The president from Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, participated in the closing of the “International Conference on biofuels”, in Sao Paulo (Brasil) Photo: EFE.Â

The alimentary crisis is due to the speculation in financial markets, in raw materials, and of the oil industry; the ethanol and the biodiesel, combine growth with environmental development, but also with social responsibility.Â

The Brazilian president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, exempted the biofuels today of any responsibility in the world alimentary crisis, that attributed to the speculation in the financial markets and the raw materials. Â

“The alimentary crisis is caused by the derived speculation of the rise of the petroleum and the rise in the prices of the raw materials”, Lula affirmed when closing the “International Conference on biofuels”, celebrated this week in Sao Paulo.Â

Some governments, international and civil society organizations have attributed the world food shortage to the biofuels, because for their production raw materials as the corn and the sugarcane are use, among others.Â

They have also accused to that industry of putting in risk the biodiversity and of exploiting the work under degrading conditions.Â

“A good part of the increment of the food prices is because there are more poor people eating in the world and it is normal that there is an increase of the consumption, but there are many raw materials speculated in the market of futures at absurd prices”, underlined Lula today.Â

The president criticized in the same way the lack of reservations of basic foods as the wheat, rice and corn that from the year 2000 “lowered to the half.”Â

The boss of State also defended the production and expansion of the alternative fuels, as the ethanol and the biodiesel, because “they combine growth with environmental development, but also with social responsibility.”Â

“I recognize that there are legitimate concerns in this debate”, said Lula who accused “powerful interests” of distorting the truth on the biofuels.Â

The representative for Latin America of the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), José Grazziano, that participated in the Conference, supported the brazilian biofuel policy and highlighted the potential that other countries of the region have in that field.Â

However, the participants in the international seminar “Agrifuels as obstacle to the construction of the alimentary and energetics sovereignty”, parallel to the conference, condemned in their final document “the pattern and the promotion strategy” of these fuels.Â

The Earth Pastoral of the Brazilian Catholic Church also reaffirmed in the outline of the seminar its accusations that there is slave and degrading work in the sugarcane industry.

Lula also responded to the critics about the danger that the amazon forest runs due to the expansion of the areas dedicated to the sugarcane cultivation for the ethanol production.Â

“In the Amazonía region we won’t have sugarcane, but we will expand our ethanol to very degraded areas”, said Lula, who pointed out that the biofuels can help to solve the international financial crisis.Â

“The crises are threat carriers but they allow opportunities and new roads”, he indicated.�
However, he pointed out, that “the crisis cannot hide other bottom questions as the hunger and the poverty of hundreds of millions of people, neither hide the problems of the climatic change.”

In the conference that gathered academic, industrial and specialist, the relationship of the biofuels with the climatic change, the alimentary security, the new technologies and the world market was debated, among other aspects.Â

The brazilian chancellor, Celso Amorim, on the other hand, asked for the elimination of the protective barriers in the international trade of biofuel so that the poor countries can benefit of that alternative energy source from the economic and social point of view.Â

Also, Brazil and United States announced an agreement to enlarge the scientific cooperation with third countries in the biofuels production area, that will incorporate Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Guinea Bissau and Senegal to that initiative. Â

Source: El Universal/Mexico

As they informed from the brazilian government the reedbeds sowed to obtain ethanol, would not be dangerous. Agency APÂ

The expansion of the reedbeds in Brazil to satisfy the growing demand of ethanol in the world won’t damage the Amazonas rainforest, said on Monday a high employee of the government. Â

In declarations at the beginning of a five days international conference on biofuels, the government’s general secretary, Dilma Rousseff, said that the country will announce a plan of agricultural areas very soon to specify where the cane can be cultivated, both for sugar or energy generating. Â

The Amazonia and other well-known regions for their wide range of animal species and of plants would be excluded. But Brazil will encourage the expansion of the ethanol production to other parts and in poor countries of the world in wich the climate is favorable for the cultivation.Â

“It is a socioeconomic reality”, Rousseff said. “It generates works and revenues, mostly in tropical countries.”Â

Rousseff also said that the expansion of the ethanol won’t compete with the production of foods in Brazil, and that space exists for other crops, including soya and corn.Â
Although the reedbeds cover 4,2 million hectares of Brazilian lands now, the minister said that that represents less than 1% of the national territory and that abundant available land exists outside of the protected areas.Â

