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Seas of grass may be dark horse candidate to fuel the planet — or not
- Several kinds of grasses and woody shrubs, such as poplar and willow, have undergone U.S. testing for years to see if they can achieve high productivity as cellulose-based liquid biofuels for cutting greenhouse gas emissions in the global transportation sector. Some of these grasses also would have value as cover crops.
- While these experiments showed promise, the challenges for scaling up production of grass and woody shrub-derived biofuels over the next few decades remain significant. And time is short, as climate change is rapidly accelerating.
- Another roadblock to large-scale production: Millions of acres of land in the U.S. Southeast and Great Plains states would need to be earmarked for grass cultivation to make it economically and commercially viable as a biofuel.
- If many of those millions of acres required conversion of natural lands to agriculture, then deforestation and biodiversity loss due to biofuel monoculture crop expansion could be a major problem. On the plus side, grass biofuel crops likely wouldn’t directly displace food crops, unlike corn to make ethanol, or soy to make biodiesel.
From palm oil waste to cellulosic ethanol: Indonesia’s opportunity (commentary)
- Many Indonesian farmers say they haven’t seen benefits from the country’s biofuel program. Cellulosic ethanol could help fix the problem, a new op-ed says.
- Tenny Kristiana of the International Council on Clean Transportation argues Indonesia could develop a domestic cellulosic ethanol industry that would use leftover plant residues such as palm trunks, empty palm fruit bunches and palm press fiber.
- Currently, Indonesia exports these leftovers to countries like Japan, but developing an industry at home could aid local farmers and create new jobs in factories, transportation and plantation work.
- This post is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the author, not necessarily of Mongabay.
Crud-to-crude: The global potential of biofuels made from human waste
- Creating liquid biofuels from human waste shows promise as a way to meet one of alternative energy’s greatest challenges: reducing the transportation sector’s heavy carbon footprint. The good news is there is a steady supply stream where waste is treated.
- Humanity produces millions of tons of sewage sludge annually via wastewater treatment. Existing disposal methods include landfilling, application on agricultural land, and incineration; each with social and environmental consequences.
- Harnessing the carbon-rich potential of sludge as a transportation fuel for planes, ships and trucks is part of a drive toward zero waste and creating a circular economy, say experts. A host of projects are underway to prove the effectiveness of various methods of turning all this crud into biocrude.
- Some techniques show promise in lab and pilot tests, but large-scale industrial plants have yet to be built. Using pollutant-laden sewage sludge as a biofuel comes with its own environmental concerns, but lacking a silver-bullet solution to the human waste problem, it could be part of a suite of best alternatives.
Jatropha: The biofuel that bombed seeks a path to redemption
- Earlier this century, jatropha was hailed as a “miracle” biofuel. An unassuming shrubby tree native to Central America, it was wildly promoted as a high-yielding, drought-tolerant biofuel feedstock that could grow on degraded lands across Latin America, Africa and Asia.
- A jatropha rush ensued, with more than 900,000 hectares (2.2 million acres) planted by 2008. But the bubble burst. Low yields led to plantation failures nearly everywhere. The aftermath of the jatropha crash was tainted by accusations of land grabbing, mismanagement, and overblown carbon reduction claims.
- Today, some researchers continue pursuing the evasive promise of high-yielding jatropha. A comeback, they say, is dependent on cracking the yield problem and addressing the harmful land-use issues intertwined with its original failure.
- The sole remaining large jatropha plantation is in Ghana. The plantation owner claims high-yield domesticated varieties have been achieved and a new boom is at hand. But even if this comeback falters, the world’s experience of jatropha holds important lessons for any promising up-and-coming biofuel.
A liquid biofuels primer: Carbon-cutting hopes vs. real-world impacts
- Liquid biofuels are routinely included in national policy pathways to cut carbon emissions and transition to “net-zero.” Biofuels are particularly tasked with reducing emissions from “hard-to-decarbonize” sectors, such as aviation.
- Three generations of biofuel sources — corn, soy, palm oil, organic waste, grasses and other perennial cellulose crops, algae, and more — have been funded, researched and tested as avenues to viable low-carbon liquid fuels. But technological and upscaling challenges have repeatedly frustrated their widespread use.
- Producing biofuels can do major environmental harm, including deforestation and biodiversity loss due to needed cropland expansion, with biofuel crops sometimes displacing important food crops, say critics. In some instances, land use change for biofuels can add to carbon emissions rather than curbing them.
- Some experts suggest that the holy grail of an efficient biofuel is still obtainable, with much to be learned from past experiments. Others say we would be better off abandoning this techno fix, investing instead in electrifying the transportation grid to save energy, and rewilding former biofuel croplands to store more carbon.
Indonesia’s biofuel push must go beyond palm oil to reduce risk, experts say
- Indonesia faces deforestation, energy and security risks from its overreliance on palm oil as a feedstock for its biofuel transition program, observers say.
- The government will in February increase the biofuel blend in diesel to 35%, from the current 30%, with an eye on a 50:50 blend by 2025 — and eventually fossil-free biodiesel.
- But the program calls for a massive increase in palm oil production — and with yields largely stagnant, this will almost certainly mean clearing more land to establish new oil palm plantations.
- Experts say the government should diversify its sources of biofuel feedstock to curb the expansion of plantations into forests and to reduce the other risks that comes from relying on a single feedstock.
Slick operator: Indonesian cooking oil probe may spread to biodiesel industry
- A top economist in Indonesia has been charged for his alleged role in helping palm oil companies export the commodity instead of selling it domestically — a practice blamed for a shortage of cooking oil in the world’s top producer of palm oil.
- The arrest of Lin Che Wei, who prosecutors allege was “involved in every palm oil policy,” also puts the spotlight on the state palm oil fund that he helped create and that disproportionately channels subsidies to many of the same companies implicated in the cooking oil scandal.
- President Joko Widodo has called for a thorough investigation to “find out who is playing a game here,” but the palm oil lobby has pushed back against what it says is a vilification of the industry — even threatening to stop producing cooking oil for the domestic market.
- The cooking oil shortage has battered domestic trust in Indonesia’s powerful palm oil industry, whose reputation abroad has long been tarnished by its links to deforestation, labor abuses, and conflicts with Indigenous and local communities.
For Indonesians, palm oil is everywhere but on supermarket shelves
- Indonesia is the world’s top producer of palm oil, but has in recent months been hit by scarce supplies and high prices for vegetable oil.
- The country’s business competition regulator points to indications of cartel practices by the handful of conglomerates that dominate the industry.
- But government policies may also be to blame, experts say, including incentivizing palm oil producers to sell to the government’s biofuel program instead of to cooking oil refiners.
- Parliament has called hearings on the issue, while the competition watchdog has launched a formal investigation.
Can the little-known tamanu tree replace palm oil in Indonesia’s biofuel bid?
- Government researchers in Indonesia believe oil from the tamanu tree (Calophyllum inophyllum) could serve an alternative feedstock for biofuel to palm oil.
- They say the plant has shown the ability to grow in burned areas and former mining sites, as well as in waterlogged peat soils.
- Oil from the tree, native to tropical Asia, has been used for centuries across the region as a salve for wounds and scars, and in lotions and balms.
- With the Indonesian government’s ambitious biodiesel program requiring the establishment of more oil palm plantations, alternative feedstocks like tamanu could help stave off the associated deforestation.
Indonesia bets on biofuels over oil, but EVs could render both moot
- Increased adoption of electric vehicles could render redundant Indonesia’s biofuel infrastructure, which the government is touting as its chosen alternative to fossil fuels.
- A new report projects demand for biofuel more than halving as EVs take hold, even as the government continues to invest heavily in refineries and other infrastructure for producing and distributing palm oil-based biodiesel.
