Four New Holland tractors are the first tractors that run on 100% biodiesel to arrive in the United Kingdom to work at Cornwall’s Eden Project, “an environmentally-focused attraction all about man’s relationship with plants and the environment.”
According to this story in the Farmers Guardian, not only will the tractors be good for the environment, they’ll be good for the local economy:
The four New Holland machines will emit 70 per cent less carbon dioxide than the ones they replace. They will also cut carbon monoxide emissions by half, particulates by 70 per cent and hydrocarbons by 40 per cent.
The hope is the 20 litres of fuel each tractor requires daily will be supplied by local oilseed rape growers.
Eden’s Gus Grand said: “The environmental benefits of the tractors are not solely due to the fuel. The engines are more efficient than our old ones. With these new tractors we are trying to drive people’s interest in green motoring forward. If we can do it, so can others.”
The article goes on to say if this test is successful, expansion of the idea could be part of what helps the UK achieve its 5% Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation by 2010.
“There appears to be abuse that demands legislative correction,” said Texas Representative Lloyd Doggett, who is drafting a measure to overturn the IRS rule with Representative John Larson of Connecticut. Senator Maria Cantwell, a Washington Democrat, said yesterday during a Finance Committee hearing that the companies tried to “go around” Congress and that the tax credit needs to be “re-examined.”
On the campaign trail in New Hampshire on Friday, Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) called for a National Low Carbon Fuel Standard (NLCFS) similar to one created in California earlier this year by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Biofuel Oasis, a Berkeley-based retailer, said its station will feature credit-card operated pumps, air and water hoses, a convenience store and long hours. But the four well-lit pumps will be solar powered, the convenience store will sell organic lemonade, and the pumps will only dispense biodiesel, which is frequently made from products such as vegetable oil or soy.
“We are excited about the potential the biofuels industry holds for Manitoba,” said Jim Rondeau, Minister of Science, Technology, Energy and Mines. “This new legislation will provide the framework to ensure real and sustained growth of the ethanol and biodiesel industries for years to come.”
A robotic arm is providing a helping hand for USDA researchers doing cellulosic ethanol research.
Venezuela President Hugo Chavez has appeared to shift his stance on ethanol this week, at least as it relates to Brazil. 
The ethanol industry is firing back over headlined reports of a Stanford University computer model prediction that indicates “nearly 200 more people would die yearly from respiratory problems if all vehicles in the United States ran on a mostly ethanol fuel blend by 2020.”