Ethanol Industry wants all new U.S. cars to be Flex-fuel

The ethanol industry called for requirements that all vehicles sold in the United States accept high blends of the alternative motor fuel as part of a push to slow global warming and provide jobs at home. A low-carbon fuel standard, which would spur use of alternative fuels, more ethanol pumping stations and construction of biofuel pipelines would also help wean the country from gasoline, Growth Energy, the ethanol industry trade group, said in a “biofuels road map” during a renewable energy meeting in Las Vegas on Monday.

“We have excess capital right now that could be invested in our domestic fuels industry like ethanol,” Growth Energy Co-Chair Wesley Clark told reporters in a teleconference from the sidelines of the meeting hosted by Senator Harry Reid. “We have unemployed labor. We would love to put those people to work in the ethanol industry.” Growth Energy said the policy outlined in road map could more than double the number of biofuels jobs to 1.3 million, and that cellulosic is almost 90 percent better for the environment than gasoline.

Most U.S. ethanol is made from corn, but the government has mandated the blending of 100 million gallons of cellulosic ethanol into the gasoline pool in 2010. Ahead of that companies are racing to be the first to make commercial amounts of cellulosic at prices competitive with traditional motor fuel. Cars would need special hoses and other minor equipment changes to handle special fuel blends of up to 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline. Such so-called Flex-fuel vehicles are common in Brazil, which is heavily dependent on ethanol it makes from sugar cane.

Growth Energy is also fighting to raise the cap on the allowed level of ethanol in regular gasoline from 10 percent to 15 percent. The auto industry has warned that burning such a higher blend in older nonflex-fuel cars may not be good for engines and fuel lines and has urged regulators not to approve the higher blends. The Environmental Protection Agency has until Dec. 1 to decide whether to allow higher ethanol blends beyond E10 in regular gasoline.

Ethanol Industry wants all new U.S. cars to be Flex-fuel

The ethanol industry called for requirements that all vehicles sold in the United States accept high blends of the alternative motor fuel as part of a push to slow global warming and provide jobs at home. A low-carbon fuel standard, which would spur use of alternative fuels, more ethanol pumping stations and construction of biofuel pipelines would also help wean the country from gasoline, Growth Energy, the ethanol industry trade group, said in a “biofuels road map” during a renewable energy meeting in Las Vegas on Monday.

“We have excess capital right now that could be invested in our domestic fuels industry like ethanol,” Growth Energy Co-Chair Wesley Clark told reporters in a teleconference from the sidelines of the meeting hosted by Senator Harry Reid. “We have unemployed labor. We would love to put those people to work in the ethanol industry.” Growth Energy said the policy outlined in road map could more than double the number of biofuels jobs to 1.3 million, and that cellulosic is almost 90 percent better for the environment than gasoline.

Most U.S. ethanol is made from corn, but the government has mandated the blending of 100 million gallons of cellulosic ethanol into the gasoline pool in 2010. Ahead of that companies are racing to be the first to make commercial amounts of cellulosic at prices competitive with traditional motor fuel. Cars would need special hoses and other minor equipment changes to handle special fuel blends of up to 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline. Such so-called Flex-fuel vehicles are common in Brazil, which is heavily dependent on ethanol it makes from sugar cane.

Growth Energy is also fighting to raise the cap on the allowed level of ethanol in regular gasoline from 10 percent to 15 percent. The auto industry has warned that burning such a higher blend in older nonflex-fuel cars may not be good for engines and fuel lines and has urged regulators not to approve the higher blends. The Environmental Protection Agency has until Dec. 1 to decide whether to allow higher ethanol blends beyond E10 in regular gasoline.

Colheita mecanizada de cana deve aumentar o estoque de carbono no solo

A colheita mecanizada da cana-de-açúcar deve aumentar o estoque de carbono no solo, por deixar a terra coberta de palha que aos poucos se decompõe, em comparação com o processo inteiramente manual, fundamentado na queima das folhas para facilitar o corte. Do mesmo modo, a conversão de pastagens degradadas em canaviais deve ampliar a quantidade de carbono no solo, acredita Marcelo Galdos, pesquisador do Centro de Energia Nuclear na Agricultura (Cena) da Universidade de São Paulo (USP), que esteve à frente das análises do fluxo de carbono de canaviais do Brasil, da Austrália e da África do Sul.

Os resultados foram publicados em maio em duas revistas científicas, a Soil Science Society of America Journal e a Plant and Soil, e debatidos em 16 de junho no workshop Impactos socioeconômicos, ambientais e de uso da terra, realizado na Fapesp como parte do Programa Fapesp de Pesquisa em Bioenergia (Bioen).