Rousseff said that Brazil should “put an end to the myth that the cane fields are invading the Amazonia”, but the critics say that there are already cane plantations in the region and that some plan to expand. They also denounce that the conversion of grass lands and soya fields to reedbeds are displacing soya farmers and cattlemen that in turn settle down in deforested areas of the forest.Â

Rousseff said that the government of Brazil is prepared to help to the big ethanol producers that suffer because of the global credit crisis.Â

The ethanol producers were among those that could receive help when the government announced thousands of millions of dollars recently in lines of emergency credit for the companies affected by the crisis.Â

Source: La Voz

The high specialization and professionalism of Expobioenergía has transformed it into the  sector´s annual appointment and so is it shown by the numbers that have been mentioned during its third edition. Â

Expobioenergía.08 reached the foreseen objectives and it attracted a total of 13.186 visitors, 40% more than in the previous edition. This fact, next to the high grade of satisfaction shown by the exhibitors makes Expobioenergía become again the obliged appointment of the bioenergy sectorduring 2009. Â

Expobioenergía in its third edition has been able to consolidate and has become the biggest European encounter in the sector of the bioenergy, being able to highlight regarding to other events of similar characteristic by its high specialization level, the high number of exhibitors and represented trademarks (a total of 424), the number of professional visitors and the numerous complementary activities that are developed around this fair.Â

The companies of the sector that are interested in participating in Expobioenergía.09 can already reserve space and profit from the different discounts if they do their inscription before December 19th.Â

Cesefor and Avebiom, organizers of Expobioenergía, will maintain during 2009 the objective, that since its first edition was set: to promote the bioenergy and to generate an outline of experiences exchange among companies and professionals of the sector.Â

Source: Expobioenergía/ María Castañeda

The next leader has a plan for the rural communities of his country. Here, the main points. Â

The elected president of the United States, Barack Obama, and its co-equiper, vice-president Joe Biden, are already working in what they have denominated the “Plan of Support to the Rural Communities.” Â

To guarantee economic opportunities to the establishments of family nature is one of the objectives that heads the list of the next leader, according to his platform.

That will be made by means of a strong safety net, with rural programs that offer stability and predictability. In this line, Obama will apply a limit of payments of US $250.000 to help the family producers. The big agribusiness would be left outside, being eliminated the procedures that allow the big farmers to avoid those limits subdividing their operations in multiple fictitious companies.Â

Also, Obama will reinforce the antitrust law and the protection measures to the producer to guarantee to the independent farmers an equitable access to the markets, the control on its production decisions and the transparency of the prices. The CAFOs (Confined Animal Feeding Operations o feedlots) will also be regulated. The Agency of Environmental Protection of Obama will dictate strict norms about the contamination that these big feedlots produce and it will apply fines to those that don’t respect the demanded levels.Â

The energy efficiency will be common to fulfill a very interesting goal: to reduce the energy consumption in USA in 50% by 2030. In this line, Obama assured that he will dedicate considerable economic resources to develop the next generation of “biofuels” and highlighted that the sustainability and the conservation of the natural resources, as the floor and the water will be guaranteed. One of the objectives is that 2 billion gallons of cellulose ethanol enter to the system by 2013 (1 gallon = almost 4 liters).Â

In this line, Obama will make sure that the rural areas maintain their leadership in renewable fuels, since they are under conditions of producing and refining more biofuels and generating more wind power than ever.Â

He will also propitiate the implementation of the Origin Country Labels that the farmers can differentiate their products of the imported ones. Also, he will foment the organic and local agriculture – helping the organic farmers to certify their cultivations and with the crop insurance -, as well as the regional systems of foods.Â

Inside the plan, the incentives will be reinforced so that everyone practices a sustainable agriculture and protects the humid lands, those of shepherding and the forests. The development of the small and microenterprises is another strong point: the farmers will be helped so that they can create companies that add value, as cooperative and processing-plants of their property. Obama also points to the improvement in the rural areas life quality: in sanitary attention, rural education and infrastructure.

