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US offers $30M for high-risk biofuel research
US Department of Energy moving beyond Ethanol development
By Layer 8 on Wed, 12/15/10 - 12:53pm.
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This one sounds a bit like really wishful thinking. The US Department of Energy today announced $30 million for research projects that would develop advanced biofuels that could replace gasoline or diesel without requiring special upgrades or changes to the vehicle or fueling infrastructure.
The $30 million would be spent over the next four years to support as many as five "traditionally high-risk biofuels projects," such as converting biomass into biofuels and bioproducts to be eventually used for hydrocarbon fuels and chemicals.
10 hot energy projects that could electrify the world
From the DOE: " The projects will focus on optimizing and integrating process steps that convert biomass into biofuels and bioproducts that will eventually be used to support hydrocarbon fuels and chemicals. These process improvements could include pretreatment methods that alter the biomass to improve the yield of sugars in subsequent process steps, less costly and more efficient enzymes that produce sugars, and fermentation organisms and catalysts that convert the sugars into fuel and chemical intermediates."
According to the DOE, government investment in developing Ethanol-based fuel alternatives has been critical to developing those fuels. What the DOE hopes to do now is expand beyond Ethanol development.
Going beyond Ethanol has been a DOE theme of late. Just this month the DOE awarded a massive amount of its world-class supercomputing time to 57 research projects looking at everything from biofuels and climate change to nuclear power and lithium air batteries. In Sept., the DOE announced $9.6 million for what it called transformational energy research projects. And in June the DOE said it would invest $24 million in three research groups to tackle the challenges of bringing algae-based biofuels to market.
Follow Michael Cooney on Twitter: nwwlayer8
By Layer 8 on Wed, 12/15/10 - 12:53pm.
Share Tweet This Email this page Comment (1) Print
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MIXX del.icio.us Newsvine Technorati Facebook
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Close
This one sounds a bit like really wishful thinking. The US Department of Energy today announced $30 million for research projects that would develop advanced biofuels that could replace gasoline or diesel without requiring special upgrades or changes to the vehicle or fueling infrastructure.
The $30 million would be spent over the next four years to support as many as five "traditionally high-risk biofuels projects," such as converting biomass into biofuels and bioproducts to be eventually used for hydrocarbon fuels and chemicals.
10 hot energy projects that could electrify the world
From the DOE: " The projects will focus on optimizing and integrating process steps that convert biomass into biofuels and bioproducts that will eventually be used to support hydrocarbon fuels and chemicals. These process improvements could include pretreatment methods that alter the biomass to improve the yield of sugars in subsequent process steps, less costly and more efficient enzymes that produce sugars, and fermentation organisms and catalysts that convert the sugars into fuel and chemical intermediates."
According to the DOE, government investment in developing Ethanol-based fuel alternatives has been critical to developing those fuels. What the DOE hopes to do now is expand beyond Ethanol development.
Going beyond Ethanol has been a DOE theme of late. Just this month the DOE awarded a massive amount of its world-class supercomputing time to 57 research projects looking at everything from biofuels and climate change to nuclear power and lithium air batteries. In Sept., the DOE announced $9.6 million for what it called transformational energy research projects. And in June the DOE said it would invest $24 million in three research groups to tackle the challenges of bringing algae-based biofuels to market.
Follow Michael Cooney on Twitter: nwwlayer8
Using firewood from more than 50 miles away can harm TN trees
Don’t buy firewood from an area outside of where it came from, according to The Nature Conservancy, Tennessee.
A variety of insects and other pests infesting and devastating trees in other areas could be transported into your community.
More than 50 miles is considered too far.
“Here in Tennessee, it is incredibly important to the health of our forests and economy that people know moving firewood is dangerous and, in certain areas, illegal,” said Alex Wyss, with the Conservancy in emailed information.
The Don’t Move Firewood campaign did a poll recently showing that fewer people are moving firewood, but it was still around one in 20 Americans.
The tree-killing pests cannot move far on their own, but when people transport firewood that harbors them, they enable the pests to expand their range.
Past invaders have destroyed native species of American chestnut, hemlock, and American elm trees.
Both emerald ash borer, a beetle that has killed thousands of ash trees in other states, and thousand cankers disease, a fungus that kills black walnut trees, were found in parts of Tennessee this year, according to the Tennessee Department of Agriculture.
The scourges have been carried into several places around the country on firewood, and the state is prohibiting firewood movement in some areas.
People are prohibited from taking firewood of any hardwood tree species outside the quarantined counties that are Anderson, Blount, Knox, Loudon and Union.
Nearby counties that buffer these areas can move hardwood firewood around inside them, but it can’t be hauled out of them.
Another issue a consumer should consider is how different types of wood burn.
Oak burns slower and produces less smoke, for instance, while pine burns faster and produces more soot and smoke.
The state has a chart available giving more information about types of wood here.
Other tips from the campaign:
-If you have already moved firewood, and you now know you need to dispose of it safely, burn it soon and completely. Make sure to rake the storage area carefully and also burn the debris. In the future, buy from a local source.
-Tell your friends and others about the risks of moving firewood – no one wants to be responsible for starting a new pest infestation.
Source:ANNE PAINE • The Tennessean • December 16, 2010
A variety of insects and other pests infesting and devastating trees in other areas could be transported into your community.
More than 50 miles is considered too far.
“Here in Tennessee, it is incredibly important to the health of our forests and economy that people know moving firewood is dangerous and, in certain areas, illegal,” said Alex Wyss, with the Conservancy in emailed information.
The Don’t Move Firewood campaign did a poll recently showing that fewer people are moving firewood, but it was still around one in 20 Americans.
The tree-killing pests cannot move far on their own, but when people transport firewood that harbors them, they enable the pests to expand their range.
Past invaders have destroyed native species of American chestnut, hemlock, and American elm trees.
Both emerald ash borer, a beetle that has killed thousands of ash trees in other states, and thousand cankers disease, a fungus that kills black walnut trees, were found in parts of Tennessee this year, according to the Tennessee Department of Agriculture.
The scourges have been carried into several places around the country on firewood, and the state is prohibiting firewood movement in some areas.
People are prohibited from taking firewood of any hardwood tree species outside the quarantined counties that are Anderson, Blount, Knox, Loudon and Union.
Nearby counties that buffer these areas can move hardwood firewood around inside them, but it can’t be hauled out of them.
Another issue a consumer should consider is how different types of wood burn.
Oak burns slower and produces less smoke, for instance, while pine burns faster and produces more soot and smoke.
The state has a chart available giving more information about types of wood here.
Other tips from the campaign:
-If you have already moved firewood, and you now know you need to dispose of it safely, burn it soon and completely. Make sure to rake the storage area carefully and also burn the debris. In the future, buy from a local source.
-Tell your friends and others about the risks of moving firewood – no one wants to be responsible for starting a new pest infestation.
Source:ANNE PAINE • The Tennessean • December 16, 2010
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