BGPUR PURIFICATION SYSTEMS ARE CLEANING UP
C. Lynds
Plant, February 18, 2008, p. 14
Eco-Tec Inc.’s biogas purification system claims to offer cost savings, reduced greenhouse gas emissions and energy recovery.  Last March, Eco-Tec licensed the rights to a biogas purification system that removes hydrogen sulphide from biogas in a variety of manufacturing applications.
> Read more: http://www.plant.rogers.dgtlpub.com/data/issuePDF/PLANT/9000000696-PLANT.pdf

BIOMASS ON CAMPUS
Jerry W. Kram
Biomass Magazine, March 2008
The University of South Carolina in Columbia decided to see what steps it could take to reduce their carbon footprint.  They looked to a new source of heat and found that the savings would be measured in the millions of dollars.  The biomass-fired steam system will run on wood waste from the International Paper Co. plant in Newberry, S.C.  The biomass gasifier and boiler were built by Nexterra Energy Corp., a Canadian firm. 
> Learn more about this project: http://www.biomassmagazine.com/article.jsp?article_id=1470

CREATING ETHANOL FROM WOOD MORE EFFICIENTLY
Kevin Bullis
Technology Review, February 5, 2008
A type of bacteria that helps termites digest wood could be key to making ethanol cheaply from wood and grass. ZeaChem, a startup based in Menlo Park, CA, has developed a process based on this bacteria that can produce 50 percent more ethanol from a given amount of biomass than conventional processes can.
> Read more: http://www.technologyreview.com/Energy/20151/

FUEL FROM ALGAE
Kevin Bullis
Technology Review, 2/22/08
Solazyme, a startup based in South San Francisco, CA, has developed a new way to convert biomass into fuel using algae; and the method could lead to less expensive biofuels.  The new process combines genetically modified strains of algae with an uncommon approach to growing algae to reduce the cost of making fuel. Rather than growing algae in ponds or enclosed in plastic tubes that are exposed to the sun, as other companies are trying to do, Solazyme grows the organisms in the dark, inside huge stainless-steel containers. The company's researchers feed algae sugar, which the organisms then convert into various types of oil. The oil can be extracted and further processed to make a range of fuels, including diesel and jet fuel, as well as other products.
> Read more: http://www.technologyreview.com/Biztech/20319/

NEW AND ALTERNATIVE OILSEED CROPS FOR BIOFUELS
Russ Gesch
Morris Sun Tribune, March 13, 2008
Over the past seven years the Morris “Soils Lab” has been successful in developing a new oilseed crop called “cuphea” that has now become the only domestic crop-derived source of medium-chain fatty acid (MCFA) seed oil (i.e., seed oil similar to that of tropical plants) in the U.S. Demand for MCFA is increasing rapidly as new uses for it are being developed that can efficiently and economically replace petroleum in such products as motor oil, hydraulic fluid, wood treatment products, and fuel.
> Read more: http://tinyurl.com/2d4xl7

THE NEW FORESTRY BIOFUELS SECTOR
Pu, et al.
Biofuels, bioproducts & biorefining, Jan-Feb, 2008, p. 58
The utilization of lignocellulosics for the sustainable manufacturing of biofuels is dependent on the chemical constitutents of biomass and the recent advances in their conversion to biofuels, with a special emphasis on the forest residues and woody-energy crops to bioethanol.
> Contact the ITC library to request this article.

NEW TECHNIQUES CREATE BUTANOL : SUPER BIOFUEL
Tony Fitzpatrick
Washington University in St. Louis News, January 15, 2008
A team of researchers headed by an environmental engineer at Washington University in St. Louis is plying new techniques to produce a biofuel superior to ethanol.  Butanol can be derived from lignocellulosic materials, which are plant biomass parts that range from woody stems and straw to agricultural residues, corn fiber and husks, all containing in large part cellulose and some lignin.
> Read more: http://news-info.wustl.edu/tips/page/normal/10782.html

PRETREATMENT: THE KEY TO UNLOCKING LOW-COST CELLULOSIC ETHANOL
Yang, et al.
Biofuels, bioproducts & biorefining, Jan-Feb, 2008, p. 26
Cellulosic biomass is an inexpensive resource that can be used for sustainable production of large volumes of liquid fuels. Major advances have taken place that would competitively position cellulosic ethanol with corn ethanol. Although the opportunity exists to achieve very low costs, pre-treatment of naturally resistant cellulosic materials is essential to achieving high yields.
> Contact the ITC library to request this article.

