As important as Jatropha Curcas oil has become as a biodiesel fuel, the plantations that are growing and developing Jatropha will have to have a safety protocol for Jatropha nuts and seeds. The one draw back or negative characteristic for Jatropha Curcas is the seeds are poisonous.

Unfortunately, deaths have occurred, especially in children that have eaten Jatropha seeds, usually by mistake thinking they were other nuts like cashews. Not only death, but serious illness has occurred when children have consumed Jatropha seeds.

In the past few weeks alone, five children have died from eating Jatropha seeds.

Lucknow, Nov 4 (IANS):

“Five children were killed in Uttar Pradesh’s Bijnore district after eating Jatropha seeds, mistaking them for cashew nuts”, an official said Tuesday.

“The children, who were playing in the fields, probably mistook Jatropha seeds for cashew nuts and ate them,” chief medical officer S.P. Singh told IANS on phone.

The incident took place in Mandwar village of Bjinore district, over 250 km from Lucknow.

Read the Complete Story, Source: SindhToday.net

Chinese Food Products (Containing Chinese Milk) and Chinese Milk Products Banned by FDA from Entering the U.S.

China must not think much of its trading partners as the U.S. purchases billions of dollars per year of Chinese goods and food products. Imported foods containing Chinese milk products are hazardous to our health, as we are seeing more and more cases of Melamine in dairy products. Melamine is a hazardous chemical: harmful if swallowed, inhaled or absorbed through the skin. Chronic exposure may cause cancer or reproductive damage, eye, skin and respiratory irritant.

MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet for Melamine) Note information printed on top paragraph of MSDS:has been used (illegally) to boost apparent protein content of milk powders.

A chronological list of events leading up to the FDA ban on Chinese dairy and dairy containing products:

September 25, 2008, Washington, DC: Letter sent to FDA from Food and Water Watch. FDA Letter:

As the scope of the contaminated milk scandal in China continues to grow, national consumer group Food & Water Watch today called on the Food and Drug Administration to stop the import of dairy products and milk-derived ingredients from China, and urged food manufacturers to test any milk-derived ingredients they have already purchased.

“It is now clear that China has exported dairy products like powdered milk and milk protein products around the globe and we know that some of them came to the United States,” said Wenonah Hauter, executive director of Food & Water Watch. “This year the United States has already imported 2 million pounds of powdered milk protein ingredients like casein. It is time for FDA to take this issue seriously and stop the import of dairy products from China until this situation is under control.”

“The pet food scandal last year should have taught FDA and U.S. food manufacturers the importance of sourcing ingredients from places with a record of safe production practices,” said Hauter. “The discovery that more than 50,000 children have been made sick from tainted infant formula is yet another tragic example that the Chinese food safety system is not capable of protecting consumers in China or their export markets.”

Read the entire article, Source: Food and Water Watch, NewsRoom

October 17, 2008, Washington, DC (ENS):

Chinese cookies found in Alabama stores have tested positive for high levels of the plastic melamine, triggering a demand from consumer organizations for a federal government ban on all food products from China containing milk proteins.

The recent deaths of four infants and the illnesses of 53,000 other children in China linked with the consumption of infant formula containing melamine have not resulted in a ban in the United States, although individual products, such as White Rabbit candy and Mr. Brown drinks, have been recalled.

The chemical is used in plastics manufacturing and as an illegal additive in foods to simulate protein and it was linked to massive pet food recalls across the United States in 2007.

Two weeks ago the U.S. Food and Drug Administration set “acceptable” levels for melamine in human food, but this measure has not kept contaminated products out of U.S. stores.

On Wednesday, the Alabama Department of Agriculture announced that Koala’s March brand cookies found in Alabama stores have tested positive for melamine with levels that exceed the FDA’s stated safe levels of exposure.

Melamine Tainted Chinese Baby Formula Picture Credit:g-yulongi. More details

FDA Finally Begins Stopping Chinese dairy and dairy-based products from being imported into the U.S.

