"The U.S. ethanol industry set a new production record the week ending Dec. 9, with production reaching an average of 1.04 million barrels per day, according to information published by the U.S. Energy Information Administration."
"As part of an effort to develop drought-resistant food and bioenergy crops, scientists at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory have uncovered the genetic and metabolic mechanisms that allow certain plants to conserve water and thrive in semi-arid climates."
"The Arctic, the northernmost polar region characterized by cold winters and vast sheets of white ice, is "undergoing rapid, sometimes turbulent change beyond anything previously experienced," according to a new five-year study."
"For what appears to be the first time since scientists began keeping track, sea ice in the Arctic and the Antarctic are at record lows this time of year."
"Levels of CO2 in the atmosphere have surged past an important threshold and may not dip below it for 'many generations'."
"Americans remain divided along political and ideological on causes and solutions to climate change with self-identified liberal Democrats most likely to support measures to combat global warming, according to a new survey."
"President Barack Obama is ordering 20 federal agencies with national security-related missions to consider the impact of climate change in their planning, amid warnings from scientists that rising temperatures could destabilize regions across the globe."
"Oak Ridge National Laboratory has published a study on mid-level ethanol blends that has determined high-octane fuels (HOF), specifically ethanol blends of E25 to E40, could offer significant benefits to the U.S., including improved vehicle fuel efficiency in vehicles designed to use increased octane."
"Within 25 years, the United States could produce enough biomass to support a bioeconomy, including renewable aquatic and terrestrial biomass resources that could be used for energy and to develop products for economic, environmental, social, and national security benefits."
"Lignin is a natural component of plant cell walls, the scaffolding that surrounds each cell and plays a pivotal role in plants' ability to grow against gravity and reach heights ranging from stubbly grasses to the sky-scraping splendor of redwoods. But lignin is a problem for scientists interested in converting plant biomass to biofuels and other sustainable bio-based products. Lignin makes it hard to break down the plant matter so its carbon-rich building blocks can be converted into forms suitable for generating energy or running automobiles."