- The report calls for a long-term plan for biofuel that takes into account the rapid development of EVs and that doesn’t rely solely on palm oil for feedstock.
Biofuel in Mexico: Uphill battle against bureaucracy, organized crime
- Biofuels based on pressed plant oils, and made especially from used cooking oil, could help Mexico’s public transport sector transition to a cleaner and climate-friendly energy era, according to researchers and industry entrepreneurs.
- But there is a lack of government regulatory support, while the nation’s new president is betting on fossil fuels and neglecting biodiesel options and nature-based climate solutions.
- As a result, small biodiesel producers have to operate in a legal gray zone, while industry entrepreneurs are held back in the development of the technology and the market.
- Mexico isn’t alone: Many nations large and small are struggling with hurdles imposed by fossil fuel-friendly governments and a lack of supportive regulations to create a level playing field for the rapid development and deployment of biodiesel and other climate-friendly alternative energy solutions.
Indonesia’s biodiesel program fuels deforestation threat, report warns
- A new report adds to warnings that Indonesia’s biodiesel program will drive greater deforestation by boosting demand for palm oil.
- It says contradictory and opaque government policies “create conditions for producers to maintain business-as-usual production systems, instead of investing in more sustainable production innovations, such as increasing land productivity.”
- Experts also say the biodiesel program should only serve as a transition to more sustainable forms of renewable energy, and not the long-term solution that the government is touting.
- Palm oil plantations are the single biggest driver of deforestation in Indonesia.
Indonesian president slammed for ‘wait-and-see’ approach on climate action
- During last month’s climate summit of world leaders, top emitters announced more ambitious climate targets in a bid to combat climate change.
- Missing from that list was Indonesia, whose president, Joko Widodo, instead called on industrialized countries to set an example for other nations to follow.
- Climate and policy experts in Indonesia say his failure to announce a bold target for achieving net-zero emissions is a missed opportunity for Indonesia to show global leadership based on its success in reducing deforestation.
- They also criticized a government proposal, not yet officially endorsed by the president, to achieve carbon neutrality by 2070 — 20 years later than most other major emitters.
Belgium bans biofuels made from palm oil, soy
- Belgium will ban biofuels made from soy and palm oil from 2022 onward as part of its effort to combat deforestation, said Federal Minister of Environment and Climate Zakia Khattabi on Tuesday.
- In making the move, Belgium joins Denmark, France, and the Netherlands as other European nations that have barred palm oil-based biodiesel due the crop’s association with large-scale conversion of native forests and peatlands for industrial plantations, especially in Malaysia and Indonesia.
- The ban was the first measure Belgium has taken since it became a member of the Amsterdam Declaration Partnership, which aims to eliminate deforestation from agricultural commodities by 2025.
Top Indonesian palm oil developments in 2020
- A persistent pandemic, fluctuating palm oil prices and escalating conflicts failed to slow the environmental and social fallouts from the growth of the palm oil industry in Indonesia, the world’s biggest producer of the commodity.
- There’s growing fear over accelerated deforestation to clear land for more plantations as the government continues to promote palm oil-based biodiesel — even as others refuse to recognize it as a renewable fuel.
- The country’s new palm oil frontier, in the forests of Papua, is tainted by allegations of falsified permits and violence against Indigenous communities.
- At the same time, new legislation exempts plantation operators from environmental requirements and allows for the whitewashing of illegal plantations in forests.
Indonesia’s biofuel bid threatens more deforestation for oil palm plantations
- The Indonesian government says it will need to establish new oil palm plantations a fifth the size of Borneo in order to supply its ambitious biodiesel program.
- The program, through which Indonesia plans to eventually phase out the use of conventional diesel, will require planting 15 million hectares (37 million acres) of oil palms, according to the energy minister.
- Energy and environmental experts say it’s inevitable that massive swaths of forest will have to be cleared to meet this target, and have called for it to be scaled back.
- They also question the drive to ramp up the biodiesel program, given that Indonesia has expressed its ambitions to be a global production hub for electric vehicles — which don’t run on diesel, whether conventional or bio.
‘Meaningless certification’: Study makes the case against ‘sustainable’ palm oil
- Three-quarters of oil palm concessions in Indonesia and Malaysian Borneo certified by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil occupy land that was forest and/or wildlife habitat as recently as 30 years ago, a new study shows.
- While not the initial drivers of deforestation in those areas, these plantations shouldn’t be certified sustainable if that history is accounted for, the study authors say.
- “The fact that someone else did deforestation just a few years before does not absolve the palm oil plantation’s owner and definitely does not justify a sustainability label by a certification scheme,” says co-author Roberto Cazzolla Gatti.
- He adds the RSPO’s failure to account for past deforestation means that “every logged area ‘today’ could be certified as a sustainable plantation ‘tomorrow,’ in an infinite loop of meaningless certification.”
Indonesia lavishes $195m subsidy on palm biodiesel producers over smallholders
- The Indonesian government is allocating $195 million from the state budget to subsidize producers of palm oil biodiesel, justifying the move as necessary to boosting the economy out of a pandemic-induced slump.
- Campaigners have blasted the move, noting that the fund through which the money will be channeled is meant to empower small oil palm farmers and not subsidize the giant multinationals that produce biodiesel.
- Since 2015, the government has used the fund to both subsidize producers and artificially lower the price of biodiesel at the pump to keep it competitive with regular diesel.
- Studies have shown that the deforestation inherent in the production of palm biodiesel means it emits up to three times as much CO2 as fossil fuels, making crop-based biofuels counterproductive to efforts to cut emissions.
Dodgy science and corporate concessions in Indonesia’s bid for clean palm oil
- Environmental activists and experts have questioned a new initiative by the Indonesian government to clean up the reputation of the country’s palm oil, which they warn could lead to an even less sustainable industry than at present.
- The plan risks permitting the legitimization of illegal plantations inside forests, effectively rewarding environmental violators.
- It also seeks to count palm oil-based biodiesel as a green offset to fossil fuels, despite overwhelming evidence showing that the production of the fuel will lead to greater deforestation and a net increase in carbon emissions.
- The plan also gives mining and other extractives companies an easy way out of their obligation to rehabilitate their degraded concessions, by permitting these areas to be planted with oil palms instead of being reforested.
‘Bring it on,’ EU MP says of trade fight over palm biofuel phase-out
- A European member of parliament says the bloc isn’t concerned about threats by Indonesia and Malaysia to file a trade complaint over an EU policy to phase out palm oil-based biofuels by 2030.
- The two Southeast Asian countries supply 85 percent of the world’s palm oil, and have denounced the EU policy as discriminatory.
- The EU has justified its decision on the environmental impact of palm oil production, notably the large-scale deforestation to clear land for palm plantations.
- Concerns have also been raised that Indonesia’s response of boosting its domestic production of palm-based biodiesel, which a minister calls “green fuel,” could actually result in a net increase in carbon emissions.
Indonesia eyes palm oil export boost to China amid mounting U.S. trade war
- Indonesia has welcomed a move by China to remove palm oil from its import tariff quota management.
- That would allow Indonesia, the world’s biggest producer of palm oil, to increase its exports to China, its No. 3 market.
- A senior Indonesian official said there would be no forest-clearing to support any anticipated increase in exports, with higher yields expected to come from better technology and seeds.
- The move presents a respite for Indonesia, which faces a biofuel phase-out in the EU and a likely increase in duties in India, its top two export markets.
Indonesia calls on palm oil industry, obscured by secrecy, to remain opaque
- The Indonesian government has called on the country’s palm oil companies to refrain from releasing their plantation data, citing national security, privacy and competition reasons.
