Biofuel Jatropha Doesn’t Measure Up

Jatropha, a biofuel-producing plant once touted as a wonder crop, is turning out to be much less dependable than first thought, both environmentalists and industry players say. Some biofuel producers found themselves agreeing with many of the criticisms detailed in a report launched by campaign group Friends of the Earth this week “Jatropha: money doesn’t

Canadian Biodiesel Plant To Make Fuel From Flax

Atiny Canadian startup company that is preparing to open a biodiesel plant in Toronto this spring says it will produce clean fuel, animal feed and human food all from the modest flaxseed. Privately held Energy Innovation Corp., which has also developed a way to produce biofuel from used coffee grounds, said its production process creates


In Brief… – for Jan. 20, 2011

Vet fined:A Manitoba veterinarian has been fined $10,000 for certifying uninspected cattle for export. Dr. Earl Van Assen pleaded guilty in a Winnipeg court to two counts of contravening the federal Health of Animals Act. Court was told Van Assen submitted certification documents in Feb. 2009 for 42 cows shipped to the United States, stating

Rising Food Prices Bring Political Risks

Record food prices will hit the world’s poorest hardest, raising the risk of riots, export bans, foreign-owned farmland expropriation and further price spikes fuelled by short-term investors. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization said on Jan. 6 food prices hit a record high in December and could rise further on erratic global weather patterns. For


Conservation Districts Touted As Helping To Cure Lake Winnipeg

Delegates attending the Manitoba Conservation District Association’s annual meeting here heard repeatedly that the solution to Lake Winnipeg’s pollution lies in their own fields and streams. Conservation districts are the first line of defence in cleaning up Lake Winnipeg because they manage the watersheds where the problem starts, Harold Foster, Manitoba Conservation Districts Association chair

Lufthansa To Start Aircraft Trials With Biofuel

German airline Lufthansa said on Nov. 29 it will start trial use of biofuels on aircraft in commercial flights from April 2011. The airline will use synthetic fuel supplied by Finland’s Neste Oil, it said. The six-month trial will involve Airbus A321 aircraft flying between Hamburg and Frankfurt. If a certificate is awarded for aircraft


U.S. Ethanol Sector Contemplates Subsidy Cuts

Mark Marquis had planned to double the size of his Illinois ethanol plant in 2011, and was considering expanding a Wisconsin facility his family-run firm bought into last July. But those plans are now on hold, as Marquis and other ethanol producers brace for the possible end of $6 billion a year in U.S. subsidies

Biomass Growers Need To Consider Costs Carefully

Farmers in the northern Plains have the potential to supply large quantities of biomass. With respect to demand for biomass, U.S. federal policies and the creation of a U.S. national renewable electricity standard, form important future market opportunities. Moreover, several state renewable energy initiatives foster additional regional demand. Before a farmer begins establishing a biomass


Renewable Fuels Association Wants 10 Per Cent Biofuel

Canada’s renewable fuels industry is pressing the federal government to double the percentage of renewable fuels it will require in gasoline and diesel, the head of the industry association said Nov. 29. The Canadian Renewable Fuels Association wants Ottawa to raise the ethanol-in-gasoline mandate from five per cent to 10 per cent and the still-to-be-implemented

Canola Biodiesel Mandate Remains In Limbo

Canola, looks to miss out on potential domestic demand from biodiesel until Canada clarifies its fuel mandate and offers new incentives to an already heavily subsidized industry. Canada has finished selecting biodiesel plant proposals to receive funding from a $1.5-billion program, aiming to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 17 per cent by 2020 from 2005