The Morning Briefing: Biofuel production
"The Morning Briefing" is SmartPlanet's daily roundup of must-reads from the web. This morning we're reading about biofuel production.
1.) Invasive grasses as biofuel? Scientists protest. More than 200 scientists from across the country have sent a letter to the Obama administration urging the Environmental Protection Agency to reconsider a rule, in the final approval stages, that would allow two invasive grasses, Arundo donax and Pennisetum purpureum, to qualify as advanced biofuel feedstock under the nation’s renewable fuel standard.
2.) Algae biofuel not sustainable now. Biofuels made from algae, promoted by President Barack Obama as a possible way to help wean Americans off foreign oil, cannot be made now on a large scale without using unsustainable amounts of energy, water and fertilizer.
3.) EC to cap food-based biofuel contribution to renewable energy transport targets. The European Commission (EC) has published proposals to limit the amount of food-based (so-called "first generation") biofuels that can be counted towards the renewable energy targets set for the European transport sector, including aviation.
4.) BP ends plan for biofuel plant. BP has said that it had canceled plans to build a plant in Florida to turn tough grasses such as sorghum and cane into cellulosic biofuel, the second big oil company this year to back out of plans to produce “next generation” ethanol from nonfood crops.
5.) Google tests biofuel car. Google has been using Cool Planet Energy Systems' biofuel blend to run a fleet vehicle at the search giant’s Mountain View, Calif. campus, according to the energy-tech startup.
Image credit: Flickr
Related:
- BP scraps cellulosic ethanol plant plans
- What CO2 levels are power plants releasing worldwide?
- How biofuels are recycled for electricity
- Nestle: U.S., EU must change biofuel targets
- How to turn your car into a hybrid for $3000
This post was originally published on Smartplanet.com