When developed from the right sources, biofuels provide a clean-burning alternative to oil. Our experts explore the complexities of biofuels and their role in the future of fuel.
June 8, 2017 1:30 PM EDT
Not long after receiving my doctorate in biochemistry I took a research position with the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), the main research arm of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Prior to retiring in 2014 I had spent my entire career, 33 years, with ARS. I had a chance to see federal research from within the system. Contrary to what you may have heard, it’s been my experience that federal research is solutions-oriented, transparent, and nonpolitical. Read more >
May 22, 2017 2:59 PM EDT
Policymakers are considering how California should cut global warming emissions by 40% between 2020 and 2030, and whether to extend the state’s cap-and-trade program beyond 2020. The oil industry supports the cap-and-trade program but wants to roll back California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard. They argue the two policies just don’t mix—like oil and water, you might say. However, I see the two policies more like peanut butter and jelly—they are good on their own but so much better together. Read more >
April 28, 2017 10:37 AM EDT
Oregon’s Clean Fuels Program (CFP) was initially authorized by the legislature in 2009, with subsequent legislation in 2015 allowing the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to fully implement the program in 2016. The program’s goals are to foster the development of an in-state market for cleaner fuel by requiring that transportation fuels used in Oregon get steadily less-polluting over the next decade. The program completed a very successful first year, but it remains under attack, so it’s a great time to review how the policy is working, and its prospects for the future. Read more >
December 21, 2016 4:14 PM EDT
A new study by consulting firm Arthur D. Little (ADL) claims that the benefits of electric cars, both environmental and economic, are lower than others, including UCS, have shown. However, the differences are largely due to questionable assumptions about battery replacements and the use of electric vehicles as a gasoline car replacement. Read more >
November 14, 2016 3:24 PM EDT
Reaching the climate targets set in Paris will require dramatic action from all sectors of the economy over a period of several decades. Read more >