November 12, 2008, From the FDA, IMPORT ALERT IA9930, Read more here The Food and Drug Administration has begun stopping imports of Chinese dairy and dairy-based products from entering the country in an effort to keep out food contaminated with the industrial chemical melamine. The amount of products on the FDA list is mind staggering.

Melamine is the chemical at the heart of the Chinese infant formula scandal that has killed at least two infants and sickened more than 50,000. Scraps of melamine, which is used to make plastic and fertilizer, were added to milk as a way of boosting the milk’s protein content in order to pass quality tests. The same thing was done with wheat gluten, which was then used to make pet food and sparked a wave of recalls last year after thousands of pets died.

FDA officials, who had been spot checking markets for melamine-tainted foods and recalling select products, said they expanded their import advisory in part because of intelligence from overseas counterparts.

Under the hold and test policy initiated Thursday, FDA stops products at the border, then requires the importer to test it and prove it doesn’t have melamine before allowing it to be distributed.

Read the entire article, Source: Washington Post

The Chinese merchants have used an old trick taken from the cattle feed industry. Urea is added to cattle feed to boost the protein analysis when it is quality checked. The urea does not make cattle sick nor does it cause death. Melamine is used in Chinese milk products to boost protein analysis, but has caused sickness and even death in some individuals.

How many people in the U.S. and other parts of the world have become sick from Chinese melamine tainted milk products while thinking that they only had a virus or eaten some spoiled food?

The FDA needs to continue the hold and test policy initiated last Thursday on all Chinese food products from now on. Such policies are the best way to hit China’s pocketbook and hopefully allow China to clean up their act.

747-400, Picture Credit: The _Skunk_Works 2

Thu 6 Nov 2008 – The jatropha-based jet biofuel to power one of the four engines on the Air New Zealand Boeing 747-400 test flight set to take place next month has passed preliminary testing at the Rolls-Royce facility in Derby, UK. The exact date of the flight is to be confirmed once the fuel has completed a rigorous testing process to further validate its specifications. The airline also reports it has recently completed its first Required Navigation Performance (RNP) enabled A320 flight between Sydney and Queenstown, saving fuel and carbon emissions as well as reducing noise levels.

The biofuel test flight programme, the first using a second-generation biofuel, is a joint initiative between Air New Zealand, Boeing, Rolls-Royce and UOP, which has produced the jet fuel using its refining technology.

UOP process technology produced green jet fuel from jatropha that will power an Air New Zealand Boeing 747-400

(Des Plaines, Ill., November 11, 2008) — UOP LLC, a Honeywell (NYSE: HON) company, announced today that its process technology was used to convert second-generation, renewable feedstocks to green jet fuel that will be used on a demonstration flight by Air New Zealand. Read the complete article, Source: AeroSpace and Defense Network.

Picture Credit: Paqvindeamerica

The jatropha oil has been independently sourced by Terasol Energy from southeastern Africa (Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania), India, and fulfills the three “non-negotiable” criteria imposed by the partners:

• it must be sustainable and not compete with existing food resources
• it must be a drop-in replacement for traditional jet fuel and technically at least as good
• it should be cost competitive with existing fuel supplies and be readily available

Captain Philip Kirk, the airline’s A320 RNP Project Manager, says the technology will provide a more reliable service into the weather-challenged airport. “RNP also offers a range of commercial and environmental benefits,” he adds. “Because of its high precision capability, it can reduce noise emissions and significantly reduce fuel consumption and carbon emissions by using much shorter, curved approaches to airports.” Read the complete article, Source: Green Air Online.com

Terasol Energy is a leading producer of clean crude oil from next-generation feedstocks for the biofuels, chemicals and energy industries. Terasol Energy seeks to leverage its expertise in plant science and agronomy to develop and produce next-generation feedstocks that are truly sustainable and responsible. Terasol is focusing on the production of crude oil derived from castor (ricinus communis) and jatropha (jatropha curcas). Unlike first-generation oilseeds, the oil derived from castor and jatropha is inedible. Another important distinction is that unlike first-generation oilseeds, castor and jatropha are grown on marginal land, so there’s no risk of deforestation and they don’t compete with resources required to produce food. Both castor and jatropha can grow in semi-arid regions with less than a thousand millimeters of annual rainfall. Source: Terasol Energy Website.
WELLINGTON, Nov. 12 (Xinhua) — Air New Zealand will test what it claims is the world’s first second generation biofuel-powered commercial flight on Dec. 3.

