In California, Aemetis, Inc., an advanced renewable fuels and biochemicals company, commenced the contracted production of hand sanitizer under its branded Aemetis Health Products label for sales to government, businesses and academic customers, as well as directly to consumers via the Amazon Marketplace. “Following through on our plan to address the ongoing demand for sanitizer […]
Australian rock band AC/DC was on a roll with several record hits like ‘Back in Black’ and ‘For Those About to Rock We Salute You’ in the early 1980s, until that is, the ‘Flick of the Switch’ in 1983 that some rock critics say was the beginning of the end for them and a “commercial […]
As COVID-19 deaths sadly reached the 200,000 mark in the U.S. this week, some innovators are finding more sustainable ways to deal with death in the form of mycelium coffins that help compost the body and remove toxins from the soil. On a more uplifting note, you can walk in sustainable shoes while you are […]
In Tennessee, Oak Ridge National Laboratory scientists have modified a single microbe to simultaneously digest five of the most abundant components of lignocellulosic biomass. This is a big step forward in the development of a cost-effective biochemical conversion process to turn plants into renewable fuels and chemicals. With support from the U.S. Department of Energy […]
In Iowa, former Secretary Tom Vilsack and former Iowa Lt. Governor Patty Judge said that Trump’s $300 million aid package for oil and gas companies that may come from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Commodity Credit Corporation, the same program that would assist struggling farmers and biofuels producers, is “insulting” when similar requests for farmers […]
In the United Kingdom, Nexant Energy and Chemicals Advisory consultants report that a carbon tax is necessary to incentivize the reduction of GHG emissions in Europe and indirectly in exporting markets. If implemented correctly, it could benefit the cost competitiveness of the European chemical industry. The most transparent mechanism is to tax products based on […]
In Washington, a new review by researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory offer a solution to capture unused materials like sewage, food waste and wood chips: mini-refineries located near waste sources that process biomass using electrochemical reduction reactions powered by renewable energy and found that electrochemical reduction produces cleaner products from bio-crude. Well-known electrochemical reduction […]
In Brazil, the Clean Energy Ministerial global forum officially launched the new Biofuture Platform Initiative, which will raise international ambition and advance sustainable bioenergy and biomaterials production, trade and use globally, via policies and programs to make sustainable bioenergy a key enabler in clean energy transitions. The workstream is a significant milestone for the four-year […]
In Germany, UFOP reports that the country’s biodiesel exports reached the level of 2 million tons for the second year running in 2019/20. Whereas the main buyer, the Netherlands, maintained its purchases virtually steady at the previous year’s level, Belgium ramped up its biodiesel imports significantly. German biodiesel exports continued to rise further in the […]
In Sweden, Neste reports that as part of Sweden’s target of being fossil-free by 2045, the government introduced a greenhouse gas reduction mandate for aviation fuel sold in Sweden in 2021. The reduction level will be 0.8% in 2021, and gradually increase to 27% in 2030. “We need frontrunners to lead the way in sustainable […]
