In Norway, EU-funded FASTCARD project used two different routes to meet European commitments to the production of advanced biofuels. The first involved the ‘liquefaction’ of biomass and is the closest to competing economically with fossil fuels, while the second employed gasification of biomass, which can be economically challenging over the short-term. Research enabled the short- […]
In New Mexico, the state’s Museum of Natural History and Science has launched an online exhibition called Bio-AI that allows users to grow an algae crop—or fail and lose the crop—using an online game “Growing Green Goop” as a way to increase awareness about algae R&D in the state. As the game’s intro says, “There […]
In the United Kingdom, University of British Columbia scientists discovered a way to turn the UK’s fatbergs, congealed fat and waste, into methane fuel that when burned releases water and low amounts of carbon dioxide compared to fossil fuels. The new process helps break down fats, oils and grease into liquids that bacteria can more […]
In Massachusetts, Greater Lawrence Technical School received a $160,000 grant from the Baker-Polito Administration to implement a clean energy program as part of their STEAM curriculum. GLTS is one of just three schools statewide to receive the allocation from the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, which will be used to prepare students to pursue higher education majors and careers in […]
In Washington, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) officially launched the Lab Partnering Service (LPS), an on-line, single access point platform for investors, innovators, and institutions to identify, locate, and obtain information from DOE’s 17 national laboratories. This tool will provide industry with a more efficient way to harness technical expertise and intellectual property housed […]
In Japan, new IIASA-led research has found that a single climate mitigation scheme applied to all sectors, such as a global carbon tax, could have a serious impact on agriculture and result in far more widespread hunger and food insecurity than the direct impacts of climate change. Smarter, more inclusive policies are needed instead. The […]
In Brazil, Reuters reports that the local biofuel industry is sure second-generation ethanol has overcome much of its technical challenges and is now competitive with oil at $70 per barrel. Novozymes indicated that the Raizen cellulosic ethanol plant demonstrated that these glitches had been overcome at commercial scale, producing 40 million liters per year. The […]
In India, a new study conducted by researchers at Dayalbagh Educational Institute looked at the different pretreatment methods for lignocellulosic wastes for biofuels, including physical, chemical, physico-chemical, biological and combined pretreatments. It has been shown that combined pretreatments are more effective as compared to single pretreatment and there is an extensive scope of combinations which […]
In the UK, researchers from Lancaster University have analyzed global and regional food supplies to reveal the flows of calories, protein and vital micro-nutrients from production through to human consumption, in a study published in Elementa, Science of the Anthropocene. Combining data from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) with food nutrient data, and […]
In Illinois, named for the mythical god with two faces, Janus membranes — double-sided membranes that serve as gatekeepers between two substances — have emerged as a material with potential industrial uses. Creating two distinct “faces” on these delicate surfaces, however, is a process fraught with challenges. By applying a common high-tech manufacturing technique in […]
