This briefing paper reviews evidence of the impacts of the U.S. Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) on food prices, with a focus on corn and soy, and presents new analysis on the impact of the RFS on U.S. livestock farmers. Studies examining the relationship between food prices and biofuel demand conclude …
Crop prices sprang higher as warm weather settled over the central US, intensifying worries about corn that lifted other grains as well. High temperatures have blanketed farm states this week at the moment that corn enters its critical pollination stage. If hot weather were to persist, it could reduce how …
The Energy Department said on Tuesday it would install 18 fuel cell backup power systems at eight U.S. military posts, as part of a partnership with the Defense Department to bolster energy security. "Projects like these fuel cell systems will help reduce fossil fuel use and improve energy reliability at …
Energy efficiency analysis for different biomass-utilization scenarios would help make more informed decisions for developing future biomass-based transportation systems. Diverse biofuels produced from biomass include cellulosic ethanol, butanol, fatty acid ethyl esters, methane, hydrogen, methanol, dimethyether, Fischer-Tropsch diesel, and bioelectricity; the respective powertrain systems include internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, …
Europe's biodiesel industry could be wiped out by EU plans to tackle the unwanted side effects of biofuel production, after studies showed few climate benefits, four papers obtained by Reuters show. Europe's world-leading $13 billion biodiesel industry, which has boomed in the wake of a decision by Brussels policymakers in …
There is a view that we are now in the midst of the emergence of a new world food regime, characterised by three important and interrelated features – the rise of large corporate food empires with oligopolistic powers over entire food supply chains, the growing dominance of cash crops at …
The Energy Department plans to provide a $105 million loan guarantee for the expansion of an ethanol factory in Emmetsburg, Iowa, that intends to make motor fuel from corncobs, leaves and husks. Experts say that the new factory, being built by POET, a major producer of ethanol derived from corn …
A jury in Maryland awarded plaintiffs suing oil company Exxon Mobil about $1.5 billion for a 2006 leak at a gasoline station, according to court documents. Verdicts released by the Baltimore County Circuit Court on Friday showed the jury awarded the 160 plaintiffs in the case against the oil company …
American automobiles have a limited diet, but gasoline's monopoly at the pump may be ending. The giant of U.S. automakers is turning to something cheaper and cleaner: natural gas. General Motors Corp announced plans this week to develop its first natural gas-powered engine, overcoming its long aversion to alternative fuels …
The bacteria behind food poisoning worldwide, the mighty e.coli, could be turned into a commercially available biofuel in five years, a U.S. scientist told technology industry and government leaders on Tuesday. Several companies are working on the technology, which has been proven in laboratories but is not yet yielding enough …
Heavy rains and flooding across swaths of US farmland mean farmers have planted significantly less corn than initially intended, according to Cargill, the world
Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar has sought Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's intervention to decide the final price of ethanol for blending in petrol to ensure smooth supply of the product during the 2011-12 season. In August last year, the government had fixed an interim price of Rs 27 a litre for …
The field of biofuels has suffered from cycles of interest and neglect. Still, enterprising researchers have myriad options. http://www.nature.com/naturejobs/2011/110623/pdf/nj7352-531a.pdf
Proponents of biomass-based fuels push for sustainability against a steady tide of conflicting analysis, but can advanced biofuels cut the mustard? http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v474/n7352_supp/pdf/474S02a.pdf
The most controversial aspect of biofuels is the perceived competition for farmland. Will advances in biofuels and agriculture send this trade-off speeding towards the history books? http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v474/n7352_supp/full/474S06a.html
A biomass-based fuel needs to be cheap and energy dense. Gasoline sets a high standard. http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v474/n7352_supp/full/474S09a.html
The inedible parts of plants are feeding the next generation of biofuels. But extracting the energy-containing molecules is a challenging task. http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v474/n7352_supp/full/474S012a.html
