In Business, Creating Sustainable Enterprises & Communities

EDITORIAL

In Business, September-October, 2005, Vol. 27, No. 5, p. 2

PIONEERING IN ENERGY INDEPENDENCE
Skyrocketing fuel prices seem to have our nation over a barrel. This could be the crisis that tips the scale toward higher fuel efficiency standards for automobiles, reinvestment in public transportation

systems, and aggressive development of renewable alternatives long advocated - and in many cases developed by - readers of our publications, In Business and BioCycle. 0r will a gradual downward trend of gas prices make this momentary focus on beneficial alternatives a distant memory?
This issue has several articles on ways we are moving ahead with more energy-efficient fuels: How a hurricane relief ship is bringing biodiesel to the Gulf Coast (p. 12); Why our need for developing energy independence with green technologies is so urgent (p. 13); Why there is a “new road through the pasture” to achieve renewable fuel (p. 14); and How sustainable strategies provide effective ways to rebuild New Orleans (p. 28).
Conferences organized by our publishing company feature critical data on how biological processes that convert biomass into methane, alcohol fuels, biodiesel, compost and other value-added bioproducts will be more vital than ever in coming years - fulfilling the potential for creating clean power, preventing pollution, problems with water and air, while improving soil quality and protecting our national security. In Business readers can view many of the presentations from last month's “Renewable Energy from Organics Recycling” Conference in Madison, Wisconsin by visiting www.biocycle.net (click on conferences). You'll be able to peruse presentations on such topics as: Leading examples of biomass-to-energy projects; Which state mandates support renewable energy; What financiers are looking for in renewable power; New economics in making biodiesel Selling electricity from biogas projects; and Starting up an ethanol facility.
As explained, on the inside back cover of this issue, several sessions at our Southeast Conference, Nov. 13-16, 2005, in Charlotte, North Carolina will discuss renewable energy and organics recycling opportunities plus ways to use biofuels as petroleum alternatives. Energy experts will discuss “Developing Biodiesel in Your Bioregion,” and evaluate many biorefining technologies. Several sessions will focus on contamination cleanup following Hurricane Katrina.
At our upcoming BioCycle West Coast Conference in Portland, Oregon March 20-22, 2006, the sessions on “Producing Our Own Power” will explain: What the future looks like for anaerobic digestion systems; Quantifying carbon sequestration in biomass conversion; How an electric utility moves forward with biowaste fuel; and Latest trends in biogas recovery, biodiesel and ethanol. To get more details on the conference agendas, call (610) 967 4135 (ext. 21); or visit www.biocycle.net.
So here's the bottom line. Are we going to take advantage of this current energy “crisis” that has so many people in this country “over a barrel” and move alternatives forward at a rapid pace? Or, as gas pump pains subside, are we going to let this all become a distant memory. Reality is that we are only “over a barrel” if we let the latter happen. - J.G.