- The publication of the data is a necessary part of sustainability certification under the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO).
- Activists say they fear that withholding the information will further damage the reputation of Indonesia’s palm oil industry, which is already beset by allegations of deforestation, land grabbing, and labor rights abuses.
- The government has for years sent out mixed messages about whether it will make available the plantation data, which activists say is crucial in helping resolve the hundreds of land disputes across Indonesia, most of them involving palm concessions.
Malaysia calls on Southeast Asia to back palm oil against ‘unfair’ claims
- The Malaysian government has called for support from fellow members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to support the region’s palm oil industry in the wake of a European Union policy to stop recognizing the commodity as a biofuel.
- Malaysia and fellow ASEAN member Indonesia supply more than 80 percent of the world’s palm oil, while Singapore, another ASEAN state, is home to some of the world’s biggest palm oil companies and the banks that finance the industry.
- Malaysia’s minister of primary industries, Teresa Kok, says there’s a global campaign to portray the production of palm oil as exceptionally destructive, which she calls “extremely provocative and belittling.”
- While both the Malaysian and Indonesian governments have instated policies to curb the clearing of rainforest for palm plantations, there still remain challenges to ensuring sustainability across the wider industry, environmental activists say.
Indonesia’s threat to exit Paris accord over palm oil seen as cynical ploy
- A top Indonesian minister says the country may consider pulling out of the Paris climate agreement in retaliation for a European policy to phase out palm oil from biofuels by 2030.
- Luhut Pandjaitan, the coordinating minister for maritime affairs, says Indonesia, the world’s biggest producer of palm oil, can follow in the footsteps of the United States, which has declared its withdrawal from the climate pact, and Brazil, which is considering doing the same.
- The threat is the latest escalation in a diplomatic spat that has also seen Indonesia and Malaysia, the No. 2 palm oil producer, threaten retaliatory trade measures against the European Union.
- The EU says its policy is driven by growing consumer concerns about the sustainability of palm oil, which in Indonesia is often grown on plantations for which vast swaths of rainforest have had to be cleared.
Europe, in bid to phase out palm biofuel, leaves fans and foes dismayed
- Both palm oil producers and environmental activists alike have expressed dismay with a move by European officials to phase out palm-oil based biofuel by 2030.
- Officials in Indonesia and Malaysia, which together produce 85 percent of global supply of the commodity, say the move is discriminatory and have vowed a vigorous response, including lobbying EU member states to oppose it, bringing the matter before the WTO, and imposing retaliatory measures on goods from the EU.
- Environmental activists say the policy doesn’t go far enough, leaving loopholes that will allow palm oil produced under certain circumstances to continue being treated as a renewable fuel, thereby allowing for the expansion of palm estates into peat forests.
- They have also criticized the policy’s failure to label soybean oil as high risk, in light of growing evidence that deforestation linked to the cultivation of soy may be just as bad as or worse than that of palm oil.
Malaysia to ban oil palm expansion?
- Malaysia may ban further expansion of oil palm plantations in an effort to improve the oilseed’s reputation abroad, Minister of Primary Industries Teresa Kok told Bloomberg.
- Kok said the prime minister’s cabinet will weigh a proposal to cap Malaysia’s palm oil estate at 6 million hectares (14.8 million acres). Malaysia currently has 5.85 million hectares, so the cap provides allowances for about 150,000 hectares of expansion already underway.
- Kok said that Malaysia could continue to increase palm oil production despite the cap by improving yields of existing plantations.
- The proposed move comes in response to criticism over palm oil’s link to large-scale deforestation in Southeast Asia.
Indonesian candidates find common ground in support for palm oil
- Indonesia’s two presidential candidates, Joko Widodo and Prabowo Subianto, have both pledged to increase the production and consumption of palm oil should they win the April 17 election.
- Environmental activists and experts have criticized the candidates for not addressing the negative aspects of palm oil production, which both are pushing as a feedstock for biodiesel, in what is seen as a voter-pleasing appeal to resource nationalism.
- Nearly 200 million people in Indonesia, home to the world’s third-largest rainforest and also the biggest producer of palm oil, are eligible to vote in the upcoming election.
Biofuel boost threatens even greater deforestation in Indonesia, Malaysia: Study
- A new report projects the global demand for palm oil-based biofuel by 2030 will be six times higher than today if existing and proposed policies in Indonesia, China and the aviation industry hold.
- That surge in demand could result in the clearing of 45,000 square kilometers (17,374 square miles) of forest in Indonesia and Malaysia, the world’s biggest palm oil producers, and the release of an additional 7 billion tons of CO2 emissions a year — higher than current annual emissions by the U.S.
- That impact could be tempered to some degree by the European Union, which plans to phase out all use of palm oil in its biofuel over the next three years, citing environmental concerns.
What happens when the soy and palm oil boom ends?
- Over the past 30 years demand and production of oils crops like oil palm and soybeans has boomed across the tropics.
- This rapid expansion has in some places taken a heavy toll on native, wildlife-rich ecosystems.
- Derek Byerlee, co-author of a new book titled The Tropical Oil Crop Revolution, spoke with Mongabay about the tropical oil crop sector and what’s to come for the industry.
Will Indonesia’s new palm oil subsidy undermine no-deforestation push?
- Questions remain about whether the CPO Fund will carry environmental safeguards and how its resources will be divided between its two main purposes: helping farmers increase their yields and subsidizing biodiesel.
- A senior adviser to the energy minister worries the subsidy, if administered haphazardly, could throw an unfortunate lifeline to the dwindling market for palm oil from deforestation, peatland coversion and land grabbing.
- The man who designed the fund says it’s all about sustainability because it will reduce dependence on foreign petroleum and shore up flagging palm oil prices.
