Everything. According to the Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association (UNICA). The rationale? Brazil’s highly successful, 30-year experience with sugarcane as a feedstock for ethanol. The country’s ethanol program has been in place since the mid-70s. In this time frame, ethanol has saved nearly 600 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions. How much is that? It would take 20 years and six billion trees to have the same results.
Unlike any other country, Brazil’s use of ethanol makes gasoline the alternative fuel. In 2003, flex-fuel cars (FFV) were introduced and today 34 percent of the light vehicle fleet are FFVs and close to 90 percent of new light vehicles purchased are FFVs. In addition, 46 percent of the country’s energy is provided by renewable sources. In addition, all of Brazil’s nearly 400 sugar and ethanol mills are self-sufficient in electricity, and a growing number of mills are generating a surplus by using cane straw and bagasse,
According to the UNICA’s senior international affairs adviser Geraldine Kutas, “Brazil could be a low-carbon economy. Unfortunately, even though the country is a large renewable energy producer, it is also the fourth largest emitter of carbon, because of deforestation. The fight against climate change requires ambitious public policies and joint leadership from the government and the public sector.”
This is just one success story that will be highlighted during Green Week, June 23-26 in Brussels, the largest annual conference to focus on the European Union’s environmental policies. UNICA will participate in both a panel discussion, “Climate Change: What can be asked of emerging economies?” on June 24 as well as have a booth set up in the exhibit area.
For more information about other speakers, topics and events during Green Week, visit www.greenweek2009.alligence.com.
I reported several months ago about 
Part of the agreement includes allowing USDA to have oversight for agricultural carbon offset programs instead of EPA. “The climate change bill will include a strong agriculture offset program run by the U.S. Department of Agriculture that will allow farmers, ranchers, and forestland owners to participate fully in a market-based carbon offset program,” said Peterson. “This agreement also addresses concerns about international indirect land use provisions that unfairly restricted U.S. biofuels producers and exempts agriculture and forestry from the definition of a capped sector.”
According to the Governors Biofuels Coalition, U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu said in Des Moines the nation’s car manufacturers ought to make all new automobiles able to run on E85 ethanol-blended fuel. But Chu said the government could face resistance should it insist on the new standard, despite two of the nation’s three main automakers’ having recently filed for bankruptcy protection.
This edition of the Ethanol Report features comments from 
The world’s biggest car maker is promising to launch a new fuel-cell car by the year 2015.
A wind farm capable of generating power for 40,000 homes has been completed near the Western Oklahoma town of Elk City.
Using 82 Acciona Windpower 1.5 MW wind turbines, Red Hills Wind Farm will generate enough clean energy to power over 40,000 U.S. homes and offset approximately 294,000 tons of carbon emissions annually. The Red Hills facility is spread across 5,000 rural acres. With the exception of the small footprint made by the 82 turbines, at about 1 acre each, land use is dominated by cattle grazing which coexist with the wind energy production.
A year after opening on the Houston Ship Channel, the nation’s biggest biodiesel plant has a “for sale” sign out on its lawn.
Kristy Moore received the Award of Appreciation from 
With RFA, Moore works on a number of technical and safety issues important to the ethanol industry and oversees the Technical Committee, the longest standing committee within the RFA. Moore and the committee have been responsible for increasing market share for ethanol, including opening new markets for ethanol including the southeastern states.