The jatropha-based fuel for the Boeing 747-400 flight out of Auckland has been cleared for use by engine maker Rolls Royce, the airline said on Wednesday.The airline said the oil for the fuel was sourced from jatropha seeds grown in South Eastern Africa (Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania) and India.

Read the complete article, source: China View.

In 2007, increased ethanol use was mandated by EPA and U.S. Congress as the fuel of choice to help America cut its appetite for oil. Is ethanol really the answer? There has been a ongoing discussion on whether or not ethanol can meet current EPA emission standards to reduce greenhouse gases. What good are mandates and subsidies if ethanol will not be able to meet these emission standards?

Will taxpayer money continue to be thrown after corn ethanol, or will Congress cave in to the ethanol lobbyists and give special concessions / lower the emission standard? Unfortunately, the answer will probably be the latter.

From Mulch: Biofuel Industry Effort to Undermine Global Warming Standards Criticized.

Environmental groups send letter to EPA calling on it to reject industry’s request and uphold the law. Read the Group’s Letter Here…..

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Environmental groups delivered a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency today calling on it to meet its responsibility under the law and reject a biofuel industry attempt to weaken global warming standards for ethanol.

In the next few days, the EPA is expected to release calculations of greenhouse gas emissions caused by biofuel use. In an attempt to influence these calculations, the biofuel industry recently sent a letter to the EPA asking it to break the law and ignore congressionally mandated guidelines for how such emissions should be calculated. According to the energy bill enacted last December, indirect emissions such as land use change must be included in estimates of total greenhouse gas emissions. Research shows that emissions from land use changes such as deforestation can cause greenhouse gas emissions from biofuels to be twice those of gasoline.

“It’s telling that the biofuel industry and its supporters have become so accustomed to government handouts that they took offense when Congress asked for proof that federally subsidized ethanol and biodiesel will reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” said Jonathan Lewis, an attorney for the Clean Air Task Force. “But research indicates that biofuel production contributes to global warming, and the United States can no longer support biofuels without regard to their environmental impact.”Source: Mulch

Picture Credit: Nik’s Pics

Interesting Commentary, From the Des Moines Register:

Des Moines Register Op-ed: “We Need to Overhaul Our Biofuels Policy”

First, Philip Brasher reported that the ethanol industry is lobbying the Environmental Protection Agency to ensure corn ethanol benefits from the 2007 congressional mandate requiring us to use more biofuels. To benefit from the mandate, a biofuel must reduce greenhouse gases by 20 percent compared to using gasoline. The industry wants EPA to ignore the large amounts of greenhouse gases that will be released if new land is plowed under as biofuel production ramps up. If those emissions are counted, corn ethanol likely won’t pass the 20 percent reduction test.

Second, Perry Beeman reported that emissions from ethanol plants themselves account for 15 percent of the greenhouse-gas emissions from major sources in Iowa. The 7.6 million metric tons that ethanol plants emit each year are equivalent to emissions from almost 1.4 million cars, according to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. But emissions from the ethanol plants themselves are just the beginning. Growing the corn needed to supply ethanol plants uses a lot of fossil fuel, and the application of nitrogen fertilizer releases nitrous oxide - a greenhouse gas that is 300 times more potent than carbon dioxide.