PUTTING WASTE TO WORK
Laura White
Technician, November 27, 2007
Agricultural biomass is a relatively untapped energy source in North Carolina, and through temperature controlled cooking processes such as gasification, researchers in the Department of Animal Science at North Carolina State University plan to utilize this supply; and they hope to make the environment a little cleaner along the way. Some of the methods they are using to convert this waste into energy, methods like gasification and torrefaction, are processes that have been around for quite some time.  Their research is almost uniquely waste products and getting energy out of the waste products.
> Read more: http://tinyurl.com/yroe94

SCIENTISTS DETERMINE FARM COSTS OF PRODUCING SWITCHGRASS FOR ETHANOL
Jan Suszkiw
USDA ARS News & Events, March 6, 2008
Following up on a net-energy study published in the January Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), a team of Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) scientists report the on-farm economic costs of producing switchgrass for cellulosic ethanol. The team reported that switchgrass, when used for cellulosic ethanol, yielded over five times more energy than required to produce the fuel.  Based on the fact that this study is probably the most comprehensive one completed to date assessing the economic costs of producing switchgrass biomass on commercial fields, it concludes that the farmgate production cost of cellulosic ethanol from switchgrass would be about $0.55 to $0.62 per gallon.
> Read more: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2008/080306.htm

BIOFUELS JV SET UP BY CHEVRON AND WEYERHAEUSER
Giles Clark
Biofuel Review, March 3, 2008
Chevron Corporation and Weyerhaeuser Company have created a 50/50 joint venture company focused on developing the next generation of renewable transportation fuels from nonfood sources.  Catchlight Energy will research and develop technology for converting cellulose-based biomass into economical, low-carbon biofuels.
> Read more: http://www.biofuelreview.com/content/view/1491/1/

THE ETHANOL BUST: THE ETHANOL BOOM IS RUNNING OUT OF GAS AS CORN PRICES SPIKE.
Jon Birger
Fortune, February 28, 2008
Plans for as many as 50 new ethanol plants have been shelved in recent months, as Wall Street pulls back from the sector.  Why?  The answer is runaway corn prices.
> Read more: http://tinyurl.com/2y4w53

Here...

BIOFUEL DEVELOPMENT SEEN ON TRACK
Dwayne Klassen
Manitoba Cooperator, March 10, 2008
The Canadian Renewable Fuels Association states the development of the biofuel industry in Canada remains on track with a number of operations already in place and a number of others on board to start production very shortly. Current ethanol capacity in Canada was estimated at around 835 million litres and is expected to grow by at least another 775 million litres by the end of 2008. Current biodiesel output in Canada was pegged at 322 million litres.
> Read more:
http://www.manitobacooperator.ca/issues/ISarticle.asp?id=81285&story_id=&issue=03102008&pc=FBC

SASK. GREASES WHEELS FOR BIOFUEL PROJECT FUNDING
FBC Staff
Manitoba Cooperator, February 25, 2008
Biofuel processing projects in Saskatchewan will be getting funding under changes made to the provincial Biofuels Investment Opportunity (SaskBIO) program. The changes allow an "eligible community investor" to mean anyone living and doing business in Saskatchewan, rather than anyone living within a 100-km radius of a proposed project.  It also allows for just 20 per cent investment by communities and farmers to get the maximum provincial funding.
> Read more:
http://www.manitobacooperator.ca/issues/ISarticle.asp?id=80624&story_id=&issue=02252008&pc=FBC

There...

HYDROGEN FUEL CELL VEHICLE DEVELOPMENT STILL IN THE SLOW LANE
Jim Downing
Sacramento Bee, March 11, 2008
While biofuels are heating up, fuel cells are cooling down -- in a manner of speaking.  While, over the past five years, automakers have been making strides with hydrogen fuel cells, building filling stations for those vehicles is another matter, apparently.  Absent a network of filling stations, automakers say, they won't be able to scale up production of fuel-cell vehicles to the levels needed to drive costs down.
>Read more:
http://www.sacbee.com/103/story/775415.html

USDA, DOE TO INVEST UP TO $18.4 MILLION FOR BIOMASS RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT AND DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS
USDA News, Release No. 0067.08
USDA and DOE will invest up to $18.4 million, over three years, for 21 biomass research and development (R&D), and demonstration projects. The projects aim to address critical barriers to making production of biomass more efficient and cost-effective, in an effort to bring online more clean, bio-based products and biofuels to help reduce dependence on oil from unstable parts of the world and mitigate climate change.
>Read more: http://tinyurl.com/2bah8v

BIOFUELS DEEMED A GREENHOUSE THREAT
E. Rosenthal
New York Times, February 8, 2008
Two studies published recently in the prestigious journal "Science," conclude that almost all biofuels used today cause more greenhouse gas emissions than conventional fuels if the full emissions costs of producing these “green” fuels are taken into account.  The studies take a detailed, comprehensive look at the emissions effects of the huge amount of natural land that is being converted to cropland globally to support biofuels development and both conclude that it doesn't matter if it is rain forest or scrubland that is cleared, the greenhouse gas contribution is significant.
> Read more: http://tinyurl.com/yrnond

