Grist | Topics | 269 Results

RESULTS		Results 201 – 225 of 269
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Headline	Author	Published	Section
Biofuels on Science Friday	Andrew Dessler	11 Mar 2007	Gristmill
For those who don't listen to Science Friday, shame on you. It's one of the best science shows around. This week, they had an interesting segment on biofuels. Listen to it in mp3 format, Real Player, or Windows media.
Topics: energy, biofuels (all these topics)

Coal-fired ethanol plants Oh, great	David Roberts	06 Mar 2007	Gristmill
Look what the Twin Cities Pioneer Press discovered: The latest trend in the green world of ethanol is a surprising one: coal. Minnesota's first coal-fired ethanol plant soon will begin operation in Heron Lake, and it won't be the last. The high price of natural gas is enticing new plant owners to embrace coal power. But while it may make economic sense, the choice of this fossil fuel to make a renewable one has some people shaking their heads. Sound familiar?
Topics: biofuels, coal, energy, ethanol (all these topics)

Eat local foods, import biofuels A message from Kenya and Biopact	Ron Steenblik	23 Feb 2007	Gristmill
Over on the Biopact website -- probably the best website for up-to-date international news on bio-energy science and markets -- they have posted an interesting commentary, based on a BBC interview, on how small Kenyan farmers, Mr. Peter Ndivo and Mr. Samuel Mauthike, are affected by the confusion engendered by concepts such as 'carbon footprints,' 'fair trade,' and 'food miles.' Biopact's message? Buy your vegetables and fruits locally, if you must, but please allow ...
Topics: agriculture, biofuels, energy, food, Kenya, local food (all these topics)

Ethanol: clutching at the public purse Is anyone still taking this stuff seriously?	Tom Philpott	05 Feb 2007	Gristmill
President Bush's recent pledge to raise the Renewable Fuel Standard to 35 billion gallons by 2017 dropped with a bit of a thud.David Roberts made a pretty good case that all the recent hype around ethanol may soon prove quaint: that, in essence, the ethanol craze will eventually likely crumble under its weighty political, agricultural, and technological contradictions. Maybe so.Meanwhile, though, farmers are planting a shitload of corn, dozens of ethanol plants are spro ...
Topics: agriculture, biofuels, energy, ethanol (all these topics)

Sundance: Strangers in alt. fuel vehicles are so much less threatening More adventures in Utah	Kate Sheppard	27 Jan 2007	Gristmill
I first heard about Sundance's renegade biofuels enthusiasts via email. The folks from Freedom Fuels, a new documentary about biofuels, were in town for Sundance -- well, roaming town that is. They weren't actually in the festival, but they were there to screen their movie regardless, traveling around town in a biodiesel-powered school bus showing it to anyone who'd climb aboard and watch. 'We would love to have ya come on by and say howdy,' wrote Heidi, one of the fil ...
Topics: biofuels, energy, movies, Utah (all these topics)

The ethanol love-fest will not last Once subsidies and tariffs are removed, watch out	David Roberts	26 Jan 2007	Gristmill
So, Bush wants massive new ethanol subsidies. He wants 35 billion gallons of "renewable and alternative fuels" -- the vast bulk of which will be corn ethanol -- online by 2017. Right now, there's basically no opposition to this push. It's got support from industry (mainly Big Corn and Big Auto), legislators from both parties, farmers, environmentalists, national security types, and the public at large. That's not going to last. It's clear that there's jus ...
Topics: biofuels, energy, ethanol (all these topics)

Terry Tamminen: Ethanol Let's wonk it out	David Roberts	12 Jan 2007	Gristmill
DR: On our site there are many people highly skeptical about biofuels. For lots of reasons: corn ethanol barely breaks even on energy balance. It's an environmental nightmare, with nitrogen fertilizers in the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico. It is a commodity sector governed by a few massive multinational corporations, which are lavished with subsidies -- seems awfully reminiscent of the petroleum sector. The inevitable response to any criticism of corn eth ...
Topics: biofuels, energy, ethanol, interview, Terry Tamminen (all these topics)

Make way CAFO-diesel The latest beneficiary of biofuel subsidies: industrial feedlot operators.	Tom Philpott	04 Jan 2007	Gristmill
So far, a huge amount of the government's lavish support for biofuel has ended up on the bottom line of Archer Daniels Midland, the king of industrially produced, environmentally ruinous corn. Now another type of model corporate citizen is in line for a cut of the action: huge-scale confined-animal feedlot operation (CAFO) players like Tyson and Smithfield.This AP story details the efforts of a couple of oil men to set up a biodiesel plant outside of a Missouri industr ...
Topics: agriculture, biofuels, energy, industrial ag (all these topics)

