Wisconsinites back biofuel development, but disagree on how it should be promoted

Although almost two-thirds of Wisconsinites support the use and production of biofuels, less than half think the government should subsidize their development, according to a new study by University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers. Read more. . .

Soybean Checkoff supports clean towns and cities

ST. LOUIS (May 6, 2009) – To promote the availability and use of soy biodiesel, the United Soybean Board (USB) and soybean checkoff will be enlisting some help this spring. The soybean checkoff will be working with selected U.S. Department of Energy (US DOE) Clean Cities chapters to assist in promoting soy biodiesel and soy-based [...]

Syngas is making a comeback

At some later date, I will post some more details about using syngas to power engines. However, in the meantime, you might find these few links interesting about the use of syngas as fuel for engines.
I remember my father, who was born in 1924, talking about how some enterprising farmers were using syngas during World [...]

Ethanol’s impact on food prices was minimal, says CBO report

An April 2009 report by The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that from April 2007 to April 2008, the rise in the price of corn resulting from expanded production of ethanol contributed between 0.5 and 0.8 percentage points of the 5.1 percent increase in food prices measured by the consumer price index (CPI).
Over the same [...]

Two-step chemical process turns raw biomass into biofuel

Taking a chemical approach, researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have developed a two-step method to convert the cellulose in raw biomass into a promising biofuel.
The process, which is described in the Wednesday, Feb. 11 issue of the Journal of the American Chemical Society, is unprecedented in its use of untreated, inedible biomass as the starting [...]

Survey shows high interest in biofuels

Most Americans want to know more about biofuels, according to a new survey fielded by researchers in the Department of Life Sciences Communication at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
The national survey showed that 67 percent of respondents were interested in learning more about renewable biofuels. “These findings indicate people are really interested in this issue,” says [...]