"O que temos de fazer é usar a agricultura conservacionista, transferindo o CO2 (gás carbônico) do ar para a planta e para o solo", comentou Carlos Clemente Cerri, professor do Cena que orientou esses dois trabalhos, dos quais participaram pesquisadores da Universidade do Estado do Colorado, Estados Unidos, e do Instituto de Pesquisa de Cana-de-açúcar da África do Sul. "A cana colhida com queima reduz o estoque de carbono no solo, mas a sem queima aumenta", afirmou Cerri. Segundo ele, a colheita mecânica pode fazer o solo reter até 3 toneladas de carbono em três anos, "um resultado importante para deduzir das emissões de gases do efeito estufa gerados pela produção de etanol".

Ainda não há consenso sobre esses valores. "Não temos encontrado grande benefício em deixar palha sobre o solo", comentou Urquiaga, pesquisador da Embrapa Agrobiologia. Ele chegou a ganhos mais modestos, de apenas 300 quilogramas de carbono por hectare ao longo dos 16 anos de acompanhamento de canaviais em Pernambuco tratados com e sem queima. "Não podemos nos preocupar apenas com carbono, temos de pensar na dinâmica da matéria orgânica e no papel do nitrogênio", disse. "Se não fosse assim, bastaria enterrar bagaço de cana para transferir carbono para o solo." Segundo ele, a quantidade de carbono estocado depende dos resíduos, do grau de degradação (solos mais degradados retêm mais que os mais bem conservados) e da própria capacidade do solo de acumular carbono. "No início o solo acumula muito, depois menos", observou.

Ao longo dos debates do dia, os pesquisadores concordaram que precisam estabelecer metodologias convergentes para obter informações mais abundantes e exatas sobre os impactos da produção de etanol de cana-de-açúcar e as possíveis contribuições para redução dos gases do efeito estufa como o gás carbônico, causadores do aquecimento global. "Os cálculos de impacto e benefícios ambientais dependem dos conhecimentos do impacto sobre o uso do solo, que não são claros", reiterou Isaías de Carvalho Macedo, do Núcleo Interdisciplinar de Planejamento Estratégico (Nipe) da Universidade Estadual de Campinas (Unicamp).

Carlos Henrique de Brito Cruz, diretor científico da Fapesp, motivou os pesquisadores brasileiros a fazer estudos cujos resultados sejam apresentados em revistas de circulação internacional. Geralmente os "resultados ficam escondidos em publicações em língua portuguesa", comentou. "Precisamos ter mais presença mundial nesse assunto." Para ele, um dos desafios à frente é "produzir uma ciência que seja competitiva mundialmente", aumentando o número de cientistas e a capacidade científica nessa área, para manter a liderança na tecnologia de produção de etanol.

"O Brasil saiu na frente e tem experiência, mas a liderança não está garantida", afirmou Marcos Jank, professor da Faculdade de Economia, Administração e Contabilidade (FEA) da Universidade de São Paulo (USP) e presidente da União da Indústria de Cana-de-açúcar (Unica). "A próxima etapa depende de investimento e planejamento. Tenho visto muita duplicação, falta de integração e de coordenação", observou, acrescentando que tem recebido diretores de empresas estrangeiras com orçamentos próximos a US$ 50 milhões para desenvolver novos produtos, como os hidrocarbonetos, a partir da cana. Os investimentos são altos também em instituições de pesquisa.

Apenas o Energy Biosciences Institute, um consórcio público-privado que reúne duas universidades e uma empresa de energia dos Estados Unidos, anunciou em maio os primeiros 49 projetos de pesquisa que devem receber US$ 20 milhões dos US$ 500 milhões destinados a pesquisa nessa área nos próximos dez anos. Um dos palestrantes, Evan Delucia, da Universidade de Illinois, uma das que participam do Energy Biosciences Institute, descreveu na Fapesp as pesquisas sobre o etanol em andamento nos Estados Unidos com outras plantas, a exemplo do milho.

DESMATAMENTO

No Brasil o plantio da cana-de-açúcar ainda está associado a um problema que Jank procurou desfazer: o desmatamento. No início de junho, Bill Clinton, ex-presidente dos Estados Unidos, em um encontro sobre etanol realizado em São Paulo, enalteceu o álcool brasileiro produzido a partir da cana-de-açúcar, que poderia evitar emissões de gases causadores do aquecimento, mas lembrou que as emissões produzidas pelo desmatamento, principalmente na Amazônia, continuam altas. Duas semanas depois, Jank assegurou: "A cana não causa desmatamento, porque está avançando sobre áreas de pastagens".