By Liliana CobeloÂ

Source: Clarín/Suplemento Rural
 Â

Experts assure that the impact in the country will be minimum, but they advise to be alert. Â

When the 40 entities that conform the Forum of the Agroindustrial Chain decided the agenda of their fifth annual forum-under the title “agriculture and atmosphere, a shared agenda for the sustainable development”-, the scenario on which the complex moved was far from being the desired one, but it was much better than the current one. Â

It is that none of their members could dimension the size of the international financial crisis that happened in the last two months and whose effects are still an incognito. “The storm had begun with the resolution 125, that although was neutralized its consequences still persist on the whole chain. To that must be added the financial crisis that is of difficult prediction”, diagnosed Ricardo Forbes, president of the Board of Cereals of Buenos Aires, in charge of the organization of the Forum that was carried out this week in Buenos Aires.Â

However, the leader defended the thematic proposed. “The work that we have carried out on environmental impact is a testimony that the agroindustrial chain doesn’t have its senses in the short term, but on the projection of the activity”, he justified.Â

The situation burns. Beyond the restlessness that the global heating wakes in the design of strategies to the medium term, each one of the links that conform the chain is worried by the situation. All have their reasons for not agreeing with the treatment that the national Government is giving to the most dynamic sector in the national economy and responsible for 50 percent of the exports that the country generates. That was the sensation that they expressed in the manifesto text of the Forum, announced at the end of the conference.Â

“The luck of the most important exports cannot be tied to the will of officials that claim reserved exceptional abilities, in many of the cases, to the Constitution and decide who can produce , sell buy, store, export or exercise any activity in the sector”, complained the representatives of the alliance formed in 2004 by the organizations of the primary production, suppliers of inputs and services, transport, food industry, and grains and meats marketers.Â

In front of the impossibility of acting on the effects of the world financial crack, the agroindustry is convinced that the Government should “correct the direction”, and to establish a system of fair game rules, stable and not discriminatory, dictated constitutionally by authorities authorized for it.Â

“Certainly the international crisis has been a substantial component in the emergency, but who suffer it inside the chain have been supporting, from the same moment of the non positive vote, a frankly hostile and discriminatory attitude. As if it was a sanction for the audacity of having defended what was fair”, they admited.Â

The other climate. The necessity to achieve a synergy between the agricultural production and the environment was topic boarded by outstanding specialists. Otto Solbrig, emeritus professor of biology of the University of Harvard, and Jorge Adámoli, investigator of the Conicet and environmental advisor of private companies, were responsible for the presentation of a report ordered by the Forum, and coordinated by themselves, on the possible impact of the climatic change in the primary activity.Â

“The phenomenon is already among us and it will increase the dependence of some countries of importing foods, because they will see the humidity of their floors diminished like it is happening in Australia. But the increases of the production will come mainly from the biggest agricultural efficiency, the biotechnology use, conservationist techniques, and the integrated handling of plagues”, Solbrig assured.Â

The argentinean scientist, that has been living for more than 40 years in United States but that continues very related to the national production, was shown in favor to the growth of the agriculture starting from the escalation instead of occupying new lands, especially in counties as Chaco where there is a lot of uncertainty of how the precipitations will be in the future.Â

Local relief. At world impact level, Argentina has advantages since the effects of the climatic mutation will be much sharper in the north hemisphere. But it is neccesary to not lower the guard if the productivity wants to be maintained. “If we don’t do anything it is possible that the production can decrease between two and five percent; it may not be a disaster at individual level, but it will affect the country seriously”, Solbrig alerted.Â

A vademecum of good agricultural practices must include the protection of the floor through conservationist techniques, “the direct sowing is one to them, but not the only one”, he clarified; the extraction of nutrients must be compensated with the incorporation of fertilizers; to apply an integrated handling of plagues, to reduce the use of pesticides.

We cannot make a modern agriculture without agrichemicals, but it is necessary to use them well”, he said; to reduce the fossil fuel use and to protect the superficial and underground sources of water. “Everything inside clear game rules and of protection of the rights of ownership”, he clarified.Â

In the same syntony, the meteorologist Eduardo Sierra exhorted to “pay attention” to the climatic changes that can affect to the agroindustry, but he questioned some “very exaggerated versions” that predict a high increase of the level of the sea, intense droughts and other cataclysms.Â

