QUICK NOTESMongabay, a leading resource for news and perspectives on environmental and conservation issues related to the tropics, has launched Tropical Conservation Science - a new, open access academic e-journal. It will cover a wide variety of scientific and social studies on tropical ecosystems, their biodiversity and the threats posed to them. Tropical Conservation Science - March 8, 2008.At the 148th Meeting of the OPEC Conference, the oil exporting cartel decided to leave its production level unchanged, sending crude prices spiralling to new records (above $104). OPEC "observed that the market is well-supplied, with current commercial oil stocks standing above their five-year average. The Conference further noted, with concern, that the current price environment does not reflect market fundamentals, as crude oil prices are being strongly influenced by the weakness in the US dollar, rising inflation and significant flow of funds into the commodities market." OPEC - March 5, 2008. Kyushu University (Japan) is establishing what it says will be the world’s first graduate program in hydrogen energy technologies. The new master’s program for hydrogen engineering is to be offered at the university’s new Ito campus in Fukuoka Prefecture. Lectures will cover such topics as hydrogen energy and developing the fuel cells needed to convert hydrogen into heat or electricity. Of all the renewable pathways to produce hydrogen, bio-hydrogen based on the gasification of biomass is by far both the most efficient, cost-effective and cleanest. Fuel Cell Works - March 3, 2008. An entrepreneur in Ivory Coast has developed a project to establish a network of Miscanthus giganteus farms aimed at producing biomass for use in power generation. In a first phase, the goal is to grow the crop on 200 hectares, after which expansion will start. The project is in an advanced stage, but the entrepreneur still seeks partners and investors. The plantation is to be located in an agro-ecological zone qualified as highly suitable for the grass species. Contact us - March 3, 2008. A 7.1MW biomass power plant to be built on the Haiwaiian island of Kaua‘i has received approval from the local Planning Commission. The plant, owned and operated by Green Energy Hawaii, will use albizia trees, a hardy species that grows in poor soil on rainfall alone. The renewable power plant will meet 10 percent of the island's energy needs. Kauai World - February 27, 2008. |
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- Researchers at the Taiwan Forestry Research Institute (TFRI) and North Carolina State University in the U.S. have developed genetically modified Eucalyptus trees that store far more carbon dioxide and contain less lignin. - Biopact Sept. 17, 2007
- The International Eucalyptus Genome Consortium's sequencing effort has been taken up as a project under the U.S. Dept. of Energy's Joint Genome Project for the year 2008. - Biopact June 12, 2007
- Brazilian state of Acre intends to make cattle ranchers reforest land which they have cleared for grazing. The sustainable forestry policy is based on replanting economic tree crops such as mahogany, acai, Brazil nut and palms - BBCNews Sept. 27, 2006
- Illegal deforestation of acacia for charcoal is becoming a serious problem in Kenya's Naivasha area. Nobel Peace Prize laureate Wangari Maathai's Green Belt Movement re-afforests with acacia but needs more support to win fight against illegal loggers - Kenya Times Sept. 5, 2006
- Australian scientists are conducting a 'time-machine' experiment to see how eucalyptus trees cope with increased levels of CO2 and global warming. - University of Western Sydney Aug. 28, 2006
- International research effort underway to sequence cassava genome, which may result in increased starch yields - USDA Agricultural Research Service - Aug. 30, 2006
- Cassava has one of the highest rates of CO2 fixation and sucrose synthesis for any C3 plant. With this in mind, researchers from Ohio State University develop transgenic cassava with starch yields up 2.6 times higher than normal plants by increasing the sink strength for carbohydrate in the crop. This means cassava makes for a 'super crop' when it comes to both CO2 fixation and carbohydrate production, i.e. sugars, the feedstock for ethanol - Plant Biotechnology Journal - Volume 4/Issue 4 - July 2006
- Vietnam's Institute of Tropical Biology to invest in Jatropha research - Le courrier du Vietnam - Sept. 6, 2006