Em um dos capítulos do livro Sugarcane ethanol – Contributions to climate change mitigation and the environment, editado por Peter Zuurbier e Jos van de Vooren, uma equipe coordenada por André Meloni Nassar, diretor-geral do Instituto de Estudos do Comércio e Negociações Internacionais (Icone) e um dos coordenadores de projetos em andamento no Bioen, verificou que os canaviais não se expandem em direção às fronteiras agrícolas do país nem pressionam diretamente a vegetação natural em qualquer região do país. Segundo Jank, as pastagens é que tomam os espaços ocupados por florestas e outros tipos de vegetação natural. "O problema é o desmatamento indireto e ainda não medido com precisão."

"Não basta ser combustível", comentou Heitor Cantarella, coordenador do grupo de trabalho de agronomia e uso da terra do Bioen e pesquisador do Instituto Agronômico (IAC) de Campinas. "O etanol precisa passar em testes de sustentabilidade e se mostrar ambientalmente aceitável." Glaucia Mendes Souza, coordenadora do Bioen, disse que um os objetivos do programa de pesquisas e dos encontros com os especialistas é justamente definir areas que necessitem de mais atenção e investimentos. Lançado em julho de 2008, o Bioen conta com investimentos iniciais de R$ 73 milhões para apoiar pesquisas sobre variedades de cana, processos de produção de etanol e outros derivados, e impactos sociais, econômicos e ambientais do uso e produção de biocombustíveis.

Colheita mecanizada de cana deve aumentar o estoque de carbono no solo

A colheita mecanizada da cana-de-açúcar deve aumentar o estoque de carbono no solo, por deixar a terra coberta de palha que aos poucos se decompõe, em comparação com o processo inteiramente manual, fundamentado na queima das folhas para facilitar o corte. Do mesmo modo, a conversão de pastagens degradadas em canaviais deve ampliar a quantidade de carbono no solo, acredita Marcelo Galdos, pesquisador do Centro de Energia Nuclear na Agricultura (Cena) da Universidade de São Paulo (USP), que esteve à frente das análises do fluxo de carbono de canaviais do Brasil, da Austrália e da África do Sul.

Os resultados foram publicados em maio em duas revistas científicas, a Soil Science Society of America Journal e a Plant and Soil, e debatidos em 16 de junho no workshop Impactos socioeconômicos, ambientais e de uso da terra, realizado na Fapesp como parte do Programa Fapesp de Pesquisa em Bioenergia (Bioen).

"O que temos de fazer é usar a agricultura conservacionista, transferindo o CO2 (gás carbônico) do ar para a planta e para o solo", comentou Carlos Clemente Cerri, professor do Cena que orientou esses dois trabalhos, dos quais participaram pesquisadores da Universidade do Estado do Colorado, Estados Unidos, e do Instituto de Pesquisa de Cana-de-açúcar da África do Sul. "A cana colhida com queima reduz o estoque de carbono no solo, mas a sem queima aumenta", afirmou Cerri. Segundo ele, a colheita mecânica pode fazer o solo reter até 3 toneladas de carbono em três anos, "um resultado importante para deduzir das emissões de gases do efeito estufa gerados pela produção de etanol".

Ainda não há consenso sobre esses valores. "Não temos encontrado grande benefício em deixar palha sobre o solo", comentou Urquiaga, pesquisador da Embrapa Agrobiologia. Ele chegou a ganhos mais modestos, de apenas 300 quilogramas de carbono por hectare ao longo dos 16 anos de acompanhamento de canaviais em Pernambuco tratados com e sem queima. "Não podemos nos preocupar apenas com carbono, temos de pensar na dinâmica da matéria orgânica e no papel do nitrogênio", disse. "Se não fosse assim, bastaria enterrar bagaço de cana para transferir carbono para o solo." Segundo ele, a quantidade de carbono estocado depende dos resíduos, do grau de degradação (solos mais degradados retêm mais que os mais bem conservados) e da própria capacidade do solo de acumular carbono. "No início o solo acumula muito, depois menos", observou.

Ao longo dos debates do dia, os pesquisadores concordaram que precisam estabelecer metodologias convergentes para obter informações mais abundantes e exatas sobre os impactos da produção de etanol de cana-de-açúcar e as possíveis contribuições para redução dos gases do efeito estufa como o gás carbônico, causadores do aquecimento global. "Os cálculos de impacto e benefícios ambientais dependem dos conhecimentos do impacto sobre o uso do solo, que não são claros", reiterou Isaías de Carvalho Macedo, do Núcleo Interdisciplinar de Planejamento Estratégico (Nipe) da Universidade Estadual de Campinas (Unicamp).

