This briefing paper reviews evidence of the impacts of the U.S. Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) on food prices, with a focus on corn and soy, and presents new analysis on the impact of the RFS on U.S. livestock farmers. Studies examining the relationship between food prices and biofuel demand conclude …
The State government is contemplating providing 50 per cent subsidy to the citizens willing to use solar lights. The chief minister has agreed to issue a government order to this effect soon, according to Ananth Hegde Ashisara, the chairperson of the Western Ghats Task Force. Speaking to media after submitting …
The Khyber Pakthunkhwa Government will install 436 bio gas plants in current fiscal year in Khyber Pakthunkhwa keeping In view its rich potential as low cost fuel for heating and power generation. Official sources in Industries Department told media on Sunday the plants would be installed in six districts of …
US senators and about 20 countries met in Washington this week to oppose Europe's decision to charge airlines for their carbon emissions by including them in its emissions trading scheme (ETS). This "coalition of the unwilling" failed to agree on a joint declaration, but a US spokesman said: "The meeting …
New Delhi Cutting back on travelling, using renewable bio-fuels, thinking twice before firing up that laptop are among activities that can not just contribute to greening the planet but could get you also hefty discounts on trendy apparel and other major branded goods. Following international trends, stores in India are …
Developing countries are bracing themselves for the worst effects of rising corn, soy and wheat prices on their poorest people. One of the worst hot-spots is Yemen which is heavily dependent on food imports, including for 90% of its wheat, and where 10m people are hungry today and some 267,000 …
This publication provides the summary and conclusions from the workshop ‘Future Biomass-based Transport Fuels’ held in conjunction with the meeting of the Executive Committee of IEA Bioenergy in Helsinki, Finland, on 10 May 2011. The purpose of the workshop was to provide the Executive Committee with perspectives on the likely …
Global emissions of CO2 increased by 3% last year, reaching an all-time high of 34 billion tonnes in 2011, according to this report released by European Commission. Top emitters contributing to this increase in CO2 are China, US, EU, India, the Russia & Japan. This report discusses the results of …
World farm production must rise 60 per cent by 2050 to meet the needs of a growing population but this has to happen in a “more sustainable way”, the U.N. food agency FAO and the OECD said on Wednesday. “It’s mostly going to be about productivity”, said Angel Gurria, head …
The eighteenth edition of the Agricultural Outlook provides projections to 2021 for the major agricultural commodities and biofuels as well as fish and seafood. Recent market trends and likely future developments are discussed in detail. This report foresees continuing high commodity prices and concerns over food price inflation. A special …
Karan Biofuel Limited, a joint venture company of Karan Ventures Private Limited and Rajkot-based Ronak Agrotech Engineering Pvt. Ltd. has tied up with Standard Bank of Kenya for carbon credit sale. Signed for next 10 years, the agreement will allow Karan Biofuel to sell 313,000 Kenyan certified emission reductions (CER) …
A voluntary tax on tourists who visit the luxury resorts and white sands of the Maldives could raise up to $100 million a year towards the country's aim to become carbon neutral by 2020, President Mohamed Waheed said. The Maldives is made up of 1,192 low-lying islands in the Indian …
Modern stations and facilities to open at B’lore and Mysore Home and Transport Minister R Ashoka said on Friday that 13,000 BMTC buses will be operating in Bangalore city within the next decade. Ashoka was speaking after laying the foundation for a new bus station in Yelahanka old town, and …
Going green Bio-fuel bunk to come up in Hassan district in three months. A green fuel outlet, the first of its kind in the country, would be opened at Madenur in Hassan district of Karnataka in three months, B Ramakrishna, executive chairman of Karnataka State Biofuel Development Board (KSBDB), has …
Aims to unseat Maharashtra from second spot in country The State would soon dislodge Maharashtra from the second spot in biofuel production in the country, by increasing its production to 200 million litres by this year end, said Y B Ramakrishna, executive chairman of Karnataka State Biofuel Development Board (KSBDB) …
Palm oil was once touted as a social and environmental panacea — a sustainable food crop, a biofuel that could help to cut greenhouse-gas emissions and a route out of poverty for small-scale farmers. In recent years, however, a growing body of research has questioned those credentials, presenting evidence that …
The Planning Commission, Government of India has set a target of 20 per cent blending of diesel with bio-diesel by the year 2012 to reduce the wide gap between demand and supply of petroleum products. This requires cultivating bio-diesel yielding crops on 11 M.ha to yield 13 M.t. of bio-diesel …
This new ADB report focuses on exposure and vulnerability of the energy sector to climate change. It identifies adaptation options available to each source of energy generation as well as for the distribution and end use of electrical energy. This report aims to highlight and raise awareness on the exposure …
A new report commissioned by ActionAid shows that biofuel targets set by the EU will lead directly to an increase in the prices of key agricultural commodities worldwide by 2020. And – while consumers around the world will see some increases in their food-related expenditure – it will be people …
The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Technology Needs Assessment (TNA) Project has released a guidebook titled “Technologies for Climate Change Mitigation: Agriculture Sector.” The guidebook describes crop and livestock management technologies and practices that contribute to climate change mitigation while improving crop productivity and reducing reliance on synthetic fertilizers. The guidebook …
The Sugarcane Breeding Institute has developed transgenic sugarcane incorporating gene constructs, said its Director, Dr N. Vijayan Nair. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of Sugarcane Breeding Institute-Indian Sugar Industry: National Interactive Workshop, Dr Nair said that it would take several years before the transgenic cane is released and commercialised. …
