Cows often get a bad rap for emitting methane – a global warming gas. Maybe we shouldn’t be so hard on Elsie the milk cow since her production of methane can be harnessed for energy. Not sure how to go about converting animal waste to energy? Then consider attending the first National Biomethane Summit being held in Sacramento, CA on June 23, 2009.
The National Biomethane Summit will offer a full day’s focus on applications, equipment, and emerging technologies in the sciences of landfill gas, dairy waste methane recovery, and wastewater treatment. Speakers include representatives from the California Air Resources Board, U.S. Department of Agriculture and state and local politicians.
According to the conference’s website, the goal of NBS is, “to showcase fuels and technologies, policies and actions, and other ongoing efforts that will enable California to meet its goals to reduce Greenhouse Gas emissions, strengthen its transportation fuel supplies, and establish a long-term sustainable market for cleaner-burning fuels.”
The only thing they forgot is how to convert human waste to biomethane. Well maybe next year.
San Jose wants to become energy independent but they’re not going about it in a traditional fashion. Instead, they hope to be the first city in the U.S. to generate its electricity through an organics-to-energy biogas facility. Should this plant come to fruition, it would be sited on a 40-acre site near the San Jose/Santa Clara Water Pollution Control Plant and convert 150,000 tons of organic waste into energy. The plant will be constructed and operated by Zanker Road Biogas.
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At this week’s Fuel Ethanol Workshop we had a very large panel discussion titled, “Research, Technology and the Future of Ethanol Production.” This was a pretty serious group of industry leaders and thinkers that was introduced by Tom Bryan, BBI International. Included were:
Two biofuels promoters took part in the 4th annual New Holland/Michael Peterson Celebrity Tractor Race held Sunday at the CMA Music Festival in Nashville. Chuck Leavell (left) is probably best known as the versatile keyboardist for the Rolling Stones and Joe Jobe is CEO of the 
The University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, 
The plant will be located at Buckeye’s facility in Perry, a small town near the armpit of the Florida peninsula, roughly halfway between Tallahassee and Gainesville. It will be built using a $20 million grant allocated by the Florida Legislature and groundbreaking is planned for this fall.
“We’re trying to break our dependence on petroleum. Fuel is a big part of that, but it’s not the only part,” said Lonnie Ingram, the UF distinguished professor of microbiology and cell science who led development of the technology. “Learning how to develop these valuable byproducts not only helps to make cellulosic ethanol more economically feasible, but it takes the environmental impact of cellulosic ethanol and extends it to new areas-like plastic water bottles that won’t take up space in a landfill for thousands of years.”
Thomas Payne, Vice Chancellor and Dean at the University of Missouri School of Agriculture, sees biodiesel as playing “a key role in our nation’s future energy and environmental security.” He added, “I am proud to add my voice to the growing chorus of scientists who are singing the praises of biodiesel and advocating for an increased commitment that will ensure that biodiesel reaches its full potential as a vital U.S. energy source.”
Dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and director of the Experiment Station at Iowa State University, Wendy Wintersteen, stressed the importance of a strong voice from the scientific community. “Scientists believe that research and innovation will continue to enhance the sustainability and efficiency of biodiesel,” she said. “With over 100 signatories, this declaration demonstrates the strength and breadth of support for biodiesel within the scientific community.”
Artists and activists Graham Evans and Emily Nelson are getting ready to tour the Northeast and Midwest, teaching people how to grow and cook their own food in a sustainable way… in a sustainable set of wheels. The pair and their Nourish(meant) project will be refurbishing a 14-passenger school bus that will run on waste vegetable oil, have a kitchen inside, and a garden on top.
As they meet, feed, and build relationships, they will begin a series of conversations about how to grow your own food, the importance of local and regional food systems, and general sustainability practices. In addition to this, they will teach those who are interested about biofuels, seed banking, and the many other topics they expect to learn about on the voyage. Nourish(meant) will function as a traveling art and education center geared toward addressing hunger and food insecurity in this country at the personal, community, and regional scales.
Sunoco is now the owner of a 100 million gallon per year ethanol plant in Volney, NY. Northeast Biofuels, LP was purchased $8.5 million. This ethanol production faciltiy is the largest in the Northeastern United States, where much of Sunoco’s retail gasoline network is located. 
“Where has all the water gone?” Asks author