- Genetic study proves humans have pushed orangutans to the brink of extinction; genetic decline coincides with establishment of oil palm plantations in Malaysia/Indonesia since the 1950/60s- Public Library of Science / Biology, Volume 4/Issue 2 - February, 2006
- Synthetic Genomics and the Asiatic Centre for Genome Technology Sdn Bhd (ACGT) have created a multi-year research and development joint venture to sequence and analyze the oil palm genome. In-depth genomic analyses will be followed by subsequent studies that will analyze the oil palm’s root and leaf microbial communities, to identify biomarkers and metabolic pathways that affect the plant's growth and viability. Biopact - July, 2007
- Researchers at the International Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics have developed a sweet sorghum for the production of ethanol. The new variety has a very high sugar content in its root. Average yields in trial fields in the Philippines were between 95 to 125 tons, considerably higher than those of sugarcane - ICRISAT - Feb. 28, 2007
- Sokoine University of Agriculture, Tanzania, develops sorghum and millet processing technologies suitable for local conditions in effort to empower small farmers - IPP Media - Sept. 6, 2006
- South Africa blocks GM Sorghum project for fears over contamination of local wild sorghums - Kruger Park - Aug. 26, 2006
- Brazilian authorities have given their fiat for field trials with genetically modified sugar cane plants. The Centro de Tecnologia Canavieira (Cane Technology Center - CTC) will test three genetically modified varieties that are expected to yield 15% more sugar - GMO Compass
- Bamboo planting can slow deforestation, scientists from the International Center for Research in Agroforestry in Nairobi, Kenya, say. Bamboo rapidly becoming economically beneficial crop with large potential for energy, bioremediation, and afforestation - Chosun (S.Korea) Aug. 30, 2006
- "The beauty of miscanthus is that you only have to sow it once...Because of the way it grows, there is no need for fertilisers or chemicals", an English entrepreneur talks about his experience with Miscanthus as an energy crop - Grantham Today Aug. 8, 2006
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Sunday, June 15, 2008
Experts reach "Sustainable Biofuels Consensus", allows for global trade in green fuels
The opening declaration reads as follows:
The idea of a global 'biopact' is based on the observation that developing countries have a strong competitive advantage in producing biofuels (agroecological factors as well as the ample availability of inputs allow for far higher biomass productivity in the South). These countries also have a very large potential to produce fuels after they have met their own domestic demand for food, fiber, fodder and biofuels. So they could in principle export renewable fuels. Meanwhile, many other countries are unable to meet their biofuel needs from domestic sources. Therefore, the experts think increased biofuel trade holds a lot of promise for the creation of a win-win situation (see map, click to enlarge):
energy :: sustainability :: ethanol :: biodiesel :: biomass :: bioenergy :: biofuels :: rural development :: trade :: developing countries ::
In order to develop such a win-win, the authors of the Sustainable Biofuels Consensus offer the following recommendations to policy makers, trade negotiators, businesses, NGOs and other relevant stakeholders:
Integrate and better coordinate policy frameworks
This requires:
- coordinating national and international action among key sectors involved in biofuel development and use, including agriculture, energy, environment, and transport;
- negotiating a schedule to gradually eliminate the tariff and non-tariff barriers to biofuels trade;
- agreeing on internationally compatible fuel quality technical standards whilst recognizing that several countries are already engaged in efforts to harmonize these standards;
- transparency in blending and other regulatory requirements at national and sub-national levels;
- reviewing policies in agriculture, energy and other sectors that contribute to inefficient production and market distortions in biofuels and their feedstocks; and
- adopting local, bilateral, regional and/or other frameworks for biofuels trade agreements with the objective of collaborating with existing frameworks (for example the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change; and the G8 established Global BioEnergy Partnership - GBEP) to achieve convergence towards a comprehensive international land use improvement agreement.