Indonesia’s national airline to start using palm oil biofuel
Oil palm fruit. Photo by Rhett A. Butler Indonesia’s national airline, Garuda Indonesia, says it will start mixing palm oil-based biofuel with its jet fuel as part of an initiative to “reduce” carbon emissions, reports The Jakarta Post. Novianto Herupratomo, Garuda’s operational director, said crude palm oil would be mixed into avtur — aviation turbine […]
Biomass burning accounts for 18% of CO2 emissions, kills a quarter of a million people annually
Biomass burning takes many forms: wildfires, slash-and-burn agriculture, clearing forests and other vegetation, and even industrialized burning for energy production. Yet this burning—mostly manmade but also natural—takes a massive toll both on human health and the environment, according to a new paper in Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres. “We calculate that 5 to 10 percent […]
Commodity eco-certification skyrockets, but standards slip
Trends in commodity certification markets Market share for certified commodities. All figures courtesy of IISD’s report The volume of commodities produced under various social and environmental certification standards jumped 41 percent in 2012, far outpacing the 2 percent growth across conventional commodity markets, finds a comprehensive new assessment of the global certification market. The report […]
Europe importing more palm oil for biofuels, raising risks for rainforests
Deforestation for palm oil production in Borneo. Photo by Rhett A. Butler Palm oil imports into Europe for use as car fuel increased by more than three-fold since 2006, raising concerns than renewable fuels targets may be contributing to deforestation, displacing marginalized communities, and driving greenhouse gas emissions in Southeast Asia, finds a new study […]
Sugarcane production impacting local climate in Brazil
Intensification of Brazil’s sugarcane industry in response to rising demand for sugar-based ethanol could have impacts on the regional climate reports a new study by researchers from Arizona State University, Stanford University and the Carnegie Institution for Science. Following the conversion of cerrado grasslands into sugarcane in Brazil, a recent study in Geophysical Research Letters […]
Despite deforestation worries, U.K. approves palm oil for power production
Deforestation in Borneo for palm oil production. British Parliament has approved new government subsidies for biofuel use in U.K. power stations. In a vote held yesterday, Parliament approved a Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) proposal to allow the burning of palm oil and wood pellets for power production. Controversially the new measure would […]
Palm oil company destroys 7,000 ha of Amazon rainforest in Peru
A palm oil producer has leveled some 7,000 hectares of rainforest in the Peruvian Amazon, highlighting the risks of oil palm expansion in the world’s largest tropical forest, reports El Comercio. Between 2005 and 2011, Grupo Romero, a Peruvian conglomerate, converted thousands of lowland rainforest for three oil palm plantations in northeastern Peru despite a […]
E.U. may eliminate subsidies for crop-based biofuels
The palm oil industry has been lobbying Europe to allow palm oil-based biofuels to qualify as a low carbon fuel. But environmentalists say substantial amounts of palm oil production occurs at the expense of tropical forests. Here rainforest in Borneo is being cleared and burned for an oil palm plantation. Photo taken in May 2012 […]
Palm oil industry hires lobbying powerhouse to overturn EPA ruling on biofuels
Palm oil facility in Sumatra, Indonesia. The palm oil industry has hired lobbying powerhouse Holland & Knight to help overturn the Environmental Protection Agency’s finding that palm oil-based biodiesel fails to meet greenhouse gas emissions targets under the country’s Renewable Fuels Standard, reports The Hill. “Lobbying disclosure records show that the Malaysian Palm Oil Council, […]
Palm oil industry lobbies EPA to reverse palm oil biofuel findings
Deforestation for oil palm, which is used to produce palm oil, in Sumatra. PHoto by Rhett A. Butler Wilmar International, the world’s largest palm oil processor and trader, has hired a major lobbying firm to overturn the Environmental Protection Agency’s ruling that palm oil-based biodiesel will not meet greenhouse gas emissions standards under America’s Renewable […]
Surging demand for vegetable oil drives rainforest destruction
Clearing for soy in the Brazilian Amazon Surging demand for vegetable oil has emerged as an important driver of tropical deforestation over the past two decades and is threatening biodiversity, carbon stocks, and other ecosystem functions in some of the world’s most critical forest areas, warns a report published last week by the Union of […]
Palm oil does not meet U.S. renewable fuels standard, rules EPA
Oil palm plantations and rainforest in Malaysia The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ruled on Friday that palm oil-based biofuels will not meet the renewable fuels standard due to carbon emissions associated with deforestation, reports The Hill. According to a notice published Friday in the Federal Register, palm oil-based biodiesel fails to meet a requirement […]
Palm oil biofuel from peatlands has big climate impact, finds study
Biofuels produced from oil palm plantations established on tropical peatlands are a substantial source of greenhouse gas emissions, reports a comprehensive new assessment conducted for the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT). The research, based on a literature review and analysis of scientific methods used to derive emissions estimates, concludes that palm oil produced in […]
Could palm oil help save the Amazon? (2011)
This article is a longer version of story that appeared at Yale e360: In Brazil, Palm Oil Plantations Could Help Preserve Amazon. For years now, environmentalists have become accustomed to associating palm oil with large-scale destruction of rainforests across Malaysia and Indonesia. Campaigners have linked palm oil-containing products like Girl Scout cookies and soap products […]
Could palm oil help save the Amazon?
- For years now, environmentalists have become accustomed to associating palm oil with large-scale destruction of rainforests across Malaysia and Indonesia.
- Campaigners have linked palm oil-containing products like Girl Scout cookies and soap products to smoldering peatlands and dead orangutans.
- Now with Brazil announcing plans to dramatically scale-up palm oil production in the Amazon, could the same fate befall Earth’s largest rainforest? With this potential there is a frenzy of activity in the Brazilian palm oil sector.
- Yet there is a conspicuous lack of hand wringing by environmentalists in the Amazon. The reason: done right, oil palm could emerge as a key component in the effort to save the Amazon rainforest. Responsible production there could even force changes in other parts of the world.
Brazilian mining giant buys Amazon palm oil company
Vale, a Brazilian mining giant, will buy palm oil producer Biopalma da Amazonia SA Reflorestamento Industria & Comercio, reports Bloomberg. The deal, valued at $173.5 million, will enable the mining company to run more of its operations on palm oil biodiesel. Vale began its palm oil push in 2009 when it formed a partnership with […]
Longtime target of green groups, Cargill, to supply sustainably-certified palm oil to Unilever
Agriculture giant Cargill has announced an agreement to supply Unilever with 10,000 metric tons of palm oil sustainably-certified from the Round Table for Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO). Cargill has often come under fire from green groups for being linked to the rainforest destruction. The Dutch-English company Unilever—the world’s biggest buyer of palm oil—has been trying […]
UE amanatkan standar lingkungan biofuel untuk lindungi hutan dan lahan basah
UE kini bergerak untuk membuat standar lingkungan untuk biofuel yang digunakan di Eropa, mensyaratkan biofuel untuk memberikan “pengurangan substansial” pada emisi gas rumah kaca dan tidak menghasilkan perubahan fungsi hutan atau lahan basah, menurut pernyataan dari Komisi Eropa. Rencana ini meminta industri, pemerintah, dan LSM untuk menyiapkan “skema sukarela” yang memberikan sertifikasi bahwa biofuel yang […]
EU mandates biofuel environmental standards to protect forests, wetlands
The E.U. today moved to establish environmental standards for biofuels used in Europe, requiring biofuels to deliver “substantial reductions” in greenhouse gas emissions and not result in conversion of forests or wetlands, according to a statement from the European Commission. The plan calls for industry, governments and NGOs to set up “voluntary schemes” which certify […]
Brazil luncurkan dorongan besar untuk minyak kelapa berkelanjutan di Amazon
Usaha minyak kelapa “yang berkesinambungan” dapat menekan Malaysia dan Indonesia dalam prestasi di area lingkungan hidup dari minyak sayur yang banyak digunakan. Presiden Brazil Lula da Silva, hari Kamis menjelaskan rencana untuk memperluas produksi minyak kelapa di Amazon sambil meminimalkan resiko di hutan hutan terbesar di dunia, lapor Globo dan Terra Brasil. Rencana ini, disebut […]
Brazil launches major push for sustainable palm oil in the Amazon
“Sustainable” palm oil effort may pressure Malaysia and Indonesia on environmental performance of widely used vegetable oil. Brazilian President Lula da Silva on Thursday laid out plans to expand palm oil production in the Amazon while minimizing risk to Earth’s largest rainforest, reports Globo and Terra Brasil. The plan, called the Program for Sustainable Production […]
UK failing to meet biofuel sustainability standard
Only 4 percent of biofuel imported for use in the UK — and 20 percent of biofuel used overall — meets the environmental sustainability standard set by the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RFTO), reports a new assessment from the Renewable Fuels Agency. The report found Britain exceeded its overall biofuel target of 2.5 percent of […]
US subsidies of oil and coal more than double the subsidies of renewable energy
During the fiscal years of 2002-2008 the United States handed out subsidies to fossil fuel industries to a tune of 72 billion dollars, while renewable energy subsidies, during the same period, reached 29 billion dollars. Conducted by the Environmental Law Institute (ELI) in partnership with the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, the research shows […]
Concerns over deforestation may drive new approach to cattle ranching in the Amazon
As the world’s biggest cattle producer, Brazil braces for change While you’re browsing the mall for running shoes, the Amazon rainforest is probably the farthest thing from your mind. Perhaps it shouldn’t be. The globalization of commodity supply chains has created links between consumer products and distant ecosystems like the Amazon. Shoes sold in downtown […]
Oil companies in the UK are big users of palm oil biodiesel
British motorists are unwittingly big consumers of palm oil produced on rainforest lands in southeast Asia, reports The Times. A dozen oil companies provided 123 million liters of palm oil to gas stations around Britain in the year ended April 2009, according to government figures obtained by The Times. 64 million liters came from from […]
Will hydrocarbon biofuels replace gasoline and ethanol?
