Biopact: May 2007 Digest

Biopact Blog writes many stories that are relevant to the study of BIOstock, BIOconversion, BIOoutput, and BIOwaste.

Rather than summarize and reprint excerpts from this excellent source of information, a breakdown of each month's most relevant titles is provided in one updated article...

BIOstock...
• Brazil demonstrating that reducing tropical deforestation is possible while expanding biofuels
• Dedini achieves breakthrough: cellulosic ethanol from bagasse at $27cents per liter ($1/gallon)

BIOconversion...
• US DOE announces up to US$200 million in funding for small biorefineries
• IPCC Fourth Assessment Report: mitigation of climate change
• World's first carbon-negative energy system planned in Netherlands: biomass with carbon capture
• Dupont outlines strategy for mass adoption of biofuels
• Little Green Data Book 2007 focuses on emissions and energy
• President Bush orders development of regulations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles - boost to biofuels
• Report: clean coal and CCS 'feasible' in the UK - towards carbon negative energy?
• World energy use to grow 57 percent between 2004 and 2030 - EIA
• U.S. House proposes US$4.5 billion for biomass research, biorefineries
• Boost to biohydrogen: high yield production from starch by synthetic enzymes
• UPM and Andritz/Carbona team up to develop synthetic biofuels
• Back to black: hydrothermal carbonisation of biomass to clean up CO2 emissions from the past
• Engineering students patent promising plasma processing techniques to produce biofuels
• Green designer coal: more on hydrothermal carbonisation of biomass

BIOoutput...
• Third generation biofuels: scientists patent corn variety with embedded cellulase enzymes
• The bioeconomy at work: bio-composites for home insulation made from mushrooms and starch
• CO2 balance of large-scale electricity production: nuclear good, biogas best
• Metabolix to develop bioplastics from sugarcane
• Biofuels becoming a headache for OPEC
• World's first ethanol powered fuel cell vehicle gets 2716 km/l (6,491mpg)
• The bioeconomy at work: Toyota's i-Unit made from kenaf-reinforced bioplastic
• UK outlines Biomass Strategy: large potential for bioenergy, bioproducts
• Research warns 'dangerous climate change' may be imminent - carbon negative bioenergy now