INVEST IN BIOFUELS V2.0 TO EASE FOOD SUPPLY ISSUES, SAYS EUROPABIO
Jess Halliday
FoodNavigator.com, March 13, 2008
The use of biomass for fuel should not jeopardise the food supply, EuropaBio has proclaimed, but more European investment is needed in second generation technology that does not compete with food sources. Dick Carrez, public policy director at EuropaBio, said that estimations on how long it will be before second generation biofuels are commercially available depend on the level of investment. Based on current levels, he expects it will be five to seven years before the first commercial plants are operational in the US.
> Read more: http://www.foodnavigator.com/news/ng.asp?n=83952&m=1FNE313&c=ubjblukryocokwm

THE LAST STRAW
George Monbiot
Guardian, February 12, 2008
Has oil production in OPEC countries aleady peaked?  Nobody's talking.  So what do our governments intend to do?   The British government tells the author  “the Government agrees with IEA analysis that global oil (and gas) reserves are sufficient to sustain economic growth for the foreseeable future.”  The European Commission partly in order to diversify fuel supplies, partly to cut greenhouse gas emissions, has ordered the member states to ensure that by 2020 10% of the petroleum cars burn must be replaced with biofuels.But, the EC has, according to the author, acknowledged that biofuels are not a green panacea.  The author suggests there are three major problems with the push to biofuels: fuel vs. food dilemna and all the cause and effect issues downstream of that as well as the total carbon costs of biofuel production.
> Read more: http://www.monbiot.com/archives/2008/02/12/the-last-straw/

PRICED OUT OF THE MARKET
New York Times, 3/3/08
The "food versus fuel" debate continues with this editorial from the New York Times.   According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, the price of wheat is more than 80 percent higher than a year ago, and corn prices are up by a quarter. Shortsighted governmemnt policies, population growth, and economic progress are part of the problem.  Poor crops and rising fuel costs are also contributors.  What to do?
> Read more: http://tinyurl.com/225vx7

25X’25 SUSTAINABILITY PRINCIPLES
25x’25 Sustainability Principles was released in March 2008.  The sustainability principles outlined in this report are the product of the 28-member 25x’25 National Steering Committee. Though the assumptions and principles were drawn from the consensus recommendations developed by the work group, they represent the views and position of the 25x’25 National Steering Committee rather than any individual 25x’25 Alliance partner.  There are 18 sustainability principles ranging from Access to Wildlife.
> Read more: http://www.25x25.org/storage/25x25/documents/SustainabilityPrinciples/sustainability_principles3-7-08.pdf

ASAP
ASAP - Agroecology and Sustainable Agriculture Program is a web site created by the University of Illinois.  ASAP's mission is to facilitate and promote research and education which protects Illinois' natural and human resources while sustaining agricultural production forever.  The web site focuses on four major topics: Organics, Local, Environment, Education.  Each topic includes areas such as features, news, marketing, events, activities, and resources links.
> Web Site: http://asap.sustainability.uiuc.edu/

Canadian Renewable Energy Workshop 2008
March 16-March 18, 2008
IPSCO Place
Regina, Saskatchewan
> Details: http://www.crew2008.com/ema/DisplayPage.aspx?pageId=Home

Gasification 2008: The Path Forward
March 18-20, 2008
Denver, CO
> Details: http://www.infocastinc.com/index.php/conference/gasification

2008 International Wood Composites Symposium
March 31-April 2, 2008
Seattle WA
> Details: http://www.woodsymposium.wsu.edu/

Growing The Margins: Energy, Bioproducts And Byproducts For Farm And Food Sectors
April 2-5, 2008
London, Ontario
> Details: http://www.gtmconf.ca/welcome.htm

Atlantic Bioenergy Conference 2008
April 9-11, 2008
Saint John, New Brunswick
> Details: www.AtlanticBioEnergy.ca

International Biomass '08 Conference & Trade Show:
Power, Fuels, And Chemicals
April 15-17, 2008
Minneapolis, MN
> Details: http://www.biomassconference.com/speaker.aspx

All-Energy Exhibition And Conference
May 21-22, 2008
Aberdeen, Scotland
A Canadian Pavilion is being organized to showcase Canada's expertise in these green / renewable energy sectors.
> Interested in participating? Contact Duncan de Lugt / Duncan.delugt@international.gc.ca
> Conference bochure: http://www.all-energy.co.uk/UserFiles/File/All-Energy%20'07%20ShowGuide.pdf

World Bioenergy Conference & Exhibition 2008
May 27-29, 2008
JÖNKÖPING, SWEDEN
> Details: http://www.elmia.se/worldbioenergy/

The Third International Bioenergy Conference & Exhibition
June 3-5, 2008
Prince George, BC
> Details: http://www.bioenergyconference.org/index.php