Scientists are warning that if EPA properly accounts for greenhouse-gas emissions, using corn ethanol may be worse than using gasoline. Moreover, the biofuel mandates and subsidies do nothing to address the increased risk of soil degradation, water pollution and habitat loss as we ramp up production to supply crops for food, feed and fuel.

The effect and risk of soil degradation, water pollution, pesticide and herbicide contamination, habitat loss and destroying the Gulf of Mexico (Dead Zone) was completely reported in a previous CG post: Corn Ethanol Killing Our Oceans?

Iowa and the United States have placed a large bet on corn ethanol. Every gallon of ethanol produced costs federal taxpayers 51 cents in subsidies. That means the 9 billion gallons of ethanol the 2007 energy bill mandates for production this year cost us $5.1 billion in tax breaks to the companies that blend ethanol with gasoline. The Energy Information Agency reported in April 2008 that 79 percent of all federal subsidies for renewable fuels - including solar, wind and geothermal - went to support ethanol production. Read the article, Source: DesMoinesRegister.com. This commentary is from an Iowa newspaper and Iowa has 109 E85 Flex Fuel Fueling Stations.

Is this the right balance for an energy policy that will move us away from fossil fuels, reduce global warming and protect our environment? What do you think the EPA will do if ethanol cannot meet the current emission standards?

From the North Dakota Policy Council:

VeraSun,The Sioux Falls, S.D. – based company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection late last week. The Fargo Forum reported in its Sunday issue that the company has $1.9 billion in debt and nearly $3.5 billion in assets. VeraSun’s biggest creditor is Wells Fargo Bank with $447.4 million in bond debt.

What this means is that Wells Fargo Bank could wind up with the short straw.  However, taxpayers could be right there with them.

VeraSun has operated 17 plants in the midwest and one of their main plants is in Hankinson, North Dakota.

“Taxpayers have shelled out millions to support just the Hankinson branch of VeraSun’s operations. The city of Hankinson is the recipient of a $1 million Economic Development Administration grant. The North Dakota Department of Commerce gave the city another $410,000 through a Community Development Block Grant. The state and county helped foot the bill for upgrading area roads and the city is in the process of giving VeraSun a property tax exemption.”

To top it off, the Hankinson plant will probable qualify to receive more state funds through the Ethanol Production Incentive.

From the North Dakota Department of Commerce:
Ethanol Production Incentive

In November of 2002, Governor John Hoeven announced a proposal to provide incentive funding for new ethanol plants built in the state. Subsequently, the 58th Legislative Assembly approved Senate Bill 2222 which set forth the ethanol production incentive program in the North Dakota Century Code. This bill was signed into law and has received revisions in subsequent legislative sessions. The currently applicable chapter of the Century Code is 17-20.

The ethanol production incentive currently in place for North Dakota is a counter-cyclical program. This means it helps producers during adverse times when ethanol prices are unusually low and/or corn prices are unusually high. When these prices are normal or better than normal, the incentive is phased out and market conditions are allowed to prevail.

Amazing.  All the tax dollars being spent on corn ethanol besides the federal government subsidies being paid. Wonder if the people in Hankinson, North Dakota think they have a good return on their investment in corn ethanol?

News Flash: VeraSun, one of the largest ethanol producers announces filing for bankruptcy protection. From the Los Angles Times: VeraSun Energy Corp., the second-largest U.S. ethanol producer, filed for bankruptcy protection after making bad hedging bets on corn, a raw material used to make the fuel. The petition for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in Wilmington, Del., listed both assets and debt of more than $1 billion. The Sioux Falls, S.D.-based producer and seller of ethanol, which was formed in 2001, has 16 production facilities in eight states and an annual capacity of about 1.64 billion gallons of ethanol, according to its website.

Ironic situtaion as gas (blended with ethanol) sells for less than $2.00 per gallon in Nebraska: Check this Out, From: Omaha World-Harold

Current news headlines continue to read: oil prices and gas prices still going south, corn prices higher as rains delay harvest, credit for businesses dry up and ethanol plants shutting down.

