Latest News

Today, during a visit to Menlo, Iowa’s POET Ethanol Plant, President Joe Biden announced the Environmental Protection Agency is planning a federal emergency waiver allowing sales of E15 ethanol throughout the summer.

Usually, E15 ethanol is only sold in most of the country from Sept. 16 to May 31. EPA plans to take final action to issue the emergency waiver closer to June 1. E15 is currently offered at 2,300 gas stations in the country, where it can serve as a more affordable source of fuel.

Click here to learn more

Scientists have found tiny pieces of plastic in the lungs of living humans, adding to concerns about the impact of microplastics on health.

Bits of plastic dust have been floating around our environment for as long as humans have been using plastic, but scientists have only recently started investigating how these particles may affect our health. Microplastics are by definition smaller than a pencil eraser, so humans and animals may inhale or ingest them without knowing.

Click here to learn more

We all know that plastic toys may be unnecessary or end up in the landfill, but it’s good to know that huge companies like Mattel are now using bioplastic and making their products more sustainable.

They debuted new certified CarbonNeutral toys this week from their popular MEGA BLOKS line for tots, and recently released a Matchbox Tesla Roadster, its first die-cast vehicle made from 99% recycled materials, which is currently sold out.

Click here to learn more

Methanotrophic bacteria consume 30 million metric tons of methane per year and have captivated researchers for their natural ability to convert the potent greenhouse gas into usable fuel. Yet we know very little about how the complex reaction occurs, limiting our ability to use the double benefit to our advantage.

By studying the enzyme the bacteria use to catalyze the reaction, a team at Northwestern University now has discovered key structures that may drive the process.

Click here to learn more

Tarleton State University researchers have demonstrated that food-grade plant extracts, especially those from okra, have the power to remove microplastics from wastewater.

The health effects of ingesting microplastics are unclear, but studies suggest that people unintentionally consume thousands of particles every year.

They can be released from your clothing in the washing machine and end up in the city water treatment facility

Click here to learn more

It has been nearly a month since President Biden addressed the nation to announce a ban on Russian oil imports amid Moscow’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. As Biden pointed out during his speech, this moment is “a stark reminder” that the U.S. needs to be energy independent. At the time, the president made clear to the American public that gas prices, already on the rise prior to the invasion, would reach new heights as a result of U.S. sanctions. Today, we are seeing his prediction play out as gas prices have soared 48 percent year-over-year.

Click here to learn more

Coastal flooding will increase significantly over the next 30 years because of sea level rise, according to a new report by an interagency sea level rise task force that includes NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and other federal agencies. Titled Global and Regional Sea Level Rise Scenarios for the United States, the Feb. 15 report concludes that sea level along U.S. coastlines will rise between 10 to 12 inches (25 to 30 centimeters) on average above today’s levels by 2050.

Click here to learn more

The seeds of modern aviation didn’t merely sprout from two brothers’ dream of flight. They broke into the sunlight through the rigor of the scientific process.

I’ve heard that the Wright brothers tested hundreds of wing designs during their efforts to build and demonstrate the first fully functional airplane. Many of those wooden wings never took off. But every experiment — whether airborne or not — taught the American inventors something valuable.

Orville and Wilbur Wright carried insights back to their lab, where they polished their understanding of the dynamics of lift. They gathered detailed data, revised their assumptions, and improved their designs. It was rigorous applied science that earned extraordinary results.

Click here to learn more

Aviation, marine, and trucking are among the most difficult transportation sectors to decarbonize. NREL researchers are developing processes to convert widely available biomass and waste feedstocks into sustainable biofuels that reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by at least 100% compared to petroleum-based fuels.

Click here to learn more

Today, President Biden is taking steps to coordinate leadership and innovation across the federal government, aircraft manufacturers, airlines, fuel producers, airports, and non-governmental organizations to advance the use of cleaner and more sustainable fuels in American aviation. These steps will help make progress toward our climate goals for 2030 and are essential to unlocking the potential for a fully zero-carbon aviation sector by 2050. Today’s executive actions across the Departments of Energy, Transportation, Agriculture, Defense, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the General Services Administration, and the Environmental Protection Agency will result in the production and use of billions of gallons of sustainable fuel that will enable aviation emissions to drop 20% by 2030 when compared to business as usual. Together with President Biden’s Build Back Better Agenda, these new agency steps and industry partnerships will transform the aviation sector, create good-paying jobs, support American agriculture and manufacturing, and help us tackle the climate crisis.

Click here to learn more