Carlos Henrique de Brito Cruz, diretor científico da Fapesp, motivou os pesquisadores brasileiros a fazer estudos cujos resultados sejam apresentados em revistas de circulação internacional. Geralmente os "resultados ficam escondidos em publicações em língua portuguesa", comentou. "Precisamos ter mais presença mundial nesse assunto." Para ele, um dos desafios à frente é "produzir uma ciência que seja competitiva mundialmente", aumentando o número de cientistas e a capacidade científica nessa área, para manter a liderança na tecnologia de produção de etanol.

"O Brasil saiu na frente e tem experiência, mas a liderança não está garantida", afirmou Marcos Jank, professor da Faculdade de Economia, Administração e Contabilidade (FEA) da Universidade de São Paulo (USP) e presidente da União da Indústria de Cana-de-açúcar (Unica). "A próxima etapa depende de investimento e planejamento. Tenho visto muita duplicação, falta de integração e de coordenação", observou, acrescentando que tem recebido diretores de empresas estrangeiras com orçamentos próximos a US$ 50 milhões para desenvolver novos produtos, como os hidrocarbonetos, a partir da cana. Os investimentos são altos também em instituições de pesquisa.

Apenas o Energy Biosciences Institute, um consórcio público-privado que reúne duas universidades e uma empresa de energia dos Estados Unidos, anunciou em maio os primeiros 49 projetos de pesquisa que devem receber US$ 20 milhões dos US$ 500 milhões destinados a pesquisa nessa área nos próximos dez anos. Um dos palestrantes, Evan Delucia, da Universidade de Illinois, uma das que participam do Energy Biosciences Institute, descreveu na Fapesp as pesquisas sobre o etanol em andamento nos Estados Unidos com outras plantas, a exemplo do milho.

DESMATAMENTO

No Brasil o plantio da cana-de-açúcar ainda está associado a um problema que Jank procurou desfazer: o desmatamento. No início de junho, Bill Clinton, ex-presidente dos Estados Unidos, em um encontro sobre etanol realizado em São Paulo, enalteceu o álcool brasileiro produzido a partir da cana-de-açúcar, que poderia evitar emissões de gases causadores do aquecimento, mas lembrou que as emissões produzidas pelo desmatamento, principalmente na Amazônia, continuam altas. Duas semanas depois, Jank assegurou: "A cana não causa desmatamento, porque está avançando sobre áreas de pastagens".

Em um dos capítulos do livro Sugarcane ethanol – Contributions to climate change mitigation and the environment, editado por Peter Zuurbier e Jos van de Vooren, uma equipe coordenada por André Meloni Nassar, diretor-geral do Instituto de Estudos do Comércio e Negociações Internacionais (Icone) e um dos coordenadores de projetos em andamento no Bioen, verificou que os canaviais não se expandem em direção às fronteiras agrícolas do país nem pressionam diretamente a vegetação natural em qualquer região do país. Segundo Jank, as pastagens é que tomam os espaços ocupados por florestas e outros tipos de vegetação natural. "O problema é o desmatamento indireto e ainda não medido com precisão."

"Não basta ser combustível", comentou Heitor Cantarella, coordenador do grupo de trabalho de agronomia e uso da terra do Bioen e pesquisador do Instituto Agronômico (IAC) de Campinas. "O etanol precisa passar em testes de sustentabilidade e se mostrar ambientalmente aceitável." Glaucia Mendes Souza, coordenadora do Bioen, disse que um os objetivos do programa de pesquisas e dos encontros com os especialistas é justamente definir areas que necessitem de mais atenção e investimentos. Lançado em julho de 2008, o Bioen conta com investimentos iniciais de R$ 73 milhões para apoiar pesquisas sobre variedades de cana, processos de produção de etanol e outros derivados, e impactos sociais, econômicos e ambientais do uso e produção de biocombustíveis.

EBB monitoring biodiesel imports from Argentina

The European Biodiesel Board has an ongoing dialogue with the European Commission so it can “react quickly” to any evidence it gathers regarding the U.S. colluding with Argentina to circumvent countervailing measures imposed against the states, said Amandine Lacourt of the EBB. “The situation is currently under investigation,” she told Biodiesel Magazine. “A lot of biodiesel already flows from Argentina to Europe and we have noticed an increase in the volumes, so it might be easier for some fraudulent practices to occur.”

Argentina has a tax system that promotes the processing of soy beans: the tax on raw soybeans is 35 percent; soy oil is 32 percent and soy methyl esters is 20 percent. “So there definitely is an incentive to produce and export biodiesel,” Lacourt says. “With other incentives the tax is even lower, and we think that it is creating distortions in the market. We do know, however, that it is not illegal under WTO rules.”