Assess benefits and impacts of biofuels trade, use and production, and monitor themThis requires:
Address negative indirect effects of biofuels trade, use and production
As with other sources of energy, agricultural and forest products, and urban wastes, biofuels have positive and negative impacts. In an ideal world, sustainability criteria would be applied to all food, fodder, fiber and all energy production and thus put biofuels on a level playing field with fossil fuels.
Until such a system exists, there will be an excess of indirect positive and negative impacts on conservation areas, GHG balances, and food security from land use change, as well as price variations specifically associated with biofuels.
Addressing indirect impacts explicitly requires:
Reward positive impacts and investments, including through carbon management
Enhanced market opportunities will open up capital in order to follow the most profitable business models. Some benefits from biofuels use do not have an associated income stream. Therefore even sustainable trade as outlined in this document will not necessarily flow to the best performers.
Underfunded benefits fall into the categories of:
- rural and social development;
- ecosystem services, including biological carbon fixation (through biochar) and water resource management; and
- better practices that might reduce crop yields but restore ecosystem health, such as conservation agriculture.
Rewarding better practice will require:Use informed dialogues to build consensus for new projects
Promoting an informed and continuous dialogue engaging all relevant stakeholders is key to ensuring equitable distribution of benefits of biofuel projects, and to addressing other elements of sustainability. It is particularly important to encourage biomass producers, both farmers and foresters, into the dialogue. To be effective, these dialogues must be translated into the allocation of public and private budgets to meet the consensus achieved on priorities for specific projects and R, D&D portfolios.
Increase investment in research, development and demonstration
While countries could consider other climate related initiatives besides biofuels, the goals of public and private R, D&D investments related to biofuel trade, use and production should include (but are not limited to):
Build capacity to enable producers to manage carbon and water
Capacity building programs are needed for farmers, foresters and small and medium-sized enterprises active in bioenergy and biosphere carbon management systems, such as biochar soil improvement techniques and water management technologies.
Capacity building is also needed for the development of effective technology innovation systems involving research and education, extension, industrial capacity to participate in joint ventures with supportive government agencies and an engaged
civil society.
Make sure that trade policies and climate change policies work together
This will include Official Development Assistance (ODA), national subsidies and payments, etc. There is a need for a clear commitment for national climate change policies, including those that promote biofuels, to be additional to ODA. This is best achieved by climate change policies that drive direct foreign investment by energy sector players, in harmony with trade policies and sustainability requirements. Guided by national stakeholders’ consensus of the recipient countries, ODA should focus on helping to initiate and develop the institutions needed for sustainable rural development and respective business models, and support countries in defining and meeting sustainability requirements.
In connection with biofuels development, ODA should also partner with development and UN agencies such as UNFAO, UNCTAD, UNDP, UNEP and UNIDO and the private sector to help in reducing transaction costs of sustainable development schemes.
Land availability and biofuels potential
As to the questions of land availability, the experts say the following: Of the 13.2 billion hectares (bn ha) of the world’s total land area, 1.5 bn ha are used to produce arable crops and 3.5 bn ha are in pasture for meat, milk and wool production. Crops currently used specifically for biofuels, as a result of farmers’ choice, utilize only 0.025 bn ha.
In Brazil, for example, over 40% of total gasoline demand is provided by ethanol produced from sugarcane grown on 1% of the 320 Mha of arable and pasture land, and none in the Amazon rain forest. In addition to biofuel production, crops used for energy often also provide co-products such as animal fodder, fertilizers and electricity.
How much biomass could become available for producing biofuels? The future potential for biomass could reach 150-400 EJ/yr (up to 25% of world primary energy) by 2050 using available farm, forest and urban residues and by growing perennial energy crops.
Some of the 1 bn ha of marginal and degraded lands unsuitable for food production (such as from rising salinity levels) could be reclaimed for productive use by growing selected energy crops.