An environmental A to Z for 2006 The year, alphabetically	Kit Stolz	29 Dec 2006	Gristmill
When it comes to global warming and the environment, everything seemed to change in 2006 -- at least in terms of public awareness. Here's an A-to-Z accounting of just some of those changes: A is for An Inconvenient Truth, Al Gore's scientific but surprisingly human documentary on the threat of climate change, which was expected to take in at most $6-7 million at the box office but went on to gross over $45 million, the biggest documentary of the year and the thi ...
Topics: Al Gore, Arnold Schwarzenegger, biofuels, energy, green living, James Hansen, Kyoto Protocol, lists, movies, politics (all these topics)

A Bridge to Somewhere? What we've learned from the biofuels series	Tom Philpott	15 Dec 2006	Main Dish
Future or folly? Photo: iStockphoto After spending much of the last several months thinking about the biofuels boom and its implications in preparation for this special series, we've come to a few conclusions. Like other energy sources, biofuels have significant environmental liabilities. Boosters' rhetoric about "renewable energy" aside, topsoil -- from which biofuel feedstocks spring -- is ...
Topics: ag policy, agriculture, biofuels, cellulosic ethanol, energy, ethanol, politics (all these topics)

FutureFlex/LoveSounds An interview with Mary Beth Stanek, General Motors energy director	Yolanda Crous	15 Dec 2006	Main Dish
Trucks with a green hue? GM is in heaven. What a difference three bucks a gallon makes. In the past year, General Motors has rallied state and federal support to get more E85 (an 85 percent ethanol, 15 percent gasoline blend) pumps at U.S. gas stations, launched a corn-hued marketing blitz, and announced that it is increasing production of its flex-fuel vehicles by 25 percent. Ma ...
Topics: biofuels, business, cars, energy, ethanol, interview (all these topics)

When Dreams Become Reality How a grassroots biodiesel group can show the way for others	Erik Hoffner	15 Dec 2006	Soapbox
The way that Rob Del Bueno backed into the world of biofuel almost by accident, as told in the article "Small Potatoes," is emblematic of the way most folks get engaged in grassroots biofuel development. It starts with a desire to use a renewable fuel to power your life long before a GMO-happy megacorporation was going to start reliably supplying you with it, and then it ...
Topics: biofuels, energy, placemaking (all these topics)

Plus, They Smell Good The top 10 reasons to give a hoot about biofuels	Sarah Kraybill Burkhalter	15 Dec 2006	Main Dish
Well, here we are, at the end of Grist's illustrious series on biofuels. We've thrown a lot of information at you, and we hope it's becoming clear why biofuel production is a big, Relevant Thing that deserves your attention. But just in case you need more proof, behold: Grist's Top 10 Reasons To Give a Hoot About Biofuels. 10. The future is now. Sure, it may feel like biofuels are some ...
Topics: biofuels, energy (all these topics)

You Want Me to Put What in My Tank? The strangest biofuel sources you've never heard of	Kate Sheppard	14 Dec 2006	Main Dish
Sure, you've heard of corn and switchgrass as potential sources of biofuel. But those are rendered totally boring in light of the potential of trash, dead cats, and human fat to meet our energy needs. Make your engine purr. Photo: iStockphoto Surprising sources abound in the world of biofuels, with researchers probing the farthest reaches of their imagination in hopes of spinning ...
Topics: biofuels, energy (all these topics)

Samba Lessons What Brazil can teach the U.S. about energy and ethanol	Tom Philpott, Gordon Feller	14 Dec 2006	Main Dish
By Tom Philpott and Gordon Feller 14 Dec 2006 In 2006, Brazil officially achieved "energy independence" -- that is, its oil exports came into line with imports and cancelled them out. No longer beholden to foreign suppliers for its energy needs, the nation theoretically has no stake in costly Middle East military adventures to secure access to oil reserves. Grain alcohol? Haven't touched the stuff since college. Phot ...
Topics: biofuels, Brazil, energy, ethanol, oil (all these topics)

Bio for All A biodiesel entrepreneur in Argentina spreads seeds of wisdom	Kelly Hearn	14 Dec 2006	Main Dish
Even by Argentine standards, Ricardo Carlstein can talk a blue streak. Ricardo Carlstein. I met with the founder of Biofuels SA, an Argentina-based maker of small-scale biodiesel plants, in the posh environs of Buenos Aires. Carlstein sat at his desk and explained how any person can be a fuel plant by using his invention, a technology protocol he calls "high-temperature pressurized" (si ...
Topics: Argentina, biofuels, business, energy (all these topics)

Stuck in the Middle with Fuel As its neighbors back biofuels, Central America gears up for business	Eliza Barclay	14 Dec 2006	Main Dish
Driving down either of El Salvador's two principal highways, you're almost sure to end up braking behind a pickup truck that's jammed with people standing shoulder to shoulder. Occasionally these rural taxis are new vehicles, but most are rickety, rusted, and running on antiquated engines and exhaust-spewing diesel. Even though 48 percent of Salvadorans live below t ...
Topics: biofuels, Brazil, Costa Rica, El Salvador, energy, ethanol, Guatemala (all these topics)