“In the last years the global heating seems to have stopped a little. Now it is lowering or at least it is stable, what marks a deceleration of the process. The natural processes cannot be lineal”, he indicated during his dissertation in the Marriott Plaza Hotel. He assured that in a scenario of good international prices, low inputs and good internal policies, the climatic changes that would take place in the next years would not have such a serious effect, although he advised to pay attention to them. Especially to the decrease of the rains in the west of the country. The director of the Master in Agricultural Meteorology of the UBA indicated that in the last campaign the decrease of the surfaces sowed with wheat, corn and sunflower was quite important because of the reduction of the volume of rains that is taking place on the extreme west. “We have to adapt to this and a process is required. If we don’t get ready a serious problem can be initiated. The advantage of paying attention to these processes of climatic change is to give them their true dimension. The temperature won’t go up 14 grades, the pampeana region won’t flood. But we are in front of a decrease of rains that is subtracting arable surface from us”, he highlighted.Â

Alejandro Rollán- special correspondent to Buenos AiresÂ

Source: La Voz

Barack Obama-EFE Técnicas Reunidas can suffer by the taxes to the oil companies and Iberia and Acerinox, due to the labor costs.

The victory of Barack Obama is not only going to have repercussions on the American companies. Many Spanish values have interests on the greatest economy of the world and its future growth on the other side of the Atlantic can be conditioned by the new president´s support to one or the other sector.

Esther Martin remembers that Obama was committed to invest 15,000 million annual dollars during 10 years in clean energies. In this point, she adds that Spain is the major foreign investor in wind power, with almost 5,000 MW installed in the USA. Therefore, she hopes that Acciona, Gamesa, Iberdrola Renovables, Abengoa y CIE Automotive will be favored.

Abengoa, in addition, can count on the extra of the biocombustibles, since it is committed to maintain the goal of George W. Bush to require the fuel producers the use of at least 36,000 million gallons of biocombustibles in 2012.

Taxes

On the contrary, Martin aims at the oil sector as one of the underprivileged. Obama wants to load a tax to the oil groups when the crude barrel price exceeds the 80 dollars.
This decision would affect the results of the oil groups and their investments, that would move, by rebound, to Técnicas Reunidas.

The necessity to renew the weaponry technology also can favor Indra, although the new tenant of the White House trims the budgets in a hypothetical end of the present military operations. “Indra is partner contractor of the Navy, an agreement difficult to break”, assures Alicia Jiménez, that adds that the USA is residual in the Spanish (3% of the 2007 sales).

Infrastructures

The update of the infrastructure network is the epicenter of the economic policy of Obama. The country needs between 300,000 and 700,000 million dollars to modernize its road, ports and airports network. Cintra, that almost generated 10% of its income in the USA the last year, has the freeways of Chicago and Indiana. Abertis already knows what it is to be preselected for a concession (although, finally, the conjuncture of the market forced to him to retire).

More labor costs

Jiménez doubts of the impact that the change of president in the USA can have in Iberia. She thinks that the union with British Airways will open her the American route, but awaits for measures on competition. In addition, there is possibility that the labor costs of the airlines raise due to the intentions of Obama to give more power to the unions. In a similar situation would be Acerinox, a sector with a strong union pressure.

Rocío Martinez

Source: La Gaceta/España

A mushroom able to produce components as those that are in the diesel gasoline were discovered in the Patagonia.Â

The mushroom could be a potential source of clean fuel for cars. Â

The mushroom, affirmed an investigation published in the Microbiology magazine, could potentially be a new green energy source. Â

The specimen, baptized under the name Gliocladium roseum, was discovered in an ulmo tree (Eucryphia cordifolia) by scientists of the State University of Montana, United States.Â
Just as the scientists explained, the G. roseum generates several different molecules that produce hydrogen and carbon and that are in the diesel.Â

For this reason a new type of clean fuel that the scientists call “mycodiesel” could be produced, in whose development they are working now.Â

“This is the only organism that has demonstrated that it is able to produce this important combination of combustible substances” affirmed professor Gary Strobel, who directed the investigation.Â

“The mushroom can even produce these diesel components starting from the cellulose, which could be a better biofuel source than any of those that are used at the moment”, he added.Â

Hydrocarbons Â

Many types of microbes produce hydrocarbons, compounds formed by hydrogen and carbon.Â

The mushrooms that grow in the wood seem to produce a potentially explosive compound range.Â

For example, the G. roseum that grows in the tropical forests produces several long chains of hydrocarbons and other biological molecules.Â