Unfinished E85 plant being dismantled in Nebraska. Check this Out, From: Freemont Tribune.com.

Greater Ohio Ethanol Files Chapter 11: Check this out.

Go Ethanol Faces Shut Down, Investors and Banks will not commit money to continue: Check this out.

The stock prices of once-hot listings such as Aventine Renewable Energy and VeraSun Energy (filed for bankruptcy), is saying something. Archer Daniels Midland has fallen too, weighed down in part by its huge exposure to ethanol. Consolidation might help, but it won’t be easy. Some of the nation’s 177 working bio-refineries reside in rural hamlets with nothing else going for them. Source: ChicagoTribune.com

VeraSun shuts down ethanol plant in Montgomery County, Indiana. From the Hoosier Ag Today: With oil prices falling and the recessionary economy cutting consumer demand, is the boom in the ethanol industry over? On the surface it does not look good for the ethanol industry. Oil prices are approaching $60 a barrel, the profit margins for ethanol producers are shrinking, and the credit crisis is making capitol harder to come by.

Ethanol Production Plant, Picture Credit: MSNBC

From the Newton Kansan:

NEWTON —A deadline quietly came and went this week — and the end result is the Emerald City Ethanol plant, which was to be built northeast of the Harvey County Transfer Station, will not become part of the landscape.

Does this mean the ethanol hysteria has run out of gas and the boom is coming to a close even as new legislation is being introduced in Congress mandating E85 use in new vehicles by 2012?

What is going to happen to mandated bills in Congress for using E85 (85% ethanol and 15% gasoline)?

From Biofuels Digest: “Senators Joe Lieberman (I-CT), Ken Salazar of (D-CO) Colorado and Sam Brownback (R-KS) have co-sponsored the Open Fuel Standard Act of 2008 that would mandate that 50 percent of new vehicles by 2012 have E85, M85 (methanol) or warranted biodiesel capacity, increasing to 85 percent in 2015. The bill was also introduced in the US House of Representatives by a bipartisan group of legislators. The bill focused on the need to create energy independence for the US as a national security interest”.

Government officials have introduce bills for mandating E85 in new vehicles in the near future with the corn ethanol industry collapsing around them. The feds were sold a sham on corn ethanol being the answer to our fuel problems in the U.S. Sounded good, looked good on paper and with the government backing this program (with kickback money), no way this could fail, or so they thought.

Now, the government wants everyone to start using E85 and ethanol blends. A really big question. If we are going to run E85 in our vehicles, then where can I purchase E85 in Georgia?Do know how close you are to an E85 fueling station? Currently there are (10) E85 fueling stations in Georgia and Tennessee, the closest being 68 miles from Dalton, Ga. How does the government expect a complete transition to E85 when there are very few E85 stations in the South. How long will it be before we have an E85 in Dalton, Ga? How long will it take to get E85 fueling stations in other areas that do not have these stations already? Most southern states have only 4-6 E85 stations at present except South Carolina which has over 50 E85 stations.
Now, the biggest question of all? With all these ethanol plants shutting down, where will the ethanol production come from so E85 can be produced? Now is the time for Americans to get behind cellulosic ethanol production.

If you want to find out where the closest E85 fueling station is near you check out this LINK: National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition. Click on this link and follow the directions at top of the page.

USDA says Loans To Ethanol Producers Bad Business. From: Ag Weekly Online: The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association sent a letter to United States Department of Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer this week expressing disappointment at his comments outlining Rural Development assistance for ethanol plants hurt by high corn prices. In remarks made in Des Moines, IA on Oct. 17, Shafer stated that, “There’s going to have to be some credit applied to companies to buy some lower-priced corn to blend with their higher-priced corn.”

The following statements was made in the comment section from a past CG post:Want to Save At the Pump, Try Fuel Blending!

