Every once in a while, you see something you’ve never seen before, such as a spiny bandicoot or a Canadian militant. But here’s something you really haven’t seen before: A period of seething Middle Eastern unrest — and falling energy prices.
It’s better times for California’s ethanol producers, with investment dollars flowing into technology to make production plants more efficient and diverse in the feedstocks they accept.
“We are just about there,” said Paul Koehler, spokesman for Sacramento-based Pacific Ethanol, referring to the long-time effort to begin making ethanol from farm waste and nonfood feedstock instead of corn
The Chicago Tribune editorial “Repeal renewable fuel standard,” (Aug. 6) was undoubtedly off the mark when it claimed the Renewable Fuel Standard had “flopped” at encouraging the development of advanced biofuels in the United States.
PUMP the new documentary about America and oil to be released September 19th.
When people talk about waste at a coffee shop, they tend to fixate on the massive pile of disposable cups that ends up in landfills. But the average coffee shop also throws out around 22 pounds of coffee grounds a day; in a city like London, that adds up to around 200,000 tons a year. Now, a new startup plans to start turning that waste into fuel for cars and energy to heat local homes.
The report “Biofuel Sustainability Performance Guidelines,” was commissioned by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), and authored by LMI, a not-for-profit government consultancy. It comes as large fuel consumers begin to pivot toward more plant-based fuel options to boost their “green” credentials and sustainability efforts while reducing their use of fossil fuels. The report is intended to help guide fuel buyers such as federal, state and municipal bulk fuel procurement officers, contractors and suppliers, and corporate sustainability officers.
Trying to understand the chemistry that turns plant material into the same energy-rich gasoline and diesel we put in our vehicles, researchers have discovered that water in the conversion process helps form an impurity which, in turn, slows down key chemical reactions. The study, which was reported online at the Journal of the American Chemical Society, can help improve processes that produce biofuels from plants.
In the US Energy Information Administration’s August issue of its Short-Term Energy Outlook, ethanol production has averaged approximately 940,000 barrels per day over the past three months.
Natural gas supplies have increased in many parts of the world during recent years due to new pipelines and hydraulic fracturing. This increase has led to reduced prices for natural gas and the wider geographic availability of vehicle refueling. As a result, interest has been renewed in utilizing natural gas as a transportation fuel to reduce both the use of oil and greenhouse gas emissions
Hormel Foods has built the first motorcycle that runs off bio-diesel made from bacon grease. I know what you’re thinking – yes it does smell like breakfast when cruising down the road. Game changer? Definitely.
Hormel Foods was looking for a unique way to promote its Black Label bacon so they teamed up with BBDO Minneapolis to create the #DrivenByBacon campaign. The campaign saw Eric Pierson take the motorbike on a documented cross-country road trip starting in Austin, Minnesota, making its way to San Diego for the 2nd annual International Bacon Film Festival on August 29th – yes that’s a real thing. Eric arrived in San Diego yesterday but the “Driven By Bacon” documentary won’t be premiered to fellow pork lovers for a few more weeks.