The American scientists were trying to discover new mushrooms in the ulmo tree exposing its tissues to the volatile antibiotics that another type of mushroom produces, the Muscodor albus.Â

“We were surprised to see that the G. roseum was able to grow in presence of these gases, when all the other types of mushrooms died”, professor Strobel explained.Â
“When we examine the composition of the G. roseum, we were completely surprised of seeing that this was producing a variety of hydrocarbons and derived of hydrocarbons.”Â
“The results were completely unexpected”, the scientist added.Â

Later on, when the investigators cultivated the mushroom in the laboratory, it was able to produce a fuel that, they say, is very similar to the diesel gasoline that we put in our cars.Â

Of celluloseÂ

Another advantage of this potential fuel, expressed professor Strobel, is that it can be produced directly from the cellulose, the main compound of the plants and the paper.Â
Many mushrooms that grow in trees produce compound as hydrocarbons.Â
When plants are used to produce biofuels, these should be processed first to convert them into useful compounds, as cellulose. But the G. roseum, can produce mycodiesel directly from the cellulose.Â

“This means – the authors expressed – that the mushroom can produce fuel skipping a great step in the production process.”Â

The cellulose, the same as the lignin, are the compounds that form the cellular walls of the plants.Â

The lignin is the “paste” that maintains the fibers of the cellulose together and allows the plant to stay strong.Â

These compounds are the part of the plant that the animals cannot digest, for that reason starting from them non nutritious products are obtained as sawdust and shaving.Â
Only from the arable lands nearly 430 million tons of waste of plants are yearly produced.Â
In the current biofuels production, these waste should be processed with enzymes called cellulase to transform the cellulose into sugar.Â

And later on this sugar is fermented to transform it into ethanol that can be used as fuel.Â
Just as professor Strobel explained “we are very excited because we discover that the G. roseum can digest cellulose.”Â

Although the mushroom produces less mycodiesel when it is fed with cellulose than with sugar, the scientists believe that it is possible to develop new technology of fermentation and genetic manipulation to improve this production.Â

If it is possible to produce this mycodiesel massively, the experts affirm, the discovery of this humble mushroom could revolutionize the industry of the biofuels.Â

Source: BBC World

Many agricultural products can be transformed into raw materials for the production of alternative fuels. Now an analysis by scientifics of the Agricultural Research (ARS) indicates that the agricultural products can be used this way without reducing the food supply, the capacity of the floor to produce cultivations, or the environment quality of USA.Â

The scientists of the ARS are collaborating with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service to evaluate the economic production impact of these raw materials. In places in all USA, the scientists of the ARS are evaluating how the singular and combined handling decisions influence in different agricultural production systems.Â

In a cooperative study, scientific of the ARS in Oregon and Texas are matching two biophysical models to evaluate the impact in the environment of land handling practices in big and complex basins during a long period of time. This evaluation will also keep in mind the effects of different floor types and the conditions of use and handling of the land.Â

The first model, called CQUESTR, simulates changes in the quantity of the organic carbon of the floor based on such factors as the climate, the farming quantity, the cultivation rotations and the elimination of cultivation residuals. With this model’s incorporation in another model call the Soil Water and Assessment Tool (SWAT), the floor scientists Hero T. Gollany and the agricultural engineer Jeffrey G. Arnold can predict the influence of handling practices of the land in the quantity of the organic carbon of the floor, the organic matter of the floor, the water, the silt, and the accumulation of agricultural chemical products.Â

Gollany works in the The Columbia Plateau Conservation Research Center maintained by the ARS in Pendleton, Oregon, and Arnold works in the Grassland Soil and Water Research Laboratory maintained by the ARS in Temple, Texas.

