Biofuel Blog War

Growing biomass in space? That’s right. Right now an experiment is underway on the space station to see if microgravity can affect the growth of Jatropha curcas, a tropical flowering plant.

According to Popular Science ,
“This first-ever experiment to test a possible biofuel in microgravity aims to improve cell structure, growth and development in [...]

Biobased products cover a wide range of materials.  One new such product is biobased insulation made from mushrooms named Greensulate.
The blog Greenline says that Greensulate,
“…is a bio-base alternative to rigid insulation made from paper, rice hulls, and mushroom fibers.   The product is still undergoing testing but the outlook for this new product is very good.  [...]

Novozymes today offered members of the media, government officials, VIPs and other attendees of the annual Washington Auto Show a chance to test drive of Chevy HHR powered (literally) by government waste. The fuel used in the car was produced from government office wastepaper and waste cardboard by Fiberight. Novozymes President Adam Monroe previewed the [...]

This week according to the New Energy World Network
“The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of the Navy are to develop advanced biofuels and other renewable energy systems.”
“Secretary of the Navy, Ray Mabus emphasised how partnering with USDA supports his vision for energy reform. He said, ‘In order to secure the [...]

Biofuels is big in Iowa. So big in fact, that according to domesticfuel.com
“Iowa State University will get $8 million of a $78 million U.S. Department of Energy grant to research and develop advanced biofuels.”

“These Iowa State research projects are paid for by stimulus bucks … the same money that is funding the $44 [...]

Can you make fuel out of tobacco? Apparently you can if they’re genetically engineered tobacco plants.

According to Alternative Energy,
“Researchers from the Biotechnology Foundation Laboratories at Thomas Jefferson University have developed a new method to increase the quantity of oil in tobacco leaves. So that oil in tobacco leaves can be utilized as biofuels [...]

Last month, Energy Secretary Steven Chu and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced 19 biomass projects that would receive renewable energy grants under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The list included 14 pilot, 4 demonstration, and 1 commercial-scale project, receiving a total of $561 million in grants ranging in size from $2.5 million to $81 million. [...]

New Mexico is ready to develop a biofuels plan according to KRQE.com and the Associated Press,

They write,
“New Mexico’s elected officials want to develop a strategic plan to make the state a leader in the biofuels industry.

Gov. Bill Richardson said New Mexico is in a good position when it comes to biofuels, given its combination [...]

Wow, what a blog post title, “Synthetic Biology: Why Not Pursuing Crazy Biotech Is Dangerous.” The the crew at Gizmodo who came up with that title talks with Michael Spector who covers science for the New Yorker and is the author of Denialism: How Irrational Thinking Hinders Scientific Progress, Harms the Planet, and [...]

This week the Wall Street Cheat Sheet says algae is the next great thing.

“Algae could be the most promising candidate yet for the future of the biofuels industry.

Although algae-based fuels won’t be commercially available for several years, algae offers several advantages over other first-generation renewable fuels, such as corn and soybeans. For example, [...]