Climate change, ecology, nature, environment, eco-friendly politics, non-profit projects, human rights, preservation, wildlife... all that we care about.
The headline in The Ecologist, ‘Human response to climate change is making matters worse’, is a bit of a f*&#(^@ downer.
Upon reading the actual article, it doesn’t get that much better.
A recent study has researched the impacts of human response to climate change on biodiversity. The study, recently published in the journal Conservation Letters, attempts to [...]
Chickens are used for many things around the globe, but their main purpose has always been as a food source. Whether it’s for their meat, their eggs, or their strange helpfulness in the garden, these farmyard birds have been depended on for a long time.
However, when it comes to the poultry industry, there is one [...]
Right now, the Berlin Air Show (ILA) is happening through June 13th. A world first even is expected to happen at the show: the revealing of an aircraft that uses 100% algae-based fuel, by EADS (European Aeronautic Defense and Space).
The craft being used for the grand unveiling is a Diamond D42 four-seater—the first diesel-powered plane [...]
I guess that learning on the job is better than not learning at all.
According to a piece in the New York Times, European countries may rethink their biofuel policies based on a newly completed study by the European Commission. The results of this study factor in the greenhouse gas emissions of land clearing – when [...]
Malaysian palm oil lobbyists have apparently succeeded in keeping – and even increasing – the amount of biodiesel sourced from palm oil used in European cars and power plants. In an effort to curb greenhouse gas emissions, the European Commission’s Renewable Energy Directive (RED) requires 10% of fuels in the EU to come from renewable [...]
Biofuels are viewed as an environmental savior by some. They’re easy to make, come from renewable sources, and don’t cause nearly the amount of pollution as regular crude oil does. However, there is one glaring issue that has yet to be dealt with: hunger.
Last year 107 million tons of grains were used to produce ethanol [...]
‘Qatar Airways announced yesterday it plans to develop new sources of biofuels in partnership with aerospace and energy firms.’
–The National (Qatar)
The Arab emirate of Qatar has the highest per-capita level of greenhouse gas emissions in the world. It sometimes shares this dubious honor with Australia, another big exporter of natural gas. But despite Qatar’s [...]
Can a new generation of biofuels ensure we don’t increase greenhouse gas emissions and take food from the poor to fuel our cars?
–Guardian
The issues surrounding biofuels are complicated and confusing. While all biodiesel or ethanol burns cleaner than fossil fuels, some biofuel production creates as many or more greenhouse gas emissions than regular gasoline or [...]
The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil – or RSPO – is an organization made up of companies involved in the production, processing and trade of palm oil and environmental as well as social/developmental NGOs. The aim of the RSPO is to iron out environmental standards concerning palm oil, particularly relating to greenhouse gas emissions in [...]
That’s right, pond scum – better known as algae. It takes over waterways everywhere and in many forms or disguises; seaweed, kelp, that underwater moss that you can easily slip on (lichens), and so many more. It forms symbiotic relationships with coral and sea sponges and has a multitude of uses, including the ability to [...]
People have been making great strides at reducing their CO2 emissions; some of which take the process to extreme levels. Andy Pag of the Biotruck Expedition is attempting to travel around the world while emitting less than 2 tons of CO2. This is the carbon emissions standard that every person on the planet will have [...]
Rabbits are cute, cuddly, furry little creatures. They have been environmental mascots, cartoon comedians, and a favored “pet” around the world. They are also notorious for breeding like mad (a female rabbit can have several litters per year, with 12-18 baby rabbits per birthing). However, for those rabbits living in Sweden, they should high-tail it [...]
In previous pieces we’ve looked at biofuels in general and at some different examples like the plainly lousy palm oil or the more promising and proven sugar cane. Less is known about others such as jatropha and green algae, but it is clear that all have their potential advantages as well as disadvantages, some already [...]
“One groundbreaking new study in Science concluded that when this deforestation effect is taken into account, corn ethanol and soy biodiesel produce about twice the emissions of gasoline.” – Michael Grunwald, Time
I recently wrote an article about Indonesia’s bad biofuel industry, which is based on palm oil, resulting in mass deforestation via intense CO₂ producing [...]
Jatropha curcas, a perennial and poisonous shrub grown mostly in Africa and Asia, may prove to be the dark horse among the promising new stars of the growing biofuel industry. The fuel is Jatropha oil, which is extracted by crushing the seeds of the plant’s fruit. The remaining husk can also be used as a [...]
When I visited Brazil several times during the latter half of the 1990s I noticed that many of the petrol/gas stations sold something called álcool. When I asked my friends what this was, they explained that it is a fuel made in Brazil from sugar cane. I thought this was brilliant: growing gasoline from yummy [...]
It eats CO₂ emissions, grows at a very fast rate, doesn’t use crops or land that would otherwise be utilized for food production (see food vs. fuel debate) and “can also produce far more fuel per acre than palm, sugar cane, or corn.”
A CNN EcoSolutions story from Auguest 24th, 2009 explores the developments, pros, cons [...]
Is palm oil ‘biofuel’ a complete waste and are big oil companies just incapable of getting it right? It’s like they just can’t resist doing the wrong thing. As is the case with tobacco companies and arms dealers, a conscience must be a liability in the energy industry if there is a lot of money [...]