Feeding the Beast It's time for a real 'food vs. fuel' debate	Tom Philpott	13 Dec 2006	Victual Reality
It's time for a real "food vs. fuel" debate By Tom Philpott 13 Dec 2006 Grain piled high at an ethanol plant will feed only insatiable driving habits. Photo: iStockphoto Can U.S. farmers keep filling the nation's bellies as they scramble to fuel its cars? Given its evident gravity, the question has drawn remarkably little debate. Like it or not, though, more and more food is being devoted to fueling the nation's 211-million-strong auto fleet. High gasoline prices, ...
Topics: agriculture, biofuels, economy, energy, ethanol, food, fossil fuels, greenhouse-gas emissions, industrial ag, Victual Reality (all these topics)

Powered by the Stars Check out the latest entries in the celeb-biofuels biz		13 Dec 2006	Main Dish
You've heard of BioWillie, Willie Nelson's foray into the world of celebrity-branded biodiesel. But did you know that several other celebs, not to be outdone, have plans to unveil their own biofuel lines? During our series, Grist has been doused with requests from PR professionals to promote their clients' fuelish products. We're only too happy to oblige. Celeb: Martha Stewart Product: DIY Biofuel The deal: M ...
Topics: biofuels, celebrity, energy (all these topics)

Miles to Go An interview with Missouri farmer and ethanol co-op member Brian Miles	Yolanda Crous	13 Dec 2006	Main Dish
Cultivating change? Photo: iStockphoto Like his father, grandfather, and great-grandfather before him, Brian Miles spends his days working the family farm. Unlike his forebears, however, he also sits on the board of Mid-Missouri Energy, a farmer-owned ethanol cooperative in Malta Bend, Mo. Grist talked to Miles about the present ethanol boom, the potential for an ethanol bust, and the ...
Topics: agriculture, biofuels, business, energy, ethanol, interview, Missouri (all these topics)

Professor Cellulose Biofuel pioneer Lee Lynd points the way toward a 'carbohydrate economy'	Jennifer Weeks	12 Dec 2006	Main Dish
Biofuel pioneer Lee Lynd points the way toward a "carbohydrate economy" By Jennifer Weeks 12 Dec 2006 Well before cellulosic ethanol became the hot new fuel, Lee Lynd was immersed in it. Since 1987, the engineering professor has been leading a major academic study group on cellulosic ethanol from his perch at Dartmouth. Before that, he even wrote his undergraduate honors thesis on it. Lee Lynd. Photo: Joseph Mehling/Dartmouth More recently, Lynd has been putting his ...
Topics: biofuels, cellulosic ethanol, energy, ethanol, scientific research (all these topics)

It's Happening in Ottawa Grains become fuel at the world's first cellulosic ethanol demo plant	Sharon Boddy	12 Dec 2006	Main Dish
Our plant supplants your plant: a real-life cellulosic ethanol refinery. Photo: Iogen Sometimes it seems virtually anything can be made into fuel. As though, if we had the right technology, we could throw together old T-shirts, bumper stickers, and pine cones to make a magical elixir to run the millions of cars on North America's highways. That's not an entirely far-fetch ...
Topics: biofuels, Canada, cellulosic ethanol, energy, ethanol (all these topics)

Who Will Get the Jobs? An environmental-justice advocate responds to the biofuels boom	Alan Hip�lito	11 Dec 2006	Soapbox
I am very excited to see this Grist series, because I am a biodiesel user. I am also very worried about the growth of the biofuels industry, because I am an environmental-justice advocate, and I see this industry rapidly leaving my community behind. What happens after the photo shoot? Photo: house.gov The growth of the biofuels industry creates significant economic benefits and dow ...
Topics: biofuels, economy, energy, environmental justice, politics (all these topics)

Grease Be With You An interview with Greasecar founder Justin Carven	Yolanda Crous	11 Dec 2006	Main Dish
Justin Carven. In the span of just two years, Justin Carven invented the first waste-oil conversion kit for diesel engines, graduated from Hampshire College, drove a vegetable-oil-fueled van across the country, and started his very own company. Six years later, Greasecar Vegetable Fuel Systems is selling so many conversion kits that Carven is talking about setting up franchises in India and Brazil. ...
Topics: biofuels, business, cars, energy, interview (all these topics)

By the People, For the People Toward a community-owned, decentralized biofuel future	David Morris	08 Dec 2006	Soapbox
President Bush visits the Virginia Biodiesel Refinery in 2005. Photo: whitehouse.gov Biofuels won't single-handedly solve the climate crisis, nor will they deliver energy independence. But a base of widely dispersed, farmer- and citizen-owned biofuel plants can displace significant amounts of fossil fuels -- while also building local economies. What follows is a strategy for tweak ...
Topics: ag policy, agriculture, biofuels, energy, politics (all these topics)

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Stories About: biofuels AND energy