“The world now produces only 20 billion gallons of ethanol. In the next 20 years, the world will need an additional 280 billion gallons of ethanol. There are no fuels other than oil derivatives and ethanol than can fuel internal combustion engines. There is no practical replacement for the internal combustion engine. Electric cars will be very small. Hydrogen fuel cells cars will be cost effective when gasoline is $22 per gallon. Hybrids and plug in hybrids all have internal combustion engines. India is building a new $2500 car with an internal combustion engine. There are 300 million people in India who can afford this car. China will be the largest producers of cars and trucks in the world in 10 years. All of the cars and trucks being produced in China have internal combustion engines.

Unless the world has sufficient fuel to power the necessary cars and trucks to move goods and people, the world will fall into an unecessary recession or worse. The only thing that will prevent this world wide recession is the production of an addtional 280 billions of gallons of ethanol.”

Gary Schwendiman, Ph.D,
Dean Emeritus,
College of Business Administration
University of Nebraska
Chairman Emeritus
Ethanol Capital Management LLC

A rude awakening according to the above article. Would you risk investment money in corn ethanol production after what has happened to the corn ethanol industry the last 12 months? If not, then How Does the U.S. come up with additional gallons of ethanol that will be needed in the future to fuel our vehicles?

Chemically Green has always said corn ethanol is not the best method for producing ethanol as a fuel replacement and supplement for gasoline. If America is going to produce ethanol and biodiesel, we will have to invest our dollars in cellulosic biofuels, not corn, soybeans and palm oil. Even with government subsidies, time has been against corn ethanol because corn is a commodity affected by prices, weather, flooding, oil prices and hurricanes. Congress and President Bush forgot one important factor in mandating corn ethanol as a fuel. They could not predict the weather and the price of oil. Will the U.S. have enough common sense to work out the ethanol dilemma so we can reduce our oil addiction or will we continue trying to use a commodity like corn to produce ethanol?

I’m proud to announce that Chemically Green is becoming increasingly more attuned to social media.  It’s a great way for me to keep up on news in green/biofuel arena.  In response, I’ve created a Twitter account so that you may keep a closer watch on Chemically Green and my latest posts.  Follow me on Twitter, and I’ll do the same for you!

Picture Credit: This picture is not real

Did Al Gore plan on the freezing temperatures at Harvard this week as he presents his speech on Global Warming? Note, the speech was presented on Wednesday night, the coldest night in zip code 02138 so far this week.

Picture Credit: Southern New England Weather

Was snow forcasted on Wednesday night? The forecast for Greater Boston from Sunday looked even more dramatic. Al Gore’s speech was on Wednesday. Click Here to see that on Sunday, they actually predicted snow for Wednesday. That didn’t happen, after all.

From the Reference Frame:

A reader using the “trademark” of the Office of the President of Harvard University informed us about a hilarious event in Cambridge, MA, namely the Harvard Sustainability Celebration: Green.harvard.edu: green is the new crimson

If they can change the color of the Harvard logo so easily, maybe their planet is also green, not blue, after all.
The Harvard College Democrats ask why the “reduce reuse recycle rethink” posters are 4 times larger than the previous record holders.

But they are kind of obliged to be happy about the keynote speaker, Mr Al Gore, who is famous for his big house, jet, and the so-called Gore effect. Dictionaries explain the term as:

The phenomenon that leads to unseasonably cold temperatures, driving rain, hail, or snow whenever Al Gore visits an area to discuss global warming. Hence, the Gore Effect.

It seems to be working again: see Weather Underground (no, it is not the leftist militant group that may have inspired Barack Obama: the name of the weather service is just a good joke).

In Cambridge, the warmest October 22nd occurred in 1979 when the temperature climbed to 83 °F. Well, it doesn’t look like what they see today. Even the average high temperature for this day is 60 °F which is still far too high. After high noon, the temperature in Cambridge is 44.5 °F. Tonight, it is predicted to drop to 34 °F, close to the record low of 28 °F measured in 1940.