In a Perspectives piece in Science, John R. Regalbuto argues that the world will soon see a revolution in biofuels, but not those made from corn. Instead Regalbuto, program director of Catalysis and Biocatalysis at the National Science Foundation, says that the future of biofuels is in substances that can be converted into liquid hydrocarbons, […]
Issues around palm oil development prove complex, controversial
A new report from published by the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) highlights the benefits — and controversies — of large-scale expansion of oil palm agriculture in Southeast Asia. The review, titled “The impacts and opportunities of oil palm in Southeast Asia: What do we know and what do we need to know?”, notes […]
LUSH cosmetics launches campaign against palm oil
LUSH Cosmetics, a leading cosmetics-maker, will no longer use palm oil due to environmental concerns over its production. LUSH, which is now selling a palm oil-free soap, has launched a two-pronged campaign to make consumers aware of the impacts of palm cultivation on tropical forests and encourage other consumer-products companies, including Procter & Gamble, Unilever […]
Limit palm oil development to lands that store less than 40 tons of carbon/ha – study
A new study finds oil palm plantations store less carbon than previously believed, suggesting that palm oil produced through the conversion of tropical forests carries a substantial carbon debt. The study, conducted at two sites in Sumatra and Kalimantan by scientists at the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF), found that mature oil palm plantations store less […]
Smart biofuels that don’t hurt people or the environment are possible
Sustainable biofuels can be a reality but only in combination with reductions in fuel demand and increased productivity on existing agricultural lands, argue researchers writing in the journal Science. Five years ago biofuels were seen as a panacea for the world’s energy hunger and the need to address climate change, but increased production of biofuels […]
China to establish giant oil palm plantation in DR Congo
ZTE Agribusiness Company Ltd, a Chinese firm, plans to establish a one million hectare oil palm plantation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) for biofuel production, reports China state media. Zhang Peng, ZTE’s regional manager, told Xinhua that the plantation could yield up to 5 million tons of palm oil per year, 90 […]
Brazilian miner Vale signs $500M palm oil deal in the Amazon
Vale, the world’s largest miner of iron ore, has signed a $500 million joint venture with Biopalma da Amazonia to produce 160,000 metric tons of palm oil-based biodiesel per year, reports Reuters. Vale says the deal will save $150 million in fuel costs starting in 2014, with palm oil biodiesel replacing up to 20 percent […]
Rich countries buy up agricultural land in poor countries
Over two-and-half million hectares in the Democratic Republic of the Congo; half a million hectares in Tanzania; and a quarter of a million hectares in Libya: these figures represent just some of the recent international land deals where wealthy countries buy up land in poorer nations for food, and sometimes biofuel, production. The controversial trend […]
Bioelectricity bests ethanol on two fronts: land use and global warming
Yesterday the Obama Administration established a Biofuels Interagency Working Group to oversee implementation of new rules and research regarding biofuels. On the group’s first day they would do well to look at a new study in Science Magazine comparing the efficacy of ethanol versus bioelectricity. Researchers compared ethanol and bioelectricity in terms of miles per […]
Sime Darby signs palm oil deal in Liberia
Sime Darby, a Malaysian palm oil producer, will invest $800 million in palm oil and rubber plantations in Liberia, reports Reuters. The deal will cover 200,000 hectares (500,000 acres) in the West African country. 80 percent of the investment would go towards development of Liberia’s palm oil industry, while the balance would be used to […]
Malaysian palm oil targets the Amazon
Update: Did Malaysia cancel plans for palm oil development in the Amazon? Malaysia’s Land Development Authority FELDA will soon break ground on a joint venture with a Brazilian firm to establish 30,000-100,000 hectares (75,000 – 250,000 acres) of oil palm plantations in the heart of the Amazon rainforest, reports the Malaysian Star. Brazil’s Ambassador to […]
80% of agricultural expansion since 1980 came at expense of forests
More than half of cropland expansion between 1980 and 2000 occurred at the expense of natural forests, while another 30 percent of occurred in disturbed forests, reported a Stanford University researcher presenting Saturday at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in Chicago. Holly Gibbs, formerly of the University […]
Finland, Sweden push for loophole that would drive destruction of peatlands around the world
Finland, Sweden push for loophole that would drive destruction of peatlands around the world Finland, Sweden push for loophole that would drive destruction of peatlands around the world mongabay.com December 9, 2008
Degraded grasslands better option for palm oil production relative to rainforests, finds study
Degraded grasslands best for palm oil biofuel production, finds study Degraded grasslands better option for palm oil production relative to rainforests, finds study Rhett A. Butler, mongabay.com December 3, 2008
Fall in palm oil price may lead to industry consolidation
Fall in palm oil price may lead to industry consolidation Fall in palm oil price may lead to industry consolidation Rhett A. Butler, mongabay.com December 2, 2008
Biodiversity of rainforests should not be compared with oil palm plantations says palm oil council chief
Scientists should not compare biodiversity of rainforests with oil palm plantations says palm oil council chief Biodiversity of rainforests should not be compared with oil palm plantations says palm oil council chief mongabay.com November 11, 2008 Dr. Yusof Basiron, the controversial CEO of the Malaysian Palm Oil Council (MPOC), blogs about the sustainability of palm […]
First RSPO-certified (“eco-friendly”) palm oil shipment to arrive in Europe
First RSPO-certified (“eco-friendly”) palm oil shipment to arrive in Europe First RSPO-certified (“eco-friendly”) palm oil shipment to arrive in Europe mongabay.com November 10, 2008
EU’s sustainable biofuels push angers Malaysia, Brazil
EU’s sustainable biofuels push angers Malaysia, Brazil EU’s sustainable biofuels push angers Malaysia, Brazil mongabay.com November 7, 2008
Rainforest fungus generates biodiesel, may drive energy of the future
Rainforest fungus generates biodiesel, may drive energy of the future Rainforest fungus generates biodiesel, may drive energy of the future Jeremy Hance, mongabay.com November 4, 2008
Palm oil industry relies on greenwashing to mislead consumers, alleges report
Palm oil industry relies on greenwashing to mislead consumers, alleges report Palm oil industry relies on greenwashing to mislead consumers, alleges report mongabay.com October 8, 2008
Europe cuts biofuel targets to 4% in 2015, 6% in 2020
Europe cuts biofuel targets to 4% in 2015, 6% in 2020 Europe cuts biofuel targets to 4% in 2015, 6% in 2020 mongabay.com September 12, 2008 The European Union significantly reduces targets for biofuels produced from food sources, while boosting goals for other renewables The E.U. voted to relax biofuels targets following widespread criticism of […]
Palm oil producers in Indonesia reject moratorium on forest destruction
Palm oil producers in Indonesia reject moratorium on forest destruction Palm oil producers in Indonesia reject moratorium on forest destruction mongabay.com August 28, 2008 Palm oil companies operating in Indonesia have rejected a proposed moratorium on clearing forests and peatlands for oil palm plantations, reports the Jakarta Post. The Indonesian Palm Oil Producers Association (GAPKI) […]
Biofuels 200 times more expensive than forest conservation for global warming mitigation
Biofuels up to 200 times more expensive than forest conservation for global warming mitigation Biofuels 200 times more expensive than forest conservation for global warming mitigation mongabay.com August 27, 2008 The British government should end subsidies for biofuels and instead use the funds to slow destruction of rainforests and tropical peatlands argues a new report […]
Algae could yield 30 times more biofuel than soybeans, while cleaning the environment