There are competing uses for non-food biomass resources (including for heat, co-firing and biofuels, as well as for bio-materials and bio-chemicals). Global trade in biofuels could help compensate for regional differences in the availability and accessibility of biomass resources.
Food and fuel
Recent agricultural commodity price increases for the most part can be attributed to factors unrelated to biofuel production. These are increasing food and fodder demand as such, speculation on international food markets and incidental poor harvests due to extreme weather events. Also, high oil prices and related high costs of fertilizers have an impact on the price of agricultural commodities.
Low productivity in agriculture in many regions has resulted in unsustainable land- use, erosion and loss of soils, deforestation and poverty. Increased productivity over time as a result of better farm management, new technologies, improved varieties, energy related capital investment and capacity building would gradually increase the intensity of land use so that sufficient land becomes available the meet the growing demand for food, fodder, fiber and biofuel production.
According to the experts, commercial biofuels markets could become a major factor in raising the economic viability of rural enterprises, especially in developing countries. Increased investment in infrastructure for biofuel processing, distribution and transport would also result. At least some of this infrastructure will also contribute to the overall development of the agricultural sector.
“Second generation” biofuel technologies produced from non-food ligno-cellulosic feedstocks are expected to become commercially viable on large scale, and hold considerable promise, compared to “first generation” biofuels, particularly for expanding the energy base and providing significant GHG emission reductions.
Over time, first generation biofuels are likely to become more GHG efficient and co-exist with second generation biofuels as they are further developed. Tropical and sub-tropical regions will continue to enjoy comparative advantages in producing cost effective feedstocks for both.
Bellagio
In striving to address the root causes of serious global problems, the Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Center is central to the Rockefeller Foundation's commitment to 'promote the well-being' of humanity. The Center provides a platform for: framing debates on globally relevant issues, reflection on significant scholarship and public policy, and conceiving and considering ways and means to translate theory into action.
Work at the Center is accomplished in an atmosphere in which ideas and solutions evolve through the cross-pollination of the differences and diversity of those in residence at any given time. Bellgio Conferences leverage “convening power”: the ability to bring notable and diverse participants from around the world together to share ideas, to debate and to collaborate.
The participants of the conference on biofuels were:
Gustavo Best (Mexico, Senior Energy Coordinator, UN FAO), Jane C. Earley (USA, WWF), Prof. Dr. André P.C. Faaij (The Netherlands, Department of Science, Technology and Society, Utrecht University), Uwe R. Fritsche (Germany, Energy & Climate Protection Research, Öko-Institut - Institute for Applied Ecology), Annette Hester (Canada, Senior associate with the William E. Simon Chair in Political Economy at the Center for Strategic & International Studies), Suzanne Hunt (USA, Worldwatch Institute), Tetsunari Iida (Japan, Executive Director, Institute for Sustainable Energy Policies), Francis X. Johnson (Sweden, Stockholm Environment Institute), Geraldine Kutas (Brazil, UNICA), Plinio M. Nastari (Brazil, DATAGRO), Charlotte A. Opal (Switzerland, Roundtable on Sustainable Biofuels at the Energy Center at Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne), Martina Otto (France, Head of Policy Unit, Energy Branch. United Nations Environment Programme), Dr Peter Read (New Zealand, Department of Applied and International Economics, Massey University), Ralph E.H. Sims (France, Professor of Sustainable Energy, Massey University), Dr Sergio C. Trindade (USA), Jeffrey Bernard Tschirley (Italy, FAO Environment and Natural Resources Service), Simonetta Zarrilli (Switzerland, International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development).
Biopact's Laurens Rademakers was invited to participate, but was unable to attend the conference.
References:
Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Center: A Sustainable Biofuels Consensus. [*.pdf] Understanding the many drivers for sustainable trade, consumption and production of biofuels, and the comparative advantage of supplying regions combined with demand and technology from consuming regions. Bellagio, Italy, 24-28 March 2008.
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