Delicious/actionaidbiofuels/actionaid+blog+internal

A New Look at Food Crises & Prices

actionaidbiofuels — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 10:30:37 +0000

Recent increases in basic food prices are severely impacting vulnerable populations worldwide. Proposed causes such as shortages of grain due to adverse weather, increasing meat consumption in China and India, conversion of corn to ethanol in the US, and investor speculation on commodity markets lead to widely differing implications for policy.

Chinese villagers get inquiry after protests over developer 'land grabs' | World news | The Guardian

actionaidbiofuels — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 10:04:58 +0000

Officials promised an investigation into land sales to defuse days of large, sometimes violent protests by villagers in southern China who say they are being pushed off farmland for property development, state media and local villagers said on Sunday. Government officials struck a compromise with leaders from Wukan village on Saturday, promising a full investigation of all land sales if locals would halt the protests, according to a report in the official Southern Daily posted late on Saturday on the website of Shanwei city, which oversees Wukan.

Energy subsidy showdown: Fossil fuels, nuclear, biofuels vs. renewables | SmartPlanet

actionaidbiofuels — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 09:51:35 +0000

Renewable energy has snagged just a fraction of the federal subsidies that fossil fuels and nuclear received when they were emerging technologies, according to a new report from venture capital firm DBL Investors.

The Role of Biofuels in the Energy Future: Lessons from Brazil « The Berkeley Blog

actionaidbiofuels — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 01:38:44 +0000

To further understand biofuels, I decided to travel to Brazil, where the modern biofuel industry has started and flourished. I believe that before you develop a model, you need to speak with the people that know what is going on to have a realistic perspective. Therefore I went with Madhu Khanna for a 10 day visit to Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Piracicaba, Campinas and Brasilia and spoke with government officials, investors, environmentalists and obtained what I believe to be a well-rounded perspective. In the process, we learned to appreciate Brazil’s vast resources, their hard-working, fun-loving people (in Brazil, it is not a contradiction) and enjoyed the country’s beauty, weather and food.

Carluccio's embarks on biofuels deal

actionaidbiofuels — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 14:01:51 +0000

Under the new deal, Convert 2 Green will collect used oil from the 54 branches of the chain across the UK. This will then be turned into biofuel to power delivery trucks, slashing CO2 emissions by up to 90 per cent compared to conventional fuel.

'Land grabs' leave people hungry and homeless - Oxfam - Telegraph

actionaidbiofuels — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 10:04:11 +0000

Demand for cheap food and fuel in the rich world is driving poor people from their homes, according to Oxfam, as big business, including British companies, buy up millions of acres of land in the developing world in increasingly violent ‘land grabs’.

Government Support and Financial Incentives are driving investments in Emerging Countries for Renewable Energy Development - Power To The People - Investment and development in power and electricity.For operators developers and investors.

actionaidbiofuels

GBI Research, the leading business intelligence provider, has released its latest report Renewable Energy Investment Opportunities in Emerging Economies that gives an in-depth analysis of the emerging economies as upcoming renewable energy hotspots and provides investment forecasts up to 2015.

Microwaving food waste as biofuels processing strategy : Biofuels Digest

actionaidbiofuels — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 11:00:25 +0000

In the UK, researchers at the University of York have discovered that microwaving food waste allow both home-scale and commercial scale of biofuel and chemicals production.

Brazil: 30 years of BioFuels Pros and Cons

actionaidbiofuels — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 09:58:06 +0000

Brazilian ethanol is a good example of how industrialized countries can make biofuels an alternative in substituting part of their energy grids with a source of renewable energy.

Chris Huhne halts 'dash for gas' to keep UK on course for carbon targets | Environment | guardian.co.uk

actionaidbiofuels — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 09:45:06 +0000

The UK's "dash for gas" will be halted by the government because if unchecked it would break legally binding targets for carbon dioxide emissions, Chris Huhne, energy and climate change secretary, said on Monday evening.

Green groups angered as biomass plant approved | Environment | The Guardian

actionaidbiofuels — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 08:43:44 +0000

The government has given the go-ahead to a huge wood-burning plant which it claims will provide power for a quarter of all Welsh homes, sparking outrage among green campaigners who fear British forests could eventually be lost.

Biomass schemes will boost destructive timber imports, claims wood industry | Environment | The Guardian

actionaidbiofuels — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 08:43:14 +0000

Big wood companies are trying to halt Drax, RWE and others pressing ahead with a raft of lower-carbon energy schemes which would see large power stations switch from burning coal to timber. The wood industry fears thousands of jobs in its factories will be threatened by the "green" power plans and wants government to remove the subsidies facilitating them.

BBC News - 'No substitute' for virgin forest

actionaidbiofuels — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 08:42:33 +0000

The crucial role that virgin forests play in conserving nature is confirmed in a study that spans the tropics. An international team of researchers analysed more than 100 existing studies comparing wildlife in forests that had been modified and those that had not.

Glencore on its safety record, environmental performance and tax | Leo Hickman | Environment | guardian.co.uk

actionaidbiofuels

One of the business stories of the year so far was the flotation in May of Glencore, the global commodities trader. Not only did the flotation shine a light on "the biggest company you've never heard of", as some described the secretive, Switzerland-based private firm, but it also revealed the extraordinary extent of Glencore's assets and market influence.

CIFOR Forests Blog » Indonesia unlikely to meet 2025 biofuel goal, says report

actionaidbiofuels — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 16:45:02 +0000

Indonesia is unlikely to meet its goal of supplying 5% of the country’s energy demand with biofuels by 2025, according to a recent report published by the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR).