Biofuel

Can Ethanol Fuel Ever Live Up to Its Hype?

The biofuel's bipartisan support isn't about science, but politics.

Energy Max Graham, Grist May 8

Microbes May Hold the Secret to Creating More Powerful Rocket Fuel

An anti-fungal molecule produced by the Streptomyces bacteria could enable supercharged biofuels.

Space & Spaceflight Kevin Hurler Jul 5

United Flies First Plane With 100% ‘Sustainable Aviation Fuel’

It's a notable milestone, yes. But decarbonizing air travel has a loooooong way to go, and sustainable fuel isn't all it's cracked up to be just yet.

Climate Change Mack DeGeurin Dec 2

Prince Charles’ Vintage Car Runs on Wine and Cheese Because Of Course It Does

Fancy man has fancy car that runs on fancy food and fancy drink. Fancy.

Energy Molly Taft Oct 12

Fancy Pizza Is Wrecking the Environment

Residents of Sao Paolo, Brazil, should be proud that their megacity is the only one that uses biofuel for cars. Or maybe not, considering that a lot of this environmental good is undone because everyone loves pizza too much. A new study published in Atmospheric Environment claims that Sao Paolo’s environment is still being destroyed…

Tech News Angela Chen Jun 17

The Key to Colonizing Mars Could Be These Tiny Green Microbes

Long ago, a clan of hardy microbes called cyanobacteria helped terraform the lifeless Earth into a vibrant biosphere. Today, the very same critters could be the key to colonizing Mars. Plants are going to have a tough time on the Red Planet’s hostile surface, but cyanobacteria have coped with extreme environments for eons. A paper…

Space & Spaceflight Maddie Stone Sep 22

Cutting Emissions Through Biofuels Will Lead to Water Shortages

Climate change mitigation could actually increase water shortage in some areas rather than reduce it, according to new research. The source of the problem is clear: greater demand for biofuels, intended to reduce emissions from fossil fuels, requires massive increases in irrigation in productive but relatively arid American farmland. The study, published in the journal…

Tech News Neil Edwards Aug 7

The Future Will Run on Algae

In the twentieth century, oil was black gold. But as we march deeper into the twenty-first century, we could have a lucrative new fuel on our hands. One that’s blue-green and sometimes a little smelly. It’s found in wastewater, but it’s capable of powering jets. It’s algae. How It Works To be specific, it’s actually…

Tech News Bryan Lufkin Jul 16

Scientists Genetically Modified Trees So They Can Make Greener Paper

Wood scientists just announced an exciting breakthrough in tree research. They’ve come up with a way to make more environmentally friendly paper—by genetically modifying trees. And it’s not just the paper industry that will benefit. First things first: Being a wood scientist sounds like a pretty awesome job. This collaboration between researchers across North America…

Tech News Adam Clark Estes Apr 4

13 Unexpected Sources of Energy that Could Save the World

If humans are going to keep living in the style to which we’re accustomed, we need to find alternatives for fossil fuels. Partly that’s because we need to reduce pollution — and partly because those fossil fuels are going to run out. But alternative forms of energy may look a lot weirder than you think.…

io9 Annalee Newitz Mar 31

Government Scientists Created Crude Oil from Algae in Mere Minutes

Be excited, Earthlings, because science has a surprise for you. Engineers at the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have devised a way to turn algae into crude oil in less than an hour. That oil can then be refined into gasoline that can run engines. Excited yet? Try wrapping your head around the…

Tech News Adam Clark Estes Dec 18

What Biofuel Is (And Where It Comes From)

Cars didn’t always run on gasoline. Henry Ford envisioned his Model T’s puttering along with tanks fully of ethanol. Early diesel engines ran on peanut oil. Of course, the discovery of massive petroleum reserves at the turn of the 20th century quickly put the brakes on that notion—why bother creating biofuel when gasoline and diesel…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola Jun 12

Genetically Engineered Bacteria Will Someday Make Biofuel From Carbon Dioxide

Imagine a bacteria that could not only suck the excess CO2 out of the air, but turn that waste gas into a clean-burning biofuel for cars. If the current research on genetically-engineered bacteria goes to plan at MIT, these wonder creatures could help solve our energy and climate woes. According to Livescience, if these creatures…