Of course, this system is entirely different than the U.S. blenders credit, which the EC concluded allowed American producers to sell biodiesel in Europe below cost. This initiated the EC to enact “countervailing measures” to make the competition fair. European parties are concerned however that Argentina and U.S. producers could conspire to circumvent the anti-dumping laws by essentially taking advantage of incentives in both countries, and then selling it in Europe at low cost and high profit.

EBB monitoring biodiesel imports from Argentina

The European Biodiesel Board has an ongoing dialogue with the European Commission so it can “react quickly” to any evidence it gathers regarding the U.S. colluding with Argentina to circumvent countervailing measures imposed against the states, said Amandine Lacourt of the EBB. “The situation is currently under investigation,” she told Biodiesel Magazine. “A lot of biodiesel already flows from Argentina to Europe and we have noticed an increase in the volumes, so it might be easier for some fraudulent practices to occur.”

Argentina has a tax system that promotes the processing of soy beans: the tax on raw soybeans is 35 percent; soy oil is 32 percent and soy methyl esters is 20 percent. “So there definitely is an incentive to produce and export biodiesel,” Lacourt says. “With other incentives the tax is even lower, and we think that it is creating distortions in the market. We do know, however, that it is not illegal under WTO rules.”

Of course, this system is entirely different than the U.S. blenders credit, which the EC concluded allowed American producers to sell biodiesel in Europe below cost. This initiated the EC to enact “countervailing measures” to make the competition fair. European parties are concerned however that Argentina and U.S. producers could conspire to circumvent the anti-dumping laws by essentially taking advantage of incentives in both countries, and then selling it in Europe at low cost and high profit.

Biodiesel, next big thing in Malaysia

"Malaysia Truly Asia" is probably the most recognized national slogan in the marketing world of tourism. But Malaysia is also known for something else that not only benefits their national agenda but can also help with the environment.

"Biodiesel has a very promising prospect for the future as an alternative energy source and it's renewable," Malaysian Ambassador Dato' Ramlan Bin Ibrahim told The Korea Herald.

Malaysia currently accounts for 41 percent of world palm oil production and 47 percent of world exports.

As one of the biggest producers and exporters of palm oil and palm oil products, Malaysia has an important role to play in fulfilling the growing global need for oils.

The majority of its crops go towards its traditional markets for personal hygiene and food and lately the Malaysian government has set its sights on promoting and producing palm oil for the purpose of making biodiesel.

There are new mills and refineries being built by major Malaysian and global companies.

"Now that the Korean government is promoting the green sector, we are ready and able to plug into that initiative by attracting Korean firms into exploring this biodiesel sector with us," he said.

One strong advantage of palm oil production for biodiesel in Malaysia and one that has quieted the naysayers is that every part of the tree is used.

"There is nothing that is unusable so we have Korean firms coming in and helping us with the technology for that," he said.

"Once you have dedicated plantations you can always use every part of the palm oil tree for specific purposes."

The empty branches or byproducts produced after processing are turned into biomass.

"We have Korean companies coming in to look at this alternative energy," Ramlan said. "Biomass can be used for heating; in a way a plantation can be used to meet the current concerns of global warming."

The Malaysian government, like the Korean government, is recognizing the benefits of going green not only for the sake of the environment but also as a possible future business sector.

"We could, in a way, develop together a kind of synergetic partnership," he said. "Korea has the technology and we (Malaysia) have the plantations. We can look at the global market and see how we can expand it and collaborate further while promoting these products in the green areas."

Ramlan explained that the Malaysian government has set up a deliberate environmental policy.

For every project, the Malaysian government conducts an environmental impact assessment.

"We are now factoring how we can balance and make sure that the ecosystem will remain in tact," he said.

The ambassador is also looking to promote its educational sector to Koreans looking to learn English.

"We have agreements with American universities and we provide quality education at a much lower cost because the cost of living in Kuala Lumpur is a fraction of what it costs in London, the United States or Australia," he said.

Ramlan explained that Kuala Lumpur has been turning itself into an education hub not only for university students but also for elementary, middle and high school students.

"Children there will be in an enabling environment where they will use English more than just in the classrooms, this way the language will be alive in them."

As for the mothers who accompany their children to Kuala Lumpur, Ramlan explained that there is a vibrant Korean community there to help newly arrived mothers and their family adapt to their new home.

"In these communities the mothers have something to do while the kids are in school. So that raises the comfort level. A number of them find living in Malaysia pleasant. We have a first class infrastructure and the population speaks English."