Algae could yield 30 times more biofuel than soybeans, while cleaning the environment Algae could yield 30 times more biofuel than soybeans, while cleaning the environment mongabay.com August 15, 2008 Algae could be used as a biofuel while simultaneously cleaning up the environment, report researchers at the University of Virginia. By feeding algae extra carbon […]
Facing criticism, biofuels industry forms new lobby group to influence lawmakers
Facing criticism, biofuels industry forms new lobby group to influence lawmakers Facing criticism, biofuels industry forms new lobby group to influence lawmakers mongabay.com July 25, 2008 Under attack by politicians, aid groups, and environmentalists for driving up food prices and fueling destruction of ecologically sensitive habitats, some of the world’s largest agroindustrial firms have formed […]
Biofuels can reduce emissions, but not when grown in place of rainforests
Biofuels can reduce emissions, but not when grown in place of rainforests Biofuels can reduce emissions, but not when grown in place of rainforests mongabay.com July 22, 2008 Biofuels meant to help alleviate greenhouse gas emissions may be in fact contributing to climate change when grown on converted tropical forest lands, warns a comprehensive study […]
Beyond high food prices, little to show for $11B/yr in biofuel support, says OECD report
Beyond high food prices, little to show for $11B/yr in biofuel support, says OECD report Beyond high food prices, little to show for $11B/yr in biofuel support, says OECD report mongabay.com July 17, 2008 Government support of biofuel production in rich countries is squandering vast amounts of amounts of money while exacerbating the global food […]
Palm oil industry moves into the Amazon rainforest
Palm oil industry moves into the Amazon rainforest Amazon palm oil:Palm oil industry moves into the Amazon rainforest Rhett Butler, mongabay.com July 9, 2008 Malaysia’s Land Development Authority FELDA has announced plans to immediately establish 100,000 hectares (250,000) of oil palm plantations in the Brazilian Amazon. The agency will partner with Braspalma, a local company, […]
Britain urges ‘cautious approach’ on biofuels
Britain urges ‘cautious approach’ on biofuels Britain urges ‘cautious approach’ on biofuels mongabay.com July 7, 2008 Britain and the E.U. should exercise caution in pushing for wider use of biofuels, warns a new study commissioned by the U.K. government. The report — dubbed the “Gallagher review” [PDF] for Ed Gallagher, the chair of the government’s […]
Biofuel production on abandoned lands could meet 8% of global energy needs
Biofuel production on abandoned lands could meet 20% of global oil demand Biofuel production on abandoned lands could meet 20% of global oil demand mongabay.com June 23, 2008 Using abandoned agricultural lands for biofuel production will meet only a small fraction of global energy needs without compromising food supplies or diminishing biologically-rich habitats, reports a […]
Nestle Chairman: Biofuels are “ethically indefensible”
Is global drying a higher priority than global warming? Nestle Chairman: Biofuels are “ethically indefensible” mongabay.com June 14, 2008 The emergence and expansion of biofuels produced from food crops has exacerabted world’s agriculture and water crisis and is a bigger short-term threat than global warming, argued Peter Brabeck-Letmathe in an editorial published Thursday in the […]
Cellulosic biofuels may be viable alternative to gas within 5 years
Cellulosic biofuels may be viable alternative to gas within 5 years High fuel prices to make cellulosic biofuels increasingly competitive with gas Madolyn Rogers, special to mongabay.com June 2, 2008 A new institute in the San Francisco Bay Area is seeking to make cellulosic biofuel an economically viable alternative to corn ethanol and gasoline within […]
Biofuels expansion in Africa may impact rainforests, wetlands
Biofuels expansion in Africa may impact rainforests, wetlands Biofuels expansion in Africa may impact rainforests, wetlands mongabay.com May 28, 2008 Biofuel feedstock expansion in Africa will likely come at the expense of ecologically-sensitive lands, reports a new analysis presented by Wetlands International at the Convention of Biological Diversity in Bonn. The study, titled Biofuel production […]
Next gen biofuels could decimate rainforests
Next gen biofuels could decimate rainforests Next gen biofuels could decimate rainforests mongabay.com May 27, 2008 Next generation biofuels could decimate tropical forests says a leading ecologist from the University of Minnesota. Speaking at Stanford University on May 15, Dr. David Tilman said cellulosic ethanol technologies that convert biomass directly into biofuels could put new […]
Will consumers pay 10% premium for sustainable palm oil?
Will consumers pay 10% premium for sustainable palm oil? 10% premium for sustainable palm oil? mongabay.com May 21, 2008 Will consumers pay a premium for a product that is less damaging to the environment? The palm oil industry intends to find out whether buyers will put their money where there mouth is. The first shipments […]
Half of oil palm expansion in Malaysia, Indonesia occurs at expense of forests
Half of oil palm expansion in Malaysia, Indonesia occurs at expense of forests Half of oil palm expansion in Malaysia, Indonesia occurs at expense of forests mongabay.com May 20, 2008 More than half of the oil palm expansion between 1990 and 2005 in Malaysia and Indonesia occurred at expense of forests, reports a new analysis […]
Global ban on biofuels would lead to immediate decline in food prices
Global ban on biofuels would lead to immediate decline in food prices Global ban on biofuels would lead to immediate decline in food prices mongabay.com May 16, 2008 A global moratorium on biofuels produced from food crops would result in a significant decline in the price of corn, sugar, cassava and wheat by 2010, according […]
High palm oil prices kill the biodiesel market for Asia
High palm oil prices kill the biodiesel market for Asia High palm oil prices kill the biodiesel market for Asia mongabay.com May 1, 2008 High palm oil prices have forced investors to shelve plans for biodiesel refineries, according to The Wall Street Journal. With the feedstock accounting for as much as 80 percent of the […]
UN: biofuels are starving the poor by driving up food prices
UN: biofuels are starving the poor by driving up food prices UN: biofuels are starving the poor by driving up food prices mongabay.com February 14, 2008 Echoing sentiments increasingly expressed by politicians, scientists, and advocates for the poor, the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization warned that the world’s poorest people are suffering as a result […]
Malaysia announces $103B development plan for Borneo island
Malaysia announces $103B development plan for Borneo island state Malaysia announces $103B development plan for Borneo island mongabay.com February 13, 2008 Malaysia announced a $103 billion development plan for Sarawak, a state in northern Borneo. The initiative calls for massive investment in heavy industries, including biodiesel production in the form of jatropha and palm oil, […]
Biofuels are worsening global warming
Biofuels are worsening global warming Biofuels are worsening global warming Rhett Butler, mongabay.com February 7, 2008 Converting native ecosystems for production of biofuel feed stocks is worsening the greenhouse gas emissions they are intended to mitigate, reports a pair of studies published in the journal Science. The studies follow a series of reports that have […]
Sustainability mandated for biofuels used in the EU
Sustainability mandated for biofuels used in the EU Sustainability mandated for biofuels used in the EU mongabay.com January 24, 2008 Biofuels used in the European Union will have meet strict environmental requirements said the head of the E.U.’s energy program on Wednesday. At a news conference in Brussels, European Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs said the […]
Palm oil industry prepares green initiative to counter criticism
Global food and consumer goods giants are backing a plan to certify that palm oil is produced in a way that doesn’t drive destruction of tropical rainforests, reports The Wall Street Journal. The move comes as the palm industry is facing increasing scrutiny — and consumer backlash — for its practices which scientists say are […]
U.S. biofuels policy drives deforestation in Indonesia, the Amazon
U.S. biofuels policy drives deforestation in Indonesia, the Amazon U.S. biofuels policy drives deforestation in Indonesia, the Amazon Rhett A. Butler, mongabay.com January 17, 2008 U.S. incentives for biofuel production are promoting deforestation in southeast Asia and the Amazon by driving up crop prices and displacing energy feedstock production, say researchers. William Laurance, a senior […]