For Thursday night (the day after … the speech), the temperature in Cambridge is forecast to drop below the freezing point to 28 °F which, if true, will beat the record low temperature set in 1883, which means exactly 125 years ago, when it was 29 °F. Not bad! (Sorry, during Thursday, the prediction of 28 °F for tonight was raised to 31 °F; not quite a record but still below freezing.)

Moreover, the phenomenon present in Cambridge in order to discuss global warming seems to be driving rain and hail, with the probability of rain indicated as 60%. At 1 p.m. local time, they report a cloudy weather with isolated showers.

Read the Rest of the Story. Source: The Reference Frame

What is going on? A record cold temperature on the night a speech is given on Global Warming?

From Yahoo Finance:

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Al Gore returned to his alma mater to help Harvard University launch its new greenhouse gas reduction effort.The former vice president and 1969 Harvard graduate, told a campus audience on Wednesday that it’s time to find ways to make better use of knowledge to save the global environment.

Riffing off Harvard’s Latin motto of “truth,” he said the challenge is to find truth in the climate crisis and “use that as a basis of a new concept of who we are.”

Can Mr. Gore find the truth in the climate crisis or will he keep delaying the truth with his current position on the subject?

Is the U.S. Falling behind on Meeting its 2022 Goal of 50% Mandated Cellulose Ethanol (biofuels)?

The government has ordered (mandated) that 36 billion gallons of biofuel be blended into the fuel supply by 2022. Of that, 16 billion must be cellulosic ethanol. No more than 15 billion can be corn ethanol, with the rest coming from other biofuel sources, such as the residue left from sugar production, wood, grass, corn stalks, garbage and waste streams into 16 billion gallons of cellulosic biofuels annually by 2022. Don’t forget kudzu.

“The United States could not move that much ethanol today if it had to,” said biofuel consultant Bill Caesar, a principal with McKinsey & Co. “There are a lot of other pieces of the puzzle which need to fall in place over time before we hit these very big numbers.”

No commercial-scale refineries exist, researchers have yet to agree on the best technology for fuel conversion and there is no distribution network to handle fuel once it is made. This is the current cellulosic biofuel status even though there are many research and pilot plants being constructed this year. If oil prices hover around $140.00 per barrel, then there will be a chance that investors will get a good payout on their investment. But with the current price of oil being less than $80.00 per barrel, the reality of investing in a cellulosic biofuel operation is risky. With the current state of the economy, will investors want to focus on green cellulosic fuels or other financial investments that promise greater returns?

At least a minimum 200 ethanol production plants capable of producing 100 million gallons per year will be needed to meet the EPA’S standards. Folks that an estimated 200 plants for meeting the 50% cellulosic standard.

There are pros and cons for cellulosic biofuels, but how long will it take to get the necessary production facilities up and running to make the required gallons of ethanol required to meet the EPA Goal in 2022? What happens if oil prices stay relative low compared to $140.00 a barrel and corn price start dropping because of our slowing economic conditions? Americans are creatures of old habits and will cheaper gasoline prices and our economic slow down mean less interest in “green solutions” and ending our oil addiction?

Cellulosic ethanol has to be a main area of focus of the U.S. if we are ever going to use less oil and gasoline because of all the benefits offered by cellulosic fuels. What will it be America? Stop the outflow of American dollars to the oil rich nations or keep drinking kool-aid and supporting our oil addiction?

Time will tell. Read the complete Story here: (Source MSNBC)

Pork Rules Picture Credit: Denver Museum of Nature

We use to hear about government subsidies for the people, but with the massive bailout just completed, I believe we the people are subsidizing the government more ways than we can imagine.

The bailout bill had some real goodies for the environment and green projects. The inclusion of the items was the price of support from many House members who were otherwise aghast at the $700 billion bar tab that must be picked up to save the global financial system from a 1930’s style meltdown.

