The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has taken a big step towards implementing one of the most contentious parts of last year’s Energy Policy Act by proposing a regulatory system that will nearly double domestic ethanol use. Called the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), the regulation establishes a credit-trading system that will mandate the use of 7.5 … Read More
Biofuels
Presidential Candidates Back Ethanol
The politics of oil is once again creeping up the political and public agenda in the US. Over the last month a dozen potential presidential candidates have toured the state of Iowa, with most pledging their support for the biofuel ethanol as an alternative to gasoline.
Shell: Biofuels from Food Crops “Morally Inappropriate”
At top executive from oil giant Shell, the world’s top maker of biofuels, has said he considers using food crops to make biofuels “morally inappropriate” as long as there are people in the world who are starving. Eric G Holthusen, Fuels Technology Manager Asia/Pacific, said the company’s research unit, Shell Global Solutions, has developed alternative … Read More
More on Ethanol: The Answer to Oil or a Pipe Dream?
Good article in today’s Independent on ethanol, which answers the question is ethanol the answer to reducing our CO2 emissions? Mike McCarthy, the paper’s environment editor, replies “It would certainly seem so at first sight, not least because the fastest growing greenhouse gas emissions are those from the transport sector, and it is in road … Read More
Biotech BP
BP has announced that it is planning to spend $500 million to set up a biofuels research centre that will be attached to a major US or UK university. BP says the centre – which will be called the BP Energy Biosciences Institute – will focus on improving the efficiency of existing biofuels; developing new … Read More
EU Biofuels Fall Short of Targets
European politicians may talk up the progress they are making on climate change, however the biofuels sector is still struggling to meet targets. A new survey by Paris-based consortium Eurobserver, has found that EU production of biofuels in 2010 is projected to be just over half of the European commission’s target of 18m tonnes oil … Read More