Now back to tourism; Malaysia has become one of the preferred destinations for Koreans looking to travel to an exotic country without having to travel many hours.

Multiculturalism has not only made Malaysia a gastronomical paradise, it has also made Malaysia home to hundreds of colorful festivals.

Geographically, Malaysia is as diverse as its culture. Cool hideaways are found in the highlands that roll down to warm, sandy beaches and rich, humid mangroves.

One of Malaysia's key attractions is its extreme contrasts. Towering skyscrapers look down upon wooden houses built on stilts, and five-star hotels sit several meters away from ancient reefs.

"Koreans love Malaysia for golf, it's so cheap. They put themselves at a golf resort and do nothing but play golf."

Golf promotion is a cornerstone in Malaysia's tourism promotion in Korea.

"We are not into the royal entertainment business, we provide specialized, quality lifestyle holiday tours, beautiful beaches, excellent ecotourism, food, our cultural diversity, shopping, everything is so cheap in Kuala Lumpur."

He explained Malaysia is truly Asia because it is located smack in the middle of two giants -- China and India -- plus the country boasts countless ethnic minorities.

"We understand this; it is the basis of our strength," he said.

While Korea is looking for its tourism identity, Malaysia, through its best practices and aggressive marketing campaigns has attracted 22 million visitors last year.

"We have a package for both low- and high-end travelers and also domestic promotions for our own citizens to discover other parts of Malaysia," he said.

"Through tourism we want to promote ourselves and the strength of our diversity."

Biodiesel, next big thing in Malaysia

"Malaysia Truly Asia" is probably the most recognized national slogan in the marketing world of tourism. But Malaysia is also known for something else that not only benefits their national agenda but can also help with the environment.

"Biodiesel has a very promising prospect for the future as an alternative energy source and it's renewable," Malaysian Ambassador Dato' Ramlan Bin Ibrahim told The Korea Herald.

Malaysia currently accounts for 41 percent of world palm oil production and 47 percent of world exports.

As one of the biggest producers and exporters of palm oil and palm oil products, Malaysia has an important role to play in fulfilling the growing global need for oils.

The majority of its crops go towards its traditional markets for personal hygiene and food and lately the Malaysian government has set its sights on promoting and producing palm oil for the purpose of making biodiesel.

There are new mills and refineries being built by major Malaysian and global companies.

"Now that the Korean government is promoting the green sector, we are ready and able to plug into that initiative by attracting Korean firms into exploring this biodiesel sector with us," he said.

One strong advantage of palm oil production for biodiesel in Malaysia and one that has quieted the naysayers is that every part of the tree is used.

"There is nothing that is unusable so we have Korean firms coming in and helping us with the technology for that," he said.

"Once you have dedicated plantations you can always use every part of the palm oil tree for specific purposes."

The empty branches or byproducts produced after processing are turned into biomass.

"We have Korean companies coming in to look at this alternative energy," Ramlan said. "Biomass can be used for heating; in a way a plantation can be used to meet the current concerns of global warming."

The Malaysian government, like the Korean government, is recognizing the benefits of going green not only for the sake of the environment but also as a possible future business sector.

"We could, in a way, develop together a kind of synergetic partnership," he said. "Korea has the technology and we (Malaysia) have the plantations. We can look at the global market and see how we can expand it and collaborate further while promoting these products in the green areas."

Ramlan explained that the Malaysian government has set up a deliberate environmental policy.

For every project, the Malaysian government conducts an environmental impact assessment.

"We are now factoring how we can balance and make sure that the ecosystem will remain in tact," he said.

The ambassador is also looking to promote its educational sector to Koreans looking to learn English.

"We have agreements with American universities and we provide quality education at a much lower cost because the cost of living in Kuala Lumpur is a fraction of what it costs in London, the United States or Australia," he said.

Ramlan explained that Kuala Lumpur has been turning itself into an education hub not only for university students but also for elementary, middle and high school students.

"Children there will be in an enabling environment where they will use English more than just in the classrooms, this way the language will be alive in them."

As for the mothers who accompany their children to Kuala Lumpur, Ramlan explained that there is a vibrant Korean community there to help newly arrived mothers and their family adapt to their new home.

"In these communities the mothers have something to do while the kids are in school. So that raises the comfort level. A number of them find living in Malaysia pleasant. We have a first class infrastructure and the population speaks English."

Now back to tourism; Malaysia has become one of the preferred destinations for Koreans looking to travel to an exotic country without having to travel many hours.

Multiculturalism has not only made Malaysia a gastronomical paradise, it has also made Malaysia home to hundreds of colorful festivals.