DR Congo has great potential for biofuels says U.N. official
DR Congo has great potential for biofuels says U.N. official DR Congo has great potential for biofuels says U.N. official mongabay.com January 9, 2008 A UN economist is touting the potential of DR Congo for industrial biofuels production, reports Reuters. In a telephone interview, Dr Schmidhuber said the worn-torn country could devote millions of acres […]
Orangutan should become symbol of palm-oil opposition
Orangutan should become symbol of palm-oil opposition Orangutan should become symbol of palm-oil opposition Rhett A. Butler, mongabay.com January 2, 2008 Organutans could serve as a symbol to unite conservationists against damaging palm-oil production. In a letter published today in Nature, Oscar Venter, Erik Meijaard and Kerrie Wilson argue that proposals for conservation groups to […]
New process turns chicken fat into biodiesel
New process turns chicken fat into biodiesel New process turns chicken fat into biodiesel mongabay.com December 20, 2007 Chemical engineers at the University of Arkansas have devised a way to convert chicken fat into biodiesel fuel. The process advances efforts to “develop commercially viable fuel out of plentiful, accessible and low-cost feedstocks and other agricultural […]
Palm oil is a net source of CO2 emissions when produced on peatlands
Palm oil is a net source of CO2 emissions when produced on peatlands Palm oil is a net source of CO2 emissions when produced on peatlands mongabay.com December 17, 2007 “Solution” to global warming is worse than fossil fuels in terms of emissions. Study finds one ton of palm oil produced on peatland generates 15 […]
Cooking oil, palm oil biodiesel can reduce emissions relative to diesel
Cooking oil, palm oil biodiesel can reduce emissions relative to diesel Cooking oil, palm oil biodiesel can reduce emissions relative to diesel mongabay.com November 28, 2007 A lifecycle analysis of biodiesel by Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) shows that using palm oil derived from existing plantations can be an effective biofuel feedstock […]
UN says palm oil destroys forests, indigenous cultures in Indonesia, Malaysia
UN says palm oil destroys forests, indigenous cultures in Indonesia, Malaysia UN says palm oil destroys forests, indigenous cultures in Indonesia, Malaysia mongabay.com November 27, 2007 Europe’s demand for supposedly eco-friendly biodiesel is fueling destruction of biodiverse rainforests and threatening indigenous populations in southeast Asia, warns a new report from the United Nations Development Programme […]
Dutch: no subsidies for biofuels-driven rainforest destruction
Dutch: no subsidies for biofuels-driven rainforest destruction Dutch: no subsidies for biofuels-driven rainforest destruction mongabay.com October 31, 2007 The Dutch government will exclude palm oil from “green energy” subsidies as growing evidence suggests that palm oil is often less sustainable than advertised. Key to the decision was research presented by Wetlands International that showed the […]
Does palm oil alleviate rural poverty in Malaysia?
Are the economic benefits of palm oil exaggerated? Does palm oil alleviate rural poverty in Malaysia? Rhett A. Butler, mongabay.com October 24, 2007 While it is often argued that the economic benefits of oil palm plantations outweigh the environmental costs of converting biodiverse ecosystems to monocultures, new analysis suggests that the role of plantations in […]
Biodiesel demand could destroy world’s forests
Biodiesel demand could destroy world’s forests Biodiesel demand could destroy world’s forests Rhett A. Butler, mongabay.com October 4, 2007 Growing demand for biodiesel could drive large-scale forest conversion for energy crops, warns a study published in Conservation Biology. With petroleum supplies expected to peak in the next 5-30 years and growing concern over climate change, […]
Environmentalists and palm oil producers should work together
Environmentalists and palm oil producers should work together Environmentalists and palm oil producers should work together Rhett A. Butler, mongabay.com September 25, 2007 This editorial was pubished in the Jakarta Post on September 25, 2007 It was titled “How green is palm oil?”. Environmentalists and palm-oil producers are increasingly at odds. Greens groups say palm […]
China urged to join sustainable soy efforts in the Amazon
China urged to join sustainable soy efforts in the Amazon China urged to join sustainable soy efforts in the Amazon mongabay.com September 12, 2007 Brazilian soy crushers have urged China to join an alliance to promote sustainable soybean production in the Amazon, according to Reuters. “Sustainability is a huge issue,” Robert Broeska, president of International […]
Investigation finds evidence of Borneo forest clearing for palm oil
Investigation finds destruction of orangutan habitat for oil palm in Borneo Investigation finds destruction of orangutan habitat for oil palm in Borneo mongabay.com September 2, 2007 Chart showing annual palm oil production by Malaysia and Indonesia from 1964-2006. Click to enlarge. An Associated Press investigation found evidence of workers opening up rainforest land for new […]
Guidelines to ensure biofuels production won’t hurt the environment
Guidelines to ensure biofuels production won’t hurt the environment Guidelines to ensure biofuels production won’t hurt the environment mongabay.com August 30, 2007 Environmentalists have long seen biofuels as a means to improve the sustainability of transportation and energy use since they are a renewable source of energy that can be replenished on an ongoing basis. […]
How private equity can profit from carbon offsets in Indonesia
How private equity can profit from carbon offsets in Indonesia How private equity can profit from carbon offsets in Indonesia Rhett Butler, mongabay.com editorial August 29, 2007 The emerging carbon market for avoided deforestation presents unprecedented opportunities for private equity to make profitable investments that also help protect the environment. Indeed, for the first time, […]
NGOs should use palm oil to drive conservation
NGOs should use palm oil to drive conservation NGOs should use palm oil to drive conservation Rhett A. Butler, mongabay.com August 29, 2007 Environmentalists view the expansion of oil palm plantations in southeast Asia as one of the greatest threats to the region’s forests and biodiversity. Campaigners say oil palm is driving the conversion of […]
Indonesia’s peatlands may offer U.S. firms global warming offsets
Indonesia’s peatlands may offer U.S. firms global warming offsets Indonesia’s peatlands may offer U.S. firms global warming offsets How to Convince a Company to Protect Peatlands and Climate Rhett A. Butler, mongabay.com August 29, 2007 The following is modified version of a letter I’ve used to pitch U.S. companies on the concept of carbon finance […]
With Corn ethanol more costly than oil, is Jatropha a better biofuel?
With Corn ethanol more expensive than oil, is Jatropha the solution? With Corn ethanol more costly than oil, is Jatropha a better biofuel? mongabay.com August 24, 2007 Jatropha may be a more economic biofuel than corn-based ethanol, reported the The Wall Street Journal on Friday, citing research from Goldman Sachs. Analysis of the bioenergy market […]
Could peatlands conservation be more profitable than palm oil?
Could peatlands conservation be more profitable than palm oil? Could peatlands conservation be more profitable than palm oil? Rhett Butler and Sarah Conway mongabay.com August 22, 2007 On August 22, 2007 an edited version of this editorial appeared in the Jakarta Post. What follows is the original version. This past June, World Bank published a […]
Biofuels driving destruction of Brazilian cerrado
Biofuels driving destruction of Cerrado savanna in Brazil Biofuels driving destruction of Brazilian cerrado Rhett Butler, mongabay.com August 21, 2007 Demand for biofuels is driving the destruction of Brazil’s cerrado, one of the planet’s most biodiverse savanna ecosystems. The cerrado, wooded grassland in Brazil that once covered an area half the size of Europe, is […]
conservation more effective than biofuels for fighting global warming
Conservation more effective than biofuels for fighting global warming Conservation more effective than biofuels for fighting global warming mongabay.com August 15, 2007 Conserving forests and grasslands may be a more effective land-use strategy for fighting climate change than growing biofuel crops argues a new paper published in the journal Science. Comparing emissions from various fuel […]
Is peat swamp worth more than palm oil plantations?
