EPA proposes higher biofuel blending volumes

The Environmental Protection Agency today released the proposed Renewable Fuels Standard “Set” rule, which increases the amount of ethanol and biofuels oil refiners must blend into fuel for the next three years. The announcement also includes series of important modifications to strengthen and expand the RFS program.

The agency's long-awaited proposal outlines overall blending mandates of 20.82 billion gallons in 2023, 21.87 billion gallons in 2024, and 22.68 billion gallons in 2025.

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What future fuel will you burn?

The engines of agriculture are diesel, mostly, and gas. But is that what you’ll burn in the future? Recently, Agco launched the Core engine line designed as a future-proof approach for a business that in the next decade could see some big changes in fuel sources to power farm equipment.

But where is that science going? And what might it mean for you?

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Petroleum industry, farm groups push E15

The ethanol industry has long been in conflict with the petroleum industry over blending the renewable fuel with gasoline, but that may be changing. This week a coalition of farm, and energy, groups sent a letter to congress in support of federal legislation to “apply the same fuel volatility limit to all conventional gasoline blends during the summer ozone control season.” In essence, they’re pushing for year-round E15 – often referred at retail locations as unleaded 88.


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First 100% bio-based 3D-printed home unveiled at the University of Maine

On Nov. 21, the University of Maine Advanced Structures and Composites Center (ASCC) unveiled BioHome3D, the first 3D-printed house made entirely with bio-based materials. BioHome3D was developed with funding from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Hub and Spoke program between the UMaine and Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Partners included MaineHousing and the Maine Technology Institute.


The 600-square-foot prototype features 3D-printed floors, walls and roof of wood fibers and bio-resins. The house is fully recyclable and highly insulated with 100% wood insulation and customizable R-values. Construction waste was nearly eliminated due to the precision of the printing process.


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U.N. Climate Talks End With a Deal to Pay Poor Nations for Damage

SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt — Diplomats from nearly 200 countries concluded two weeks of climate talks Sunday by agreeing to establish a fund that would help poor, vulnerable countries cope with climate disasters made worse by the greenhouse gases from wealthy nations.

The decision on payments for loss and damage caused by global warming represented a breakthrough on one of the most contentious issues at United Nations climate negotiations. For more than three decades, developing nations have pressed rich, industrialized countries to provide compensation for the costs of destructive storms, heat waves and droughts linked to rising temperatures.

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Ethanol helps keep lid on gas prices

SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt — Diplomats from nearly 200 countries concluded two weeks of climate talks Sunday by agreeing to establish a fund that would help poor, vulnerable countries cope with climate disasters made worse by the greenhouse gases from wealthy nations.

The decision on payments for loss and damage caused by global warming represented a breakthrough on one of the most contentious issues at United Nations climate negotiations. For more than three decades, developing nations have pressed rich, industrialized countries to provide compensation for the costs of destructive storms, heat waves and droughts linked to rising temperatures.

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This Plastic Packaging Alternative Can Compost in a Year

EVERY YEAR, PEOPLE in the United Kingdom throw away around 96 billion pieces of plastic packaging—an average household tosses 66 pieces every week. Almost half of this packaging waste ends up being incinerated, while a quarter is buried in landfills, according to a May 2022 survey by Everyday Plastic and Greenpeace. The scale of the waste is hard to fathom.

“The plastics crisis can be daunting,” says Insiya Jafferjee, the CEO and cofounder of packaging company Shellworks. Speaking at WIRED Impact in London this November, Jafferjee said that even small, seemingly simple pieces of plastic—such as scoops included in baby formula packaging—result in hundreds of millions of pieces of plastic waste every year. Shellworks was created to start making a dent in the amount of plastic packaging that gets thrown away. To do so, Jafferjee and cofounder Amir Afshar developed an entirely compostable material that can be used to package goods.

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No, Qatar’s World Cup Can’t Be Classed as Carbon-Neutral

SINCE CONTROVERSIALLY BEING awarded the 2022 FIFA World Cup back in 2010, Qatar has promised that the soccer tournament—which kicks off on November 20—will be carbon-neutral. This would be an impressive feat for any major sporting event, given the need to build new infrastructure, accommodate teams and fans, move them around, and run the actual games. But it is an even more daunting challenge in this small Gulf state. Qatar is heavily reliant on fossil fuels, is blisteringly hot, and had barely any suitable facilities prior to the event.

Nevertheless, its organizers insist the tournament will be carbon-neutral. Skepticism about this claim has understandably been rife, as have allegations of greenwashing. Qatar’s sustainability strategy, broadly speaking, relies first on minimizing emissions as best it can—which has obvious limitations, given the need to build stadiums from scratch and operate them with packed crowds in the desert—and then compensating for any remaining emissions using carbon credits. The practice of offsetting draws criticism at the best of times, but the methods and calculations used to get the Qatar World Cup to net-zero are particularly dubious.

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