Another model, called PGA-BIOECON, calculates variations among three important objectives: the profitability, the water quality, and the production effectiveness. The hydrologist Gerald Whittaker who works in the Forage Seed and Cereal Research maintained by the ARS in Corvallis, Oregon, helped to develop the pattern. Since the pattern can work in many scales and with multiple objectives, its results provides information for a diverse group of users, individual farmers and the people that establish the national policies.Â

The model of Whittaker projects information about a variety of complex factors, providing data that could allow the users to make the best handling decisions in order to achieve their objectives.Â

Read more on this investigation in the ‘Agricultural Research ‘ magazine of October 2008.¼br /> ARS is a scientific investigations agency of the USDA.Â

By Laura McGuinnisÂ

Source: ARS USDA

In recent years we have seen a fast increase in the prices of the petroleum barrel, what has had a cascade effect in the prices of most of the products of the consumers. This largely is due to that the petroleum is primarily the main source of raw material for many products. Other reasons given in the public debate is the growth of CHINDIA (China and India), speculation in the stock exchange, uncertainty in the Half East, Venezuela and Chávez, predictions of locations, among others.Â

The biofuels is combustible derived of alive beings or of the waste that these produce. These include Solids (Wood, straw, etc.), Biogas from excrements/waste, and Liquids (bioethanol, biobuthanol, biodiesel, etc.) derived of the compounds of the plants (starch, lignocellulose, oils, etc.). Based in this definition the biofuels has been used for centuries, a lot before the petroleum became the main source of the element carbon (C) in our lives. Â

To these in english are referred the 6 F; “Food, Fuel, Feed, Feedstock, Fertilizer, Fiber”. All these contain the coal element in their chemical structures. This implies that the debate of the biofuels (“Food versus Fuel”) is much more complex and has to include the other remaining F. This complexity points to that any strategy of the agricultural sector that is interested to implant in Puerto Rico HAS to consider crops able to assist multiple sectors.

The agriculture will become the primary raw material source for the carbon derived products. Also, the use of the land will compete with other basic necessities and potential uses as residences, ecological reservations, free-time places and entertainment, commercial/industrial establishments and energy generation by means of sustainable energy technology. Not less important are the supplies and necessities of waters for all these sectors which adds another level of complexity to this discussion.Â

Based on the above-mentioned some strategies for the installation of this technology in Puerto Rico can be concluded and recommended:Â

1) First, there is not a magic wand, divine harvests or unique strategy that will be able to solve all or not even one of our necessities. All the proposed solutions should consider and integrate not only their technical aspects but also the social and economic and social dynamics.Â

2) Puerto Rico should consider the model of the Regional Biorefineries in its strategies. The Biorefineries are facilities that integrate processes and equipments to convert the biomass into multiple products, for example: foods, fuel, power and chemists. It is basically a refinery except that instead of using petroleum as raw material it would use all the components of the agricultural plants as carbon sources. This includes the leaves and stems that is known as lignocellulosic material the same as the sugars and starches that would be used for the food. At the moment, of each 5 pounds of crop only 1 to 2 are used for food, the rest is lignocellulosic biomass that can be processed in a biorefinery.Â

3) The crops that are chosen should not only assist the necessities of the 6 F, but they should also have high productivities. The microalgaes is a vegetable species that is able to satisfy some of these requirements. For example, its growth and chemical products production surpasses any terrestrial crop by factors bigger than 20. These studies were carried out by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) of the Department of Federal Energy in the 1980-90 under the “Aquatic Species Program”. The investigation in this area has resurged and in Puerto Rico, the RUM has an initiative in the Agricultural Experimental Station of Lajas to study the microalgaes in open ponds and the biorefinery concept.Â

4) All this requires an integral plan of land and water handling that it is able to not only diminish the existent vulnerability, dependence and addiction to the petroleum derived fuels but rather in turn assists vulnerabilities of eatable products and raw materials for the industrial sector.  Â

Oceanic energyÂ

The oceanic energy is another of the renewable energy alternatives that is bieng discussed in these moments not only in Puerto Rico but around the world. The best known and developed technologies are the generators of energy by means of waves, tides, submarine currents and thermal ocean (well-known as OTEC for their initials in English). Other less well-known ones intend to use the gradients or differences in the salinity (osmotic pressure) and carbon dioxide (CO2) between the surface and the big depths. This last one is based on the difference of density or “head” caused by the difference in concentration of this gas in the water between the surface and the bottom.Â

Puerto Rico, for being an island, has places that have been identified as of high potential for the installation of these technologies. Studies in the RUM demonstrate that in Puerto Rico the energy of the tides and of the currents is not cost-effective to produce electricity nowadays with the available technology and for the low resource that we possess of these . Between OTEC and the energy of the sea waves to produce electricity, the technology of the sea waves is ahead than OTEC with prototypes in several countries (United States, Japan, Portugal, Spain) and commercial outlines in administration (United States, Portugal). Also, there is enough resource of sea waves to produce electricity in Puerto Rico, both with devices buoy type as with devices in the coast. The most cost-effective are those buoys type and at the moment there are studies being carried out in the RUM to quantify the cost for kWh. Punta Tuna in the southeast of the Island, is one of the best places in the world to use the thermal oceanic energy due to the depth that the sea has near that place. That proximity would facilitate its construction and it would diminish the investment costs.Â