In the blink of an eye, energy tax credit provisions that had been introduced and failed eight times during the 110th Congress passed without comment, almost without notice. A band of committed alternative energy supporters, and a host of lawmakers trying to prevent a complete financial crisis within 45 days of a national election, made the Wall Street bailout happen. What happened? Do you think the bailout bill was even read by the Congress? The alternative energy supporters were smart enough to pork in many items in the bailout bill, but when where these pork items added? I bet this bill had been prepared weeks before the so called financial crisis was dumped on the American public. Duped again and most of the money has been earmarked into pet projects.

I was against the bailout but my vote did not count. Check out previous CG Post: Don’t Be Duped, Government is Lying About Bailout.

Eight major green provisions were earmarked in HR 1424:`Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008′ - To provide authority for the Federal Government to purchase and insure certain types of troubled assets for the purposes of providing stability to and preventing disruption in the economy… (Enrolled as Agreed to or Passed by Both House and Senate)

The following provisions were earmarked in HR1424:

1. Cellulosic Biofuel Amendment.  In previous legislation, the focus of cellulosic biofuels credits, incentives and subsidies has been cellulosic ethanol, shutting out companies such as Sustainable Power that produce bio-oil bio-cude, green diesel, or other non-ethanol fuels from biomass.

2. Biodiesel tax credit. The biodiesel credit was extended by one year, to expire 12/31/2010. This is a victory for biodiesel producers, who had been struggling all year to pass an extension.

3. Uniform treatment of diesel fuel produced from biomass. The legislation neutralized certain aspects of previous bills, removing a reference to “a thermal depolymerization process” and replacing the term “diesel fuel” with “liquid fuel”. In general, previous legislation has unintentionally created ‘winners and losers’ by prescribing specific technologies.

4. Aviation fuel. In cases where renewable diesel is being tested or used as a substitute for aviation fuel (kerosene), the tax language has been amended to treat kerosene as if it were diesel fuel, opening up more opportunities to develop renewable diesel substitutes for kerosene that will be covered under favorable tax legislation.

5. Splash and dash. The bill clarifies that credits do not apply to alcohol fuels and biodiesel produced outside of the US for use outside of the US. This eliminates the credit previously available to producers who broght B100 to the US, added 0.1 percent diesel, and shipped B99.9 to Europe while qualifying for a $0.999 tax credit
But the credit remains for exported biodiesel, which will not please regulators in Europe considering anti-dumping action against the US for permitting subsidized biodiesel exports. Folks, the tax credit has not been eliminated only shifted. The U.S. taxpayer will still be paying for the $8 million dollar tax credit on every tanker load exported overseas. Check out Chemically Green Post: Dirty Secret, U.S. Taxpayers Paying for…

6. Alternative Fuel Credit. The alternative fuel credit was extended from 9/30/2009 to 12/31/2009, and was extended to include compressed or liquified gas.

7. Plug in hybrids. The credit for plug in hybrids is set at $2500 per vehicle plus $417 per KWh the battery can store. The credit is capped at between $7500 and $15000 depending on the weight of the vehicle.

8. Carbon sequestration credit. A credit of $20 per metric ton is offered for CO2 sequestration in a secure geological storage, and $10 for using the CO2 for enhance oil or gas recover. The facility receiving the credit must capture at least 500,000 tons of CO2 per year.

Did other green project received some help? Other did not including algae biodiesel as Algae producers will struggle a bit with the carbon sequestration provision. Now, utilities can get credits for burying CO2, or for proving CO2 to the oil and gas industry for enhanced oil recovery, but receive no special treatment for linking up with algae producers. It will make a difficult development path a little more tough. There was less progress on feedstock neutrality. Cellulosic biomass was favored over other forms of waste and residues. For example, landfill waste-to-fuel processes will find less in this bill than cellulose-to-energy producers. (Source: Biofuels Digest)

I am all for our country reducing our oil addiction and using green alternative fuels and process to break our oil addiction. But these green projects were put in a bill that was signed to help the countries financial crisis created by Congress in the first place.

Pork and subsidies rule in the green environment but always remember who pays the final bill.