Geographically, Malaysia is as diverse as its culture. Cool hideaways are found in the highlands that roll down to warm, sandy beaches and rich, humid mangroves.

One of Malaysia's key attractions is its extreme contrasts. Towering skyscrapers look down upon wooden houses built on stilts, and five-star hotels sit several meters away from ancient reefs.

"Koreans love Malaysia for golf, it's so cheap. They put themselves at a golf resort and do nothing but play golf."

Golf promotion is a cornerstone in Malaysia's tourism promotion in Korea.

"We are not into the royal entertainment business, we provide specialized, quality lifestyle holiday tours, beautiful beaches, excellent ecotourism, food, our cultural diversity, shopping, everything is so cheap in Kuala Lumpur."

He explained Malaysia is truly Asia because it is located smack in the middle of two giants -- China and India -- plus the country boasts countless ethnic minorities.

"We understand this; it is the basis of our strength," he said.

While Korea is looking for its tourism identity, Malaysia, through its best practices and aggressive marketing campaigns has attracted 22 million visitors last year.

"We have a package for both low- and high-end travelers and also domestic promotions for our own citizens to discover other parts of Malaysia," he said.

"Through tourism we want to promote ourselves and the strength of our diversity."

Florida selected for pilot project

ORLANDO - A national consumer awareness campaign aimed at owners of flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs) was officially launched at the Farm-to-Fuel Summit. The project is a cooperative effort between Florida state government interests, gasoline/E85 distributors, ethanol companies, and several nonprofit environmental and energy advocacy groups.

The Florida Farm-to-Fuel Summit provided the forum for Charles Bronson, Florida Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services, to announce that the state would be taking a proactive role aimed at increasing the use of higher blends of renewable biofuels, like ethanol, in FlexFuel Vehicles (FFVs). "Our state has developed a comprehensive strategy to become more energy independent with clean, sustainable, and affordable fuel sources," said Governor Crist. "Today's announcement is one more step that our state can take in the effort to become better stewards of our natural resources."

"We can stimulate the state economy and create new biotech jobs simply by using more ethanol. Several advanced biofuel projects in our state will use our abundant renewable biomass resources, waste from our agriculture processing plants, and trash from our cities. There are hundreds of millions of dollars that are being invested in Florida for these 2nd generation ethanol plants and we need to develop the market by educating consumers now," said Bronson.

There are more than eight million FFV owners in the U.S. and 500,000 in Florida. Hundreds of auto dealers in the state will be selling millions more FFVs in the next few years. Project organizers say the program will be duplicated in states across the U.S. and can play a key role in meeting national renewable fuel use requirements.

"The FFV Awareness driver education project is designed to locate and encourage drivers of FFVs to try higher blends of ethanol when they are available. This will help Florida meet its goals of reducing the cost of and reliance on imported oil, improving air quality, and creating economic development opportunities - all while reducing greenhouse gases. This is a Win-Win-Win for Florida drivers, the state government, and the nation," said Douglas A. Durante, Director of the Clean Fuels Foundation.

There are currently thirty E85 stations in the state, with a majority of them located in the South Florida market.

"Ethanol is the only renewable alternative fuel available today that is noticeably reducing our dependence on imported oil," said Renewable Fuels Association President Bob Dinneen. "Americans are willing to support a domestically-produced, renewable fuel over imported oil if they know where to buy it and if they can use. Making consumers aware of their fueling options puts the drive for energy independence in their capable hands. By partnering with the industry, the state of Florida is leading by example."

Florida selected for pilot project

ORLANDO - A national consumer awareness campaign aimed at owners of flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs) was officially launched at the Farm-to-Fuel Summit. The project is a cooperative effort between Florida state government interests, gasoline/E85 distributors, ethanol companies, and several nonprofit environmental and energy advocacy groups.

The Florida Farm-to-Fuel Summit provided the forum for Charles Bronson, Florida Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services, to announce that the state would be taking a proactive role aimed at increasing the use of higher blends of renewable biofuels, like ethanol, in FlexFuel Vehicles (FFVs). "Our state has developed a comprehensive strategy to become more energy independent with clean, sustainable, and affordable fuel sources," said Governor Crist. "Today's announcement is one more step that our state can take in the effort to become better stewards of our natural resources."

"We can stimulate the state economy and create new biotech jobs simply by using more ethanol. Several advanced biofuel projects in our state will use our abundant renewable biomass resources, waste from our agriculture processing plants, and trash from our cities. There are hundreds of millions of dollars that are being invested in Florida for these 2nd generation ethanol plants and we need to develop the market by educating consumers now," said Bronson.