Tech News Adrian Covert Aug 24

Poopmobile runs on the Denver Zoo’s greatest resource — animal dung

It appears that brown is the new green. The Denver Zoo has decided to make use of all that primo animal poop that comes out of its residents and convert it into fuel. Now you can tour the zoo (and enjoy a frozen margarita) with the aid of this poo-power. The Denver Zoo has been…

io9 Lauren Davis Mar 24

How a Coffee-Powered Car Crushed a World Landspeed Record

Car that runs on coffee? Check. Coffee-car that beats landspeed records? Not so check, until now. With this update to the original “Carpuccino,” the Teesdale Conservation Volunteers have built a car that can hit 66.5mph running just on coffee beans, making it the fast gasification-powered car ever. https://gizmodo.com/coffee-powered-carpuccino-infuriates-car-lovers-coff-5487377 While the first Coffee Car was built…

Tech News Kwame Opam Sep 26

Do pandas hold the key to reducing US reliance on foreign oil?

Pandas have all kinds of talents, like looking adorable, dozing off for no reason, and looking tiny next to Shaq. But pandas are also pretty big on eating and pooping, and, by extension, digesting raw plant materials. It’s this last skill, in particular, that has chemists interested in what pandas can teach us about next-generation…

io9 Robbie Gonzalez Aug 30

Potentially valuable new microbe found in Nevada hot springs

Proving that everything in Nevada is able to withstand stupefying levels of heat, a newly-discovered microbe from the state is not only able to survive temperatures above boiling, but is also one of the only microbes who can digest cellulose at high temperatures. Researchers discovered the hyperthermophilic microbes, called archaea, in a geothermal pool clocking…

io9 Tim Barribeau Jul 7

Why a simple bed of algae could save us from water pollution and fuel shortages

With water shortages looming in the future, we need new ways to clean water that’s been fouled by human waste, agricultural runoff and industry. A new article published in BioScience (free PDF link) shows that we can use naturally-occurring algae as a filter. The plants would not only make the water suitable for re-use, but…

io9 Tim Barribeau Jun 2

We’re one step closer to cheap, abundant biofuel

Biofuels are made from carbohydrates and fats in corn and other feedstock. This is a wasteful process because it leaves behind all the protein, a far more abundant substance. As a result, one of the big questions for alternative energy researchers is how we can pull biofuel from protein. Especially because proteins are also present…

io9 Annalee Newitz Mar 8

Amtrak Wants You To Ride Their Meat Train

Thanks to a $274,000 grant from the Federal Railroad Administration, Amtrak will soon run its Heartland Flyer rail line on beef byproduct biodiesel for a 12-month trial period. Obviously, the Heartland Flyer needs a new, titter-worthy name. The Heartland Flyer – which runs from Oklahoma City to Forth Worth – will run on combustible moo…

io9 Cyriaque Lamar Apr 27

Biofuel

Can Ethanol Fuel Ever Live Up to Its Hype?

Microbes May Hold the Secret to Creating More Powerful Rocket Fuel

United Flies First Plane With 100% ‘Sustainable Aviation Fuel’

Prince Charles’ Vintage Car Runs on Wine and Cheese Because Of Course It Does

Fancy Pizza Is Wrecking the Environment

The Key to Colonizing Mars Could Be These Tiny Green Microbes

Cutting Emissions Through Biofuels Will Lead to Water Shortages

The Future Will Run on Algae

Scientists Genetically Modified Trees So They Can Make Greener Paper

13 Unexpected Sources of Energy that Could Save the World

Government Scientists Created Crude Oil from Algae in Mere Minutes

What Biofuel Is (And Where It Comes From)

Genetically Engineered Bacteria Will Someday Make Biofuel From Carbon Dioxide

Poopmobile runs on the Denver Zoo’s greatest resource — animal dung

How a Coffee-Powered Car Crushed a World Landspeed Record

Do pandas hold the key to reducing US reliance on foreign oil?

Potentially valuable new microbe found in Nevada hot springs

Why a simple bed of algae could save us from water pollution and fuel shortages

We’re one step closer to cheap, abundant biofuel

Amtrak Wants You To Ride Their Meat Train

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