Sunday, 11 September 2011 12:28
Cambridge-based generator manufacturer Telgenco has completed its first stage testing with a new biofuel developed by another Cambridge company, Hycagen Ltd. The fuel, Hycadiesel, has been developed using Hycagen's enzyme fuel generation process. “Our first stage testing at a variety of concentrations up to 100% shows that the fuel performs exactly as predicted” said Telgenco CEO Simon Albury.
Last Updated on Sunday, 11 September 2011 12:31
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Monday, 22 August 2011 11:30
 Image:Freefoto.com While some U.S. utilities are developing biomass power plants with gusto, others await more certainty from regulators.
Miami, Fla., USA -- As U.S. electric utilities continue to wrestle with how to cost effectively cut CO2 emissions and meet their renewable electricity goals, biomass could be starting to gain popularity as a clean energy technology that can help power suppliers do just that.
The EPA recently ruled that all biomass power projects will be exempt of emission caps for the next three years while the agency tries to figure out whether the technology is as clean as many report. This means an opportunity for utilities to burn more biomass to power the nation and switch off some of the dirtier coal-fired plants they have been using for years.
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Thursday, 16 December 2010 20:28
 Image: www.freefoto.com The Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues today released its recommendations on the oversight of synthetic biology, provoking strong criticism from public interest watchdogs for its failure to respond to key environmental and public health risks. In a letter to the commission, 58 environmental, public interest, and religious groups rejected the recommendations as a deeply flawed response to advances in synthetic biology, including the creation this year of the first entirely synthetic organism, that demand strong federal oversight. In particular, the groups critiqued the recommendations for: ignoring the precautionary principle, lacking adequate review of environmental risks, placing unwarranted faith in "suicide genes" and other technologies that provide no guarantee against the escape of synthetic organisms into the environment, and relying on industry "self regulation," which is the equivalent of no independent oversight. "We are disappointed that 'business as usual' has won out over precaution in the commission's report," said Eric Hoffman, biotechnology policy campaigner for Friends of the Earth. "Self-regulation equates to no regulation. These recommendations give industry a free pass, while failing to ensure that the environment and public health are protected. We need stronger, more transparent regulation for synthetic biology, not less."
Wednesday, 08 December 2010 17:29
 Image: www.freefoto.com New rules to prevent illegal timber being sold on the European market have come into force across the EU. The legislation will strengthen efforts to halt illegal logging which causes serious environmental damage and biodiversity loss and undermines the efforts of those trying to manage forests responsibly. The Regulation, which was first proposed by the Commission in 2008, was adopted by the EU last month and will apply in all Member States from March 2013. Environment Commissioner Janez Potočnik said: "With this Regulation, the EU is making an important contribution to the fight against illegal logging, which not only plunders natural resources but also affects those who depend on forests for their livelihood. This is a concrete contribution by the EU towards the fight against loss of biodiversity globally. It will also give European consumers greater confidence about the products they buy." Well-managed forests are an important source of renewable materials as well as providing many environmental services. However, illegal logging - driven in part by EU demand for timber - has negative consequences for long term sustainability. The new Regulation will ban the sale on the EU market of illegal timber or of products derived from illegally harvested timber.
Monday, 29 November 2010 17:06
 Image: www.freefoto.com After years of waiting, during which they suffered from violent attacks and the degradation of their ancestral lands, the Ingaricó, Macuxi, Patamona, Taurepang and Wapichana indigenous peoples of Raposa Serra do Sol received a favorable decision by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. During its last session at the end of October, the Commission issued an admissibility decision in their case against the Government of Brazil. In doing so, the Commission signaled not only that the Government's treatment of indigenous peoples in Raposa may constitute a violation of their human rights, but that the Commission is now ready to enter its final stage of review of the case and issue a concluding report. On behalf of the indigenous peoples of Raposa Serra do Sol, the Indigenous Council of Roraima (CIR) and the Rainforest Foundation US submitted the case to the Commission in 2004. Since then, through hearings in Washington DC, on site visits in Brazil, and multiple filings submitted, the Commission learned in depth of the thirty-year struggle advanced by the indigenous peoples of Raposa to secure title to their lands and remove the rice growers and others who have damaged their environment and violently attacked their people and property. During that time the Commission issued precautionary measures requiring the Government to take a number of steps to protect the lives and well-being of the indigenous peoples in Raposa. Finally, a Presidential Decree was issued in April of 2005 ratifying the demarcation of Raposa, and non-indigenous occupants were eventually removed in 2009, following a critical Supreme Court decision.
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