Is peat swamp worth more than palm oil plantations? Is peat swamp worth more than palm oil plantations? Rhett A. Butler, mongabay.com July 16, 2007 [Jakarta Post version published Aug 22] Jump to the results Could peat swamp be worth more intact for their carbon value than palm oil plantations for their oil? Quick analysis […]
McDonald’s bolsters eco credentials with recycled biodiesel
McDonald’s bolsters “green” credentials with recycled biodiesel oil McDonald’s bolsters green credentials with recycled biodiesel mongabay.com July 9, 2007 McDonald’s Corp. (Public, NYSE:MCD), the fast-food chain, has bolstered its “green” credentials by announcing that its UK distribution fleet will be powered by biodiesel made of recycled cooking oil from its restaurants. While the move is […]
98% of orangutan habitat gone in next 15 years
UN: 98% of Indonesia’s rainforests gone in next 15 years 98% of orangutan habitat gone in next 15 years Rhett A. Butler, mongabay.com June 11, 2007 Indonesia is losing more than 2.1 million hectares (5.2 million acres) of forest a year to illegal loggers, states a new report from the U.N. Environment Program (UNEP). The […]
Can cattle ranchers and soy farmers save the Amazon?
- An Interview with John Cain Carter.
- The key to making conservation successful is making it profitable. John Carter may hold that key.
Indonesia: No more rainforest clearing for palm oil
Indonesia: No more rainforest clearing for palm oil Indonesia: No more rainforest clearing for palm oil mongabay.com June 5, 2007 Indonesian Minister for Environment Rachmat Witoelar said Indonesia will not allow palm oil producers to clear primary forests for establishing plantations, reports Bloomberg. “Expansion of palm oil plantations will not be allowed to sacrifice natural […]
Globalization could save the Amazon rainforest
Globalization could save the Amazon rainforest An interview with Dr. Daniel Nepstad: Amazon rainforest at a tipping point But globalization could help save it Rhett A. Butler, mongabay.com June 4, 2007 The Amazon basin is home to the world’s largest rainforest, an ecosystem that supports perhaps 30 percent of the world’s terrestrial species, stores vast […]
EU will demand sustainable biofuel production
EU will demand sustainable biofuel production EU will demand sustainable biofuel production mongabay.com May 24, 2007 The European Commission is planning new criteria to ensure that biofuels are produced in an environmentally-friendly manner, reports Reuters. The move comes a month after the Dutch issued voluntary guidelines for biofuel production. “We want to define a minimum […]
Environmental concerns mount as palm oil production grows
Environmental concerns mount as palm oil production surges Environmental concerns mount as palm oil production surges Key points on the environmental impact of palm oil Rhett A. Butler, mongabay.com May 15, 2007 The booming market for palm oil is driving record production but fueling rising concerns over the environmental impact of the supposedly “green” bioenergy […]
UN warns on dangers of bioenergy
UN warns on dangers of bioenergy UN warns on dangers of bioenergy mongabay.com May 9, 2007 Biofuels offer “an extraordinary opportunity” to reduce greenhouse gas emissions but could make “substantial demands on the world’s land and water resources at a time when demand for both food and forest products is also rising rapidly,” said the […]
Massive oil palm expansion planned by Indonesia’s richest man
Massive oil palm expansion planned by Indonesia’s richest man Massive oil palm expansion planned by Indonesia’s richest man mongabay.com May 8, 2007 Indonesia’s richest man plans to spend $4 billion to expand his company’s palm oil, energy, and pulp and paper holdings, according to a report from Reuters. Sukanto Tanoto, head of RGM International and […]
Cleantech investment booms, but energy tech bubble looms
Cleantech investment booms, but energy tech bubble looms Cleantech investment booms, but energy tech bubble looms mongabay.com April 30, 2007 Investors are pouring money into clean technology, with spending on R&D rising to $48 billion in 2006, up 9 percent from 2005, reports a new study by Lux Research, an emerging technology research and advisory […]
Dutch plan restricts biofuels that damage environment
Dutch plan restricts biofuels that damage environment Dutch plan restricts biofuels that damage environment mongabay.com April 29, 2007 The Netherlands has proposed a system to reduce the environmental impact of biofuels production. The country becomes the first in the world to establish such guidelines. Environmentalists have expressed increasing concern for the establishment of energy crops […]
Dutch will demand rainforest-friendly palm oil
Dutch will demand rainforest-friendly palm oil Dutch will demand rainforest-friendly palm oil mongabay.com April 27, 2007 In a report scheduled to be released today, the Dutch government will outline criteria for growing biofuels in a more sustainable manner. The guidelines will be closely watched by the rest of Europe, which is currently struggling with the […]
Biodiesel may worsen global warming relative to petroleum diesel
Biodiesel may worsen global warming relative to petroleum diesel Biodiesel may worsen global warming relative to petroleum diesel mongabay.com April 23, 2007 Biodiesel and petroleum diesel have similar environmental impact Biodiesel made from rapeseed could increase rather than reduce greenhouse emissions compared to conventional diesel fuels, reports a new study published in the journal Chemistry […]
Biodiesel Moves to the Energy Mainstream
Biodiesel Moves to the Energy Mainstream Biodiesel Moves to the Energy Mainstream Mississippi State University August 14, 2006 Country music legend Willie Nelson and biological engineer San Fernando have a lot in common. The common link between the singer and the Mississippi State University professor is biodiesel, a fuel for diesel engines produced by blending […]
Soybean biodiesel has higher net energy benefit than corn ethanol
Soybean biodiesel has higher net energy benefit than corn ethanol – study Soybean biodiesel has higher net energy benefit than corn ethanol – study But neither can do much to meet U.S. energy demand University of Minnesota July 11, 2006 The first comprehensive analysis of the full life cycles of soybean biodiesel and corn grain […]
Indonesia to have first biodiesel plant by 2008
Indonesia to have first biodiesel plant by 2008 Indonesia to have first biodiesel plant by 2008 mongabay.com May 21, 2006 Indonesia plans to complete its first biodiesel plant by 2008. The $25 million plant, built by PT Bakrie Sumatera Plantations Tbk (BSP) and PT Rekayasa Industri (Rekin), will have a capacity of 60,000 to 100,000 […]
Why is palm oil replacing tropical rainforests?
Why is oil palm replacing tropical rainforests Why is oil palm replacing tropical rainforests? Why are biofuels fueling deforestation? Rhett A. Butler, mongabay.com April 25, 2006 [Update] In a word, economics, though deeper analysis of a proposal in Indonesia suggests that oil palm development might be a cover for something more lucrative—logging. Recently much has […]
Biofuels can replace about 30 percent of fuel needs
Biofuels can replace about 30 percent of fuel needs Biofuels can replace about 30 percent of fuel needs Georgia Institute of Technology February 1, 2006 With world oil demand growing, supplies dwindling and the potential for weather- and conflict-related supply interruptions, other types of fuels and technologies are needed to help pick up the slack. […]
High oil prices make Asia pursue green energy
High oil prices make Asia pursue green energy High oil prices make Asia pursue green energy By David Fogarty Reuters September 9, 2005 For energy-hungry Asian governments, the answer could literally be blowing in the wind. Across the region, renewable energy such as solar, wind and geothermal power is gaining ever greater credence as a […]
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