to show just how important the green version of diesel … biodiesel … is:

To help people better understand recent changes in diesel fuels and engines, and the growing role of biodiesel in Minnesota’s transportation industry, the American Lung Association in Minnesota is hosting two free workshops featuring Hoon Ge of MEG Corp. The workshops will discuss recent refining changes in traditional petroleum diesel and how to recognize and respond to problems with diesel fuels. The event and lunch are free, but attendance is limited. Contact Kelly Marczak at Kelly.Marczak@lungmn.org to register.

The workshops will be held in Duluth at the Duluth Holiday Inn, Downtown Waterfront, 200 West First Street on Monday, August 23rd and in Bemidji at Hampton Inn & Suites Bemidji, 1019 Paul Bunyan Dr S. Both run from 10:30 am to 1:30 pm.

The Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council and United Soybean Board are sponsoring the workshops.

Biodiesel