These studies were carried out more than 25 years ago, they were abandoned and now they are intended again as energy alternative (the Authority of Electric power is in negotiations to establish one of these facilities). However, the most advanced oceanic technologies are not commercially mature. In fact, many of them are in the evaluation of prototypes stage. Also, all these technologies, the same as the non-oceanic ones, impact somehow or other the coasts, their echo-systems and the use of the area for other activities. It is important that these effects are identified and that theyare incorporated in the technical, economic and social viability analyses. Another challenge for all these systems is the saline atmosphere of the coasts. This implies that the selection of materials and their cost are critical and that it is necessary to be extremely cautious in the estimate of the operational costs since the maintenance of these units can be significant. Besides the corrosive effects of the salinity, the biological growth in the surfaces known as “biofouling” can be more destructive than the effects of the salinity.Â

In conclusion, both the Biorefinery and the Oceanic Energy are two options that possess characteristic that should be seriously considered not only in energy aspects but rather they assist other basic necessities. The discussion of these options, the same as other proposed renewable strategies by the complex nature of the problem, should include an early, wide, inclusive and transparent discussion if they want to be sustainable strategies and of long term benefit in Puerto Rico. In May of 2008 a dialogue began about biofuels in the UPR-RUM organized by the Tropical de Energía Ambiente y Sociedad (ITEAS). This university dialogue seeks to expand out of the RUM, and it is presented as a space to take this discussion to actions and concrete strategies, multisectorials to develop or to adapt these technologies to the Boricua environment. Â

Dr. José Colucci Ríos, PE*/Special for ClaridadÂ

* The author is Professor and Investigator on Sustainable Energy, UPR-RUM, ITEAS, Dean Associated of Investigation and Development in Engineering, UPR-RUM and Coordinator of the Program of the Fundación Sloan in InQu-UPR-RUM.Â

Source: Claridad Puerto Rico

Studies by the investigators Yong Gu (left) and John Vogel on the wild grass Brachypodium is revealing genetic information that could be useful in investigations of the grass Panicum virgatum as raw material for the biofuel.Â

A small and short herb called Brachypodium distachyon (also known as chirate or wall grass) could accelerate the discoveries on the grass Panicum virgatum, its famous cousin that has much potential as a raw material for biofuels. Â

Scientists with the Service of Agricultural Investigation (ARS), including molecular plant biologist John Vogel and geneticist Yong Gu in the Center of Investigation of the Western Region maintained by the ARS in Albany, California, are investigating the genetic composition of B. distachyon as a model to accelerate and to increase the knowledges of the genes of P. virgatum.Â

Brachypodium can accelerate the investigations of the cultivations for energy because its genoma is significantly smaller than that of P. virgatum, according to Vogel. The smallest genoma means that the investigators can carry out detailed studies of the genoma of Brachypodium in a shorter than that required to decode the genoma of P. virgatum.Â
The two species of herbs are so closely related that scientists hope that the discoveries on the genoma of Brachypodium can be applied to the genoma of P. virgatum.Â

Vogel, Gu and investigation leader Olin Anderson-all with the Unit of Investigation of the Genómica and the Discovery of Genes in the center in Albany-are the first ones in reporting the successful use of a bacteria to transfer new genes inside of Brachypodium. The same bacteria is used thoroughly for this purpose with other plants. This process, call “transformation”, provides a reliable way to help reveal the function of genes of plants.Â
Gu and their colleagues have also developed what is known as a “physical map” of Brachypodium-the first one for this plant. The map, gathered in collaboration with Ming-Cheng Luo in the University of California-Davis and other investigators, describes the places of other neighboring segments of genes and another genetic matter of Brachypodium. To locate the places of these genes is an indispensable part of understanding the genetic composition of Brachypodium.Â

ARS is an agency of scientific investigations of the Department of Agriculture of USAÂ
By Marcia Wood

Source: ARS