There are more than eight million FFV owners in the U.S. and 500,000 in Florida. Hundreds of auto dealers in the state will be selling millions more FFVs in the next few years. Project organizers say the program will be duplicated in states across the U.S. and can play a key role in meeting national renewable fuel use requirements.

"The FFV Awareness driver education project is designed to locate and encourage drivers of FFVs to try higher blends of ethanol when they are available. This will help Florida meet its goals of reducing the cost of and reliance on imported oil, improving air quality, and creating economic development opportunities - all while reducing greenhouse gases. This is a Win-Win-Win for Florida drivers, the state government, and the nation," said Douglas A. Durante, Director of the Clean Fuels Foundation.

There are currently thirty E85 stations in the state, with a majority of them located in the South Florida market.

"Ethanol is the only renewable alternative fuel available today that is noticeably reducing our dependence on imported oil," said Renewable Fuels Association President Bob Dinneen. "Americans are willing to support a domestically-produced, renewable fuel over imported oil if they know where to buy it and if they can use. Making consumers aware of their fueling options puts the drive for energy independence in their capable hands. By partnering with the industry, the state of Florida is leading by example."

Paraguai pode dobrar área destinada à cana para produção de etanol

Portal Globo Rural

O Ministério da Indústria e Comércio do Paraguai informou que pretende dobrar de 50 para 100 mil hectares a área de cultivo da cana-de-açúcar destinada à produção de etanol no país. A ampliação faria com que o volume anual produzido passasse de 228 milhões para 300 milhões de litros por ano. No total, o país possui 500 mil hectares disponíveis para o cultivo da cana-de-açúcar.

Na avaliação da Unica - União da Indústria de Cana-de-Açúcar - a existência de programas regionais de produção de etanol ajudam na consolidação do produto como uma commodity. "Projetos como o do Paraguai se somam à recente iniciativa de outros países latino-americanos, caso da Colômbia, e são importantes na regulação da oferta de biocombustíveis no continente, proporcionando um aumento de cooperação tecnológica entre os países, além da geração de economias de escala na produção e distribuição do etanol. O mesmo é válido para a produção de carros flex", afirma o diretor-executivo da entidade, Eduardo Leão de Sousa.

Atualmente, nove usinas produtoras de etanol anidro e hidratado operam no Paraguai, cuja produção de biocombustíveis teve início na década de 1970. A demanda paraguaia por álcool vem aumentando, e deve continuar crescendo este ano graças ao acréscimo estimado de aproximadamente 7,5 mil veículos à frota bicombustível do país até o final do ano. A expectativa é de que em dezembro 10 mil carros flex já estejam rodando com um combustível limpo e renovável no Paraguai.

Outro motivo que pode impulsionar ainda mais a produção de etanol no país é um possível aumento de 1% na mistura de etanol anidro à gasolina, que atualmente é de 24%. A medida está sendo analisada pelo governo paraguaio.

Paraguai pode dobrar área destinada à cana para produção de etanol

Portal Globo Rural

O Ministério da Indústria e Comércio do Paraguai informou que pretende dobrar de 50 para 100 mil hectares a área de cultivo da cana-de-açúcar destinada à produção de etanol no país. A ampliação faria com que o volume anual produzido passasse de 228 milhões para 300 milhões de litros por ano. No total, o país possui 500 mil hectares disponíveis para o cultivo da cana-de-açúcar.

Na avaliação da Unica - União da Indústria de Cana-de-Açúcar - a existência de programas regionais de produção de etanol ajudam na consolidação do produto como uma commodity. "Projetos como o do Paraguai se somam à recente iniciativa de outros países latino-americanos, caso da Colômbia, e são importantes na regulação da oferta de biocombustíveis no continente, proporcionando um aumento de cooperação tecnológica entre os países, além da geração de economias de escala na produção e distribuição do etanol. O mesmo é válido para a produção de carros flex", afirma o diretor-executivo da entidade, Eduardo Leão de Sousa.

Atualmente, nove usinas produtoras de etanol anidro e hidratado operam no Paraguai, cuja produção de biocombustíveis teve início na década de 1970. A demanda paraguaia por álcool vem aumentando, e deve continuar crescendo este ano graças ao acréscimo estimado de aproximadamente 7,5 mil veículos à frota bicombustível do país até o final do ano. A expectativa é de que em dezembro 10 mil carros flex já estejam rodando com um combustível limpo e renovável no Paraguai.

Outro motivo que pode impulsionar ainda mais a produção de etanol no país é um possível aumento de 1% na mistura de etanol anidro à gasolina, que atualmente é de 24%. A medida está sendo